In his article of May 22, "Government subsidies no substitute for fathers", Geary Foertsch has this quote from black economist Walter Williams: "The No. 1 problem among blacks is the effects stemming from a very weak family structure. Children from fatherless homes are likelier to drop out of high school, die by suicide, have behavioral disorders, join gangs, commit crimes and end up in prison. But is the weak black family a legacy of slavery?
In her book "The New Jim Crow," Michelle Alexander argues that the principles of monitoring, regulating, and suppressing black people inherent in the system of slavery were imbedded in the Jim Crow era. When the civil rights movement tore down Jim Crow, another system of control emerged in its place - the War on Drugs. This system used the crack epidemic as an excuse to aggressively police and incarcerate huge numbers of people of color. This system gained much momentum under President Reagan in the '80s and was further escalated in the '90s by President Clinton.
There is a 100-to-1 ratio in sentencing recommendations for crack versus powder cocaine. There's little difference between the two forms of cocaine, but crack is more closely associated with black people - and carries sentencing a hundred times longer than powder cocaine, which is generally associated with wealthy whites. Alexander points out that in some states, 80 to 90 percent of those sent to prison on drug charges are African-American. This enormous disparity, along with several other important factors that Alexander details, accounts for the high number of single-parent black families. When people ask, "Where have all the black men gone?", the honest answer is that a large percentage of them are in prison.
The same forces that tore black families apart during slavery are active today. Some African-American leaders have voiced support for the "tough on crime" approach that has created and sustained mass incarceration. This has created divisions in the African-American community as well as among racial justice advocates in general. In "The New Jim Crow," Alexander urges that these divisions must be resolved in order for there to be any hope of achieving justice.
Michael Lawton
Ocean View
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
