Book Review: The New Jim Crow

Isaiah Castillo
Jul 17, 2020
3 min read

Updated: Nov 24

Need to better understand how I review books? You can review my book review criteria here.

Overview

Title: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Author: Michelle Alexander

Genre: Thesis

Themes: Social Justice, Criminal Justice, Civil Rights

Publish Year: 2010

ISBN-10: 1595586431

Amazon: Buy Here

Utility: 5/5

Readability: 4/5

Storytelling: 3/5

Literary Quality:4/5

Pace: 4/5

Impact: 5/5

Favorite Excerpt/Quote

"These debates are worthwhile, but it is critical to keep in mind that the question of how we do reform work is even more important than the specific reforms we seek. If the way we pursue reforms does not contribute to the building of a movement to dismantle the system of mass incarceration, and if our advocacy does not upset the prevailing public consensus that supports the new caste system, none of the reforms, even if won, will successfully disrupt the nation's racial equilibrium." (Alexander, 236)

Review

Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow is an extensive analysis of mass incarceration, the war on drugs, and the environments which gave rise to it. Alexander exhausts countless perspectives in her analysis, touching on the use of rhetoric and narrative, the structures of policing, constitutional and legal mechanisms, and beyond to the system of public services. She ties all these atomic details into a larger discussion on the cultural perception of Black Americans.

Alexander's book starts by diving right into the historical parallels between mass incarceration and previous systems of oppression. She then exemplifies these parallels through the use of data and statistics, revealing the disconnect between crime and perceptions of Black criminality. She beautifully illustrates how mechanisms of policing, constitutional law, public housing, hiring policies, and many other areas of control all come together to form the modern-day Jim Crow.

Alexander's final chapter shifts the book by moving from detailed analysis to a more sweeping discussion about the fight for equality and justice. As exemplified by the quote in the previous section, Alexander moves the conversation away from the mechanisms of incarceration to one on cultural perception. She uses the words of previous leaders such as the Reverand King to hammer the point that reform in specific arenas such as criminal justice will have little impact without a shift in the cultural perception of Blacks and Black criminality.

The depth of the book is brilliant, however, such depth and complexity have the potential to leave some more inexperienced readers behind, especially readers who have predispositions against that which she is advocating for. One reason is that the novel lacks engaging storytelling, a potential persuasive barrier for more casual readers who need vivid examples to mobilize them.

The final chapter also exemplifies the author's tendency to leave some concepts underdeveloped. Throughout the novel, various ideas are introduced, yet lack the depth needed to substantiate them. Conversations, like one on Black culture in chapter 5, begin, but fail to develop beyond a few paragraphs. This leaves gaps in the reader's understanding and can serve as a rhetorical hindrance to those who oppose the author's point of view.

Overall, Alexander does a wonderful job explaining the workings of mass incarceration. The New Jim Crow is a book that every ally of Black Lives Matter and civil rights should read. It empowers a deeper understanding of the abstract workings of mass incarceration; an understanding which is critical for proponents who truly seek to mobilize criminal justice reform.

Overall Rating

A must-read for activists and allies: 4.2/5

A Personal Note

Alexander makes many good points throughout her novel, but perhaps none is more relevant and impactful than the one made in her final chapter. I, like Alexander, also believe that progress won't be determined by victories in courtrooms or police precincts, but by our collective social consciousness. That collective includes both proponents of Black Lives Matter and opponents.

In my opinion, none of the concepts in the first 5 chapters matter without cultural progress. A decade after the publishing of this book and we can conclude that there has been a deterioration in progress. The makeup of our governance, the reemergence of white supremacy, the dismissal of science by our leadership, among other phenomena are the result of a losing cultural battle.

My takeaway, whether intended by Alexander or not, is that the analysis and all the facts and research presented isn't about waging a war against our institutions, but against the culture which shapes them. Progress begins by deconstructing false perceptions of Black criminality and white superiority. It leads us to not a war of policy and practice, but a war of rhetoric and narrative.