The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander is a very touching piece. Throughout the work, Alexander is at pains to draw parallels between the current implementation in the justice system of pronouncements coming from the executive branch and the lack of action by the legislative branch to correct the over-enforcement that ultimately led to a disproportionate number of blacks currently incarcerated. . The book was interesting to say the least. I feel like Alexander did an adequate job of laying the historical groundwork for the reader and describing that from the earliest times in American history blacks were invited into the country simply as a compromise and because blacks seemed to be the cheapest choice for the pursuit of their motivations for the development of the country. Alexander didn't stop at simply telling the reader that blacks were a better economic move during the country's founding, but delved into why other racial groups, such as Native Americans and poor Eastern European whites, they wouldn't have done it. be just as easy to assert the power of slavery. The slave mentality is a recurring theme in this text. I find that Alexander may not even realize he did this, but the brief explanation at the beginning as to why blacks were ideal candidates for slavery actually helps the reader explain the exploitation of blacks that is illustrated in the rest of the book . Alexander goes from discussing slavery, post-slavery, Jim Crow, lack of economic gain, the war on drugs, labeling, modern day blaxploitation, successful celebrities (Oprah and Barack Obama) and the silence we've seen among those of old vocal civil rights activists. I realized... middle of paper... a selfish and dangerous black man in their heads. This person they feel includes all people of color. This very personality that leads white cops to approach black men with force has led to the disproportionate enforcement of the drug war, disproportionate prison sentences, white women crossing the street when black men approach, and people who fears blacks in general. It would be nice to think that the active steps, proposed by Alexander, to combat the systems currently in place will change the way the world looks at the black race, but this is entirely too idealistic. As long as the idea of ​​an animalistic/hyper-masculinized race still exists, is still marketable, through music, media, or by its own people through Blaxploitation, society will cling to these ideals, no amount of civil rights activism or overturning the laws will change this fact.