The House I Live In

The House I Live In is a documentary about the US criminal justice system that uncovers some inhumane truths about the war on drugs and racism in this country.

The disproportionate amount of minorities incarcerated has been covered on this blog before, and the war on drugs is one major reason for the skyrocketing figures of minorities in the criminal justice system. The war on drugs and drug policy targets drugs and behaviors that certain demographics are more likely to participate in or use. In addition, certain drugs and behaviors carry much more weight. This is the case with crack and powder cocaine. Powder cocaine does not carry the same charges if you are caught as crack cocaine does, despite these drugs affecting the body similarly and being the same substance in different forms. Crack cocaine is often known as a "street" drug, ie, used more by minorities, while powder cocaine is more likely to be used by white people. 

The amount of African Americans in prison for drugs is astounding and leaves major holes in communities. These communities don't have parent-figures or role models because of the mass incarceration, and the cycles of poverty are perpetuated, leading to more drugs being made and sold illegally. The underground economy of drugs largely exists due to a lack of options for minorities and the urban poor in the job market. The underground economy is only stimulated by incarceration and criminalization of drugs and drug use. With so many community members in jail, more and more of their family members must also take risks to support themselves. It is a viscious cycle.

The House I Live In is very thorough and informative. It highlights certain policies and political decisions that have created this mess of incarceration, high poverty and crime, and misunderstanding of drugs. I highly recommend it as a resource into understanding U.S. drug policy and the racism institutionalized into these policies. 

--Megan 

It's Bigger than George Zimmerman

Many of us felt outraged or devastated when we heard the news of the George Zimmerman trial on Friday night. The news was heartbreaking--and a true indicator of our national climate.

George Zimmerman was found not guilty for the murder of a minor, a high school student, a very young black man. He was found not guilty because the murder was in self-defense.

What I think this case raises, whether or not we believe Zimmerman is guilty, whether or not Zimmerman is guilty, is what makes this a self-defense case.

Trayvon was very young, much smaller than Zimmerman, and carrying no weapon. He was no realistic threat to Zimmerman.  What he was, however, was a young black male in a hoodie. This is something that plays deeply into our national psychology. We discriminate against people that fit this description daily; we ourselves might feel fear when we see someone like this in the street late at night.
Zimmerman is no monster, he is just like every American. He did an unspeakable act, but according to his case, he did it out of fear, out of self-defense. Why did he feel fear? Because he encountered a black male wearing "street clothing." We are all conditioned to this fear to a point. Our culture is based in roots of racism, misunderstanding, and bigotry. Our American way of life has taught us who to fear by physical description, and it has taught us who matters, who to believe. All by appearance.

Let's find justice for Trayvon by recognizing the poison in the very roots of our nation, and address that psychology. Zimmerman is merely one piece in a much larger game.

--Megan

Accidental Racist

I don't think there can be someone known as an "accidental racist." I do believe that we all make mistakes, and perhaps have grown up in a place that has not allowed for entire racial understanding and sensitivity. I think perceptions based on our backgrounds, education, and upbringing are entirely normal, and that many have not been taught about the racist institutions built into our culture and how to combat them; perhaps this makes someone a racist by choice or a racist by psyche and nurture, but there is no accident about what behaviors you choose. 

Part of living in a community, living as part of a larger, interconnected society, is knowing how to live WITH community. This involves respecting one another. Racism is ingrained into American society, but that doesn't mean we need to act on it. 

I heard about Brad Paisley's new song, "Accidental Racist," on The Colbert Report. While the segment was comedy gold, I am truly horrified that the song is real. The song is implicitly racist, despite the narrator singing that he wants to bridge the divide between whites and blacks. In the lyrics, it is the black man serving the white man coffee, a white man who knows the full meaning and history behind the confederate flag, but despite these implications, chooses to wear it in public because he's a "Skynyrd fan." This is not accidental. This is a choice. Bigotry and hatred is always a choice, and alienating people with uncomfortable symbols of superiority, history, etc, simply because you "like the design," for example. The lyrics are filled with assumptions about racial relations and the typical African-American lifestyle. 

Even worse, LL Cool J features in the song. I can't imagine a sum of money large enough to convince him to sing the demeaning lyrics, including "if you don't judge my gold chains, I'll forgive the iron chains." As Colbert surmises, "That's a pretty good deal, Paisley. LL will forget 250 years of enslavement if you accept his taste in accessories." 

