Since the last set of our class readings have referenced Capitalism, I thought it would be a great time to explore other ways Capitalism is powered by race. In my deviance and social control class we are reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. The book exposes how slavery has been replaced by other means of low wage forced labor hidden within capitalism. Although this topic does not necessarily dovetail with with our sex and gender roles class it does shed light to the topic of capitalism and race, not so much gender, But is interesting nonetheless.
The book explains how through the rise of racial profiling, drug epidemic, and privatized prisons has lead to a new form of slavery. While the racial profiling and the countries stop frisk laws contribute to arrests for drug possession, it is our countries strict laws on drugs such as cocaine in its crack form that leads to many minorities ending up in prison. An interesting fact about this drug law is that cocaine (in powder form) which is commonly more expensive and purchased primarily by suburban dwellers gets a lesser charge in court then in its cheaper rock form more commonly found in poorer minority neighborhoods for the same quantity.
This shows us the affects of white privilege within the world of crime, where as an urban environment may have same amount of drug crimes, it is because how that area is policed that is the difference. Law enforcements priority lies within highly populated areas rather then rural. Which brings to my main point. Through capitalism and the war on drugs, slave labor is being sold within our prison systems to make things we use in our everyday lives. Our over crowded prisons are made up of a majority of minorities, casualties of the war on dugs. This allows private prison companies to swoop in and negotiate contracts to house and use these prisoners as the please, thus thrusting them into a life of slavery for the state.
This video shown in class explains in detail:
"WARNING DOES CONTAIN ADULT LANGUAGE"
skip to 15:45 on the video.
skip to 15:45 on the video.
This weeks reading asked if capitalism is gendered and racialized, i felt as though this could plead the case that capitalism is indeed racialized. Opinions? Comments?
It's an important book-- do you think you could tie those themes to a global feminized and exploited labor force as well?
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