Synthesis and critique of Michelle Alexandar's book The New Jim Crow - Term Paper Example

Jim Crow laws refers to the racial segregation or discrimination laws that were enacted and used in the United States of America to give the white Americans advantage over the African Americans between 1976-1965 because of their skin colour. The aim of these Jim Crow Laws according to the Alexander (2010) was to maintain a racial caste system in the country. The Jim Crow laws endorsed between the years 1976-1965 promoted racial discrimination of African Americans in public, employment as well as education.

Furthermore, these laws also discriminated the African Americans when it came to voting rights and housing facilities. The discrimination was explicit and was legalized by the rules of the United States of American. African Americans were for example not allowed to use restaurants and restrooms that were being used by the white Americans. This is basically because they were viewed as inferior to the white American population. The author of the book “The New Jim Crow” is comparing the Jim Crow laws that were used to discriminate against the African Americans between the years 1976 to 1965 to the current mass incarceration that has led to several African Americans ending up in prisons, paroles or probation.

The writer of this book additionally states that the origin of the mass incarceration that is currently being experienced in the United States of American are the policies that have been laid down to discriminate against the African Americans. These policies are designed to make the white Americans remain superior over the African Americans. Michelle Alexander stresses the cause of the mass incarceration to the war against drugs that had been initiated and perpetuated by regimes after the elimination of the Jim Crow laws in 1964.

Alexander (2010), asserts that the battle on drugs was started so as to continue with the discrimination against African Americans. The war on drugs has led to many African