The song misses the entire conversation about racial and cultural sensitivity and veers off into a racist and offensive place. Paisley claims to want an open dialogue with African-Americans and for both to be understood, but cannot give up his pride in the way he was raised, nor let go of racist generalizations and stereotypes such as black men being from the hood, wearing "saggy pants", "do-rags", and "gold chains." This song is a product of him, and, in fact, the song seems so unaware of the demeaning and one-sided dialogue, that perhaps it truly is "accidental." 

Colbert changes the tone, however, and gives us something to laugh at. You can check out the whole clip here. Be sure to watch to the end to catch Colbert's spoof of "Accidental Racist," what he calls "OopsieDaisy Homophobe." 

--Megan

Blaming the Victim

 "Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money.They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, &, therefore, those who have no money blame & blame & blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly & privately, than any other ruling class since, say, Napoleonic times"--Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five 

Many full-time employees receive a benefits package in addition to their salaries. These benefits might include paid time off, paid sick leave, and health insurance. As health care is privatized in America, having employer paid health insurance is a wonderful perk, as insurance plans are costly, and health care, prescriptions, and doctor's visits uninsured are even more costly.
Of course, no two insurance plans are alike. Some cover prescriptions, others don't or require you pay a deductible first. Some include dental, while others do not. Some cover certain doctors visits or only work with certain doctors' offices. It gets a bit complicated to see what your insurance will and will not do for you.
It gets worse. Some insurance companies won't accept people into their plan due to "pre-existing conditions" that will end up being costly to them. Despite the importance of health care and our nation's need for it to be accessible, we have capitalized on our citizen's basic rights to health and information. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are getting rich on the backs of this country's neediest individuals.
Did you know that one month's worth of prescription contraceptive costs over $100 uninsured? Did you know that many insurances require a large deductible on prescriptions in addition to a monthly co-pay, and this contraceptive might still cost the recipient as much as the $100 for the first month and anywhere from $20-$50 in subsequent months? Yet our media and politicians tell us that low-income families are to blame for  their own poverty--that these families are taking advantage of our welfare system by having more children than they can afford. They tell us that these same individuals living in poverty are not making good choices.
What about those who cannot afford prescriptions and insulin they need for diabetes (an epidemic for our population living in shelters) or other ailments caused by poor diet and improper nutrition? Our capitalist society would tell you that these people ought to eat better and take better care of themselves, despite the fact that the very diet we've chosen for them, combined with the lack of access to information and health education, has caused this epidemic.
A large number of homeless people die every year due to the elements or violence or other factors of living on the streets. Homelessness has a very real solution--houses! Yet people will tell you that these people have made a series of bad mistakes and this is their destiny.

We are blaming the victims of systemic poverty, illness, and homelessness for their situation. This country tells them they are inadequate and that is their fault they are in the predicament they are in.
Let me ask you, though, what tools have we given low income families to make any sort of choice about family planning? What resources do these families have in order to take care of their sick and get treated for their ailments? How can one get a job and care for themselves or send their kids off to school and then help them with their homework with no stable home to go to?
This is the constant power struggle of our society. We expect that everyone can stand on their own two feet and care for themselves, but we have put impossible hurdles in the way of those struggling in the lower class. We employ people that are educated, reliable, and hygienic. If someone has lived their entire lives without health insurance, chances are they haven't had access to dental care or other basic health care and their appearances, because of this, might suffer. Additionally, the lower class is much less likely to get four-year degrees, and might lack the basic resources that it requires to be consistently on time to work (start up funds for public transportation, a car).
Despite the fact that our society and political structure have imposed these barriers, we are taught to fear, despise, and blame the poor for their plight. We are taught, "If I can do it, why can't they?" It is so important to look at the societal factors that play into an individuals struggle with employment, health, or housing. The people that get out of poverty do so by luck of the draw; the system does not work in their favor, but in fact works to keep the majority suppressed. Those that have power and access to resources relish in this, as they would not be in power if everyone had equal access to it.
This lie has been perpetuated and spread all across our nation. We blame the victims so that we don't have to help them; it's easier to blame than to break the cycle.

--Megan

We Wear the Mask

To go along with Monday's  post...    

   We Wear the Mask--Paul Laurence Dunbar

    WE wear the mask that grins and lies,
    It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
    This debt we pay to human guile;
    With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
    And mouth with myriad subtleties.

    Why should the world be over-wise,
    In counting all our tears and sighs?
    Nay, let them only see us, while
            We wear the mask.

    We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
    To thee from tortured souls arise.
    We sing, but oh the clay is vile
    Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
    But let the world dream otherwise,
            We wear the mask!

This poem is a depiction of a slave population in pain and suffering--hidden behind a mask of contentment. There were many emotions slaves felt the need to keep from their masters. They didn't let on if they could read or had knowledge of certain things, they didn't express joy or anger or sadness...they expressed a placid contentment to mask these other feelings. Any other could make a landowner worried about their conditions or ideas, and would possibly take action on the slave.

