Analysis Of Mass Incarceration In Ava Duvernay - 1523 Words

Mass incarceration, particularly the disproportionate number of African Americans in prison, remains an issue that is both altogether settled, but at the same time unresolved. There still exists a pervasive idea that many people of color tend to be trouble makers, and thus are directly responsible for their own mass incarceration; however, this theory creates more questions than it answers. Furthermore, it does not address why mass incarceration continues even after it has been recognized as a serious socio-economical issue for several decades. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay proposes in her documentary titled 13th, that the mass incarceration of African Americans, as well as their frequent depiction as criminals, finds its roots in a thirteenth†¦show more content†¦To begin, the documentary argues that the cycle of African Americans becoming continuously depicted as criminals started with a clause in the thirteenth amendment, which explicitly states Neither slavery nor involuntary s ervitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction (13th amendment section 1). Several experts argue that this clause was actually intended to be utilized as a tool; and as a result, masses of African American males were arrested for petty crimes in order to be put back to work through convict leasing. Additionally, the movie Birth of a Nation created fear of the black man as a rapist of white women, which in turn gave power back to the KKK to advance their causes. As the cycle continues, many groups gained power by utilizing the fear of African American crime including the Democratic party through the use of Jim Crow laws, Nixon and the Southern Strategy, Reagan and the modern War on Drugs, as well as Bush and Clintons tough on crime platforms. Finally, through the political rhetoric of fear, outside establishments such as the Corrections Corporation of America and companies associated with the American Legislative Exchange Council have benefitted financially. Overall, the premises of her argument effectively demonstrate that people of color are not directly responsible for their own criminal image which is backed byShow MoreRelatedBeverly Daniel Tatum Describes Racism As A System Of Advantage1485 Words   |  6 Pagesvarious ways. In other words, blacks are considered less intelligent than whites. The incarceration rates have grown tremendously since the last time someone can remember. The largest jailer in the world is the United States. Philadelphia, however, has the nation’s highest incarceration rates. Surprisingly, 60% of them are still awaiting trial but 72% of them are black. Research has show’s that mass incarceration rates goes hand in hand with segregated cities. In â€Å"The City: Prison’s Grip on Black