After Obama’s election victory in 2008 many of us thought our country had at last turned the corner toward racial equality. Current events have shown how wrong we were. Reaction among African Americans to police shootings of blacks seemed to be all that was needed to ignite understandable resentment to the shootings. But could there be something more behind the rage than the shootings? It is incumbent on the larger community to educate itself as to just what it is that is festering just below the surface.
Impressive gains brought about by the civil rights movement in the sixties and the resultant legislation it produced seemed to advance significantly the cause of racial justice. Which it certainly did. But fear and unease soon surfaced in reaction to a new development — the War on Drugs. This was cultivated and enacted into law as a result of a national hysteria cultivated by some politicians and a sensational press. Although statistics consistently showed that drug use was no more prevalent among blacks than among whites, black men were imprisoned at a rate as high as twenty to fifty times greater than that of white men. At one time, the United States imprisoned a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid. There were instances when possession of a small amount of marijuana would get a prison term greater than that for murder.
And how do these victims fare upon release? After having “paid their debt to society,” as the expression goes, these former prisoners find they have more penalties yet to pay: they are often denied the right to vote, excluded from juries, denied employment, housing and public benefits. And therefore adrift and easy prey to all the negative forces around them.
Much more could be said, especially about the criminal justice system. But even this much indicates why there must be a seething discontent among African Americans, as indicated here but also among Hispanics, American Indians and other minorities.
The reason for this presentation is the realization that the white community has been taken unaware by the developing racial tension in our society. So many dreadful things have been done to our black brothers and sisters, and are still happening now, and yet the rest of us are unaware and seemingly uncaring.
So, how can we become more aware and more responsive? Obviously by informing ourselves as best we can. A good place to start is by reading Byran Stevenson’s book “Just Mercy, ” in which