What do you think?

--Megan

Thomas Jefferson, Slave Owner

"If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves." --Thomas Day

Slave owner. That's not ususally  what first comes to mind when we think of Thomas Jefferson. This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, near Charlottesville, VA. Jefferson made all sorts of advancements for this country, being the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence, the President for two terms,  and serving in other public offices. He also founded UVA, sent the Lewis and Clark expedition, and studied health, science, and architecture. As a founding father, this country was built on his principals and values-- including the one that states "all men are created equal."
Yet, Jefferson was also a slave owner. While a tour guide at Monticello will tell you that Jefferson was "different" than other slave owners, and he was so nice to his slaves and kept their families together as best he could and provided food for them all, slavery is still slavery is it not?

This country has a racist foundation--it was built by enslaved men, women, and children. And now we wonder why everyone just can't get along, why racism still exists, why we need affirmative action, and why we have such significant portions of our minority population in prison, in poverty,  and without education, jobs, and other resources.

 All men are still not equal in the US. Can you right a wrong that is written into your history books? That your country's values are based upon?
Can we recover from the evil that was done here? Some people can't trace their families lineage because last names were changed, families were split, and children were born without ceremony--no birthday recorded or family tie remembered.
Other people can--straight to slavery, and that's where it stops. Where did their families originate from?

Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers created a nation, but they left us with all the baggage. The discrepancy between Jefferson's words and his actions should be admonished.  What sort of men did he mean when he said "all men"? What message was he sending as a leader?

 This history impacts our lives everyday. It affects the way we interact, what sort of status we have, how we grew up, and our social class. This history continues to hold people back from their full potentials, and it continues to hold our society back from any sort of progress. What can we do about it?

I have no answers there, except that we can't ignore it. So many white Americans live their day-to-day lives not once thinking about their race or complexion. In fact, many don't even identify with their race--it's not a way they describe themselves to others, and it's not something that adds or takes away from their life (from their perspective, at least). Not so for the minorities and people of color in this country, who are always aware of their race. By living a more mindful life, allowing your race to be part of your identity, and being fully aware of what has happened in this country.

--Megan

The Prison Population

The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world. There are more people locked up here than anywhere else. Americans don't make up even 5% of the world, but 23.4% of the world's prison population.

Do you know who is filling (and rotting in) our prisons? Our minorities.


The US Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that in 2009, 39.4% of our prison population was comprised of non-hispanic blacks. Non-hispanic blacks make up only 12.9% of the US population.
Hispanics made up 20.6% of the prison population in 2009 and 16.3% of the US population.
This  means that per 100,000 US citizens, 4,749 black males were locked up, 708 white males, and 1,822 hispanic males.

The face of crime in America is a black man. One in four black men between 18-35 will serve time.

What is with the disproportionate figures?

There are many factors contributing to this issue. Minorities are typically the ones being marginalized by our education and social systems; this discrepancy leads to crime and violence in desperate neighborhoods. In fact, the majority of inmates are functionally illiterate (can't even fill out a job application). America's "War on Drugs" is also putting minorities behind bars--not because minorities partake in more drug use than whites-- it is quite the contrary-- but because it is more visible (on the streets where police already regulate as opposed to behind closed suburban doors). Most alarmingly, black men go to prison because it has become a cultural norm in their communities. Going to prison brings a man notoriety in his neighborhood. The more we lock people up, the more acceptable we make it culturally.


How is this impacting our communities?

People who have committed felonies lose the right to vote. Are we silencing our minorities? In some states, as many as one in four men of color have lost their right to vote forever, meaning this particular demographic's voice is being drowned out.

Black men who go to prison are fathers, husbands, neighbors, and sons. Because they are in prison, they are not making money for their families, their skill sets are not being used, and their communities are dealing with their absences. They leave behind single mothers who need to care for their families alone. They leave behind children who will fall victim to the same animal.

Worst of all, racism is not an arbitrary player in all of this. Police admittedly put more of their resources into dealing with crimes in areas where it can be easily found. "Police go looking for crimes in the ghetto, and that's where they find them," GWU sociology professor William Chambliss says. Additionally, African American men still receive a sentence on average 6 months longer than a white man's for commiting the same crime, and are more frequently pulled over and targeted in raids.


It seems that in order to reverse these injustices, we need to look at the root of the problem. Systemic problems such as lack of education, lack of community autonomy, and lack of resources, are clearly impacting  these statistics, as is the institution of racism.
By putting more emphasis on success in school and programs for workforce development, and putting resources in these communities and in general breathing life and making whole these quite stagnant, at-risk living situations, we could give people the opportunity to break the cycle. Allowing returning citizens basic rights also seems democratic and just.

