In 2004, there were more black men disenfranchised than in 1870 - the year the 15th Amendment was ratified, prohibiting laws that deny the right to vote exclusively on the basis of race.
Michelle AlexanderRead
Those labeled felons may be denied the right to vote, are automatically excluded from juries, and may be legally discriminated against in employment, housing, access to education, public benefits, much like their grandparents or great grandparents may have been discriminated against during the Jim Crow era.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the systemic discrimination faced by felons, drawing parallels to historical injustices.
Michelle Alexander's quote emphasizes the ongoing issues of systemic discrimination that individuals labeled as felons face in contemporary society. It points out that these individuals are deprived of fundamental rights such as voting and jury service, and are often discriminated against in various essential areas of life, such as employment and education. This systemic injustice is likened to the societal exclusion and discrimination experienced by African Americans during the Jim Crow era, suggesting that the legacy of such discrimination continues to affect marginalized communities today.
Themes
DiscriminationJusticeFelonsRightsSystemicJim Crow
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on civil rights, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of fighting against systemic injustice.
More from Michelle Alexander
All quotes →My experience and research has led me to the regrettable conclusion that our system of mass incarceration functions more like a caste system than a system of crime prevention or control.
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The United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid. In Washington, D.C., our nation’s capitol, it is estimated that three out of four young black men (and nearly all those in the poorest neighborhoods) can expect to serve time in prison.
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We have avoided in recent years talking openly and honestly about race out of fear that it will alienate and polarize. In my own view, it’s our refusal to deal openly and honestly with race that leads us to keep repeating these cycles of exclusion and division, and rebirthing a caste-like system that we claim we’ve left behind
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Michelle AlexanderRead
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