The fact that we even have a term--"prison population"-- is vile. If we put more resources into public schools, job trainings, mental health facilities, etc, in the first place, we would not be pumping so many resources into a "population" of our society that cannot contribute anything to counterbalance it's own cost. But that's another post...


--Megan

The Institution of Racism--by Megan

                               

On a recent trip to the zoo, an unusually warm day in February, I observed a lonely-seeming tiger. Just on the other side of his habitat, surrounded by the same moat, but separated by some large rocks, were the lions. 4 of them: 2 cubs, a male, and a female. I thought of the lonely tiger on the other side and asked my boyfriend, “Why do they separate the lions and tigers? They’re all just big cats, right?”

“Racism,” he replied.

Obviously, he was joking, but that got me thinking. I had unknowingly just asked the million-dollar-question. What if someone, God perhaps, was looking down at the zoo we’ve made out of planet Earth, and thinking, “They’re all human beings right?”

It seemed like such a joke. We, the inhabitants of this earth, black, white, yellow, brown, and red, are genetically much more similar than lions and tigers. Yet we can’t get along. In the USA, we’ve created an institution of racism that continues now. Other countries are facing similar problems. Europeans are seeing a large influx of Africans and Middle Easterners, and they’re not sure how to handle it. While most people of my generation might feel that they have no personal prejudices based on race, we must admit what is already built into our culture.

What drives this irrational distance? Fear? Hatred? Misunderstanding?  Fear of what? Hatred of what?  Why should we fear people that don’t look like us? Why should a diverse genetic pool be something to fear? Why is it that a neighborhood that looks the way we look gives us comfort? Where is this founded? In what is it rooted?

I attended a workshop about racism this past weekend. The facilitators (a white nun and an African-American nun from the Sisters of Notre Dame) asked first the people of color in the room to call out what they liked about being of color. This was easy for them. Food, dance, body shape, and genetic gifts topped the list. Then the facilitators asked the white people to do the same. It was quiet for a moment.  I had never really thought much about being white. And that, exactly that, is racism. I don’t have to think about being white, because it’s “normal.”  What is there to like or dislike about being white? At first glance, one sees nothing. But when we get into the heart of the matter, the racist core that stems from the oppression in this country, there’s a lot actually. I look at the world through my white face, I interpret the world through the way the world reacts to me, a young, white woman. I have white privilege. People give me the benefit of the doubt when I apply for job offers and rent agreements. When I go somewhere, I don’t worry about being the only white person there—unless I’m purposefully putting myself in a place I know will be a minority majority, I can assume there will be other people that will look like me there. And for whatever reason, that is comforting for humans.

I teach GED classes to a marginalized society in Northeast DC. Indirectly, this means a minority population (when a population is referred to as “uneducated” or “marginalized” or “under-privileged” it can be assumed that this population is minority. Our system is failing our minorities. But that’s another post…). I go into class rooms with few exceptions being the only white face in the room. And my white face is the one in the front of the room—teaching the class.  It is not my intention to be a “white savior” or a “gate-keeper,” but here I am anyway, because of my traditional education (or the means I had to get myself that traditional education—again, that’s another post), telling people who are far older than me with quite different life experiences than me how to succeed by what we deem success in this nation.  I’m the one called teacher, despite the things I’ve learned from my learners. Because the system works for a person like me. How can I know what these people need? Why am I the one telling them how to get what they need? I’m giving them the special key to join the club. If they’ll listen to me, they can have it.

Let’s not think of it that way. Education is empowerment, and I choose to see it that way. The former is far too painful of a reflection of what I’m doing. I think it’s important to keep in mind a particular approach to becoming part of any society: you have to go in not doing what you think is best for the society, but by asking this society what they need from you. As in Things Fall Apart, when things didn't go so well for Westerners attempting to westernize an African tribe,we cannot assume we know what’s best for a community we are not a part of. Being mindful of this, it is a fine line to walk between strengthening and empowering a community and giving a community a particular crutch.

It’s a grim thought—that we can’t escape racism. I’d love to think that I have lived a life without racism. It is undeniable, regrettably, that many things have been granted to me unwarranted, undeserved, and unearned because I was born looking a certain way. And many mistreatments of people of other backgrounds were caused by people that look like me. Though it’s an ugly thing, I’m trying to come to grips with this institution, so I can speak out against it, apologize for it, and instead of slapping band-aids over old scars and still-bleeding wounds, began real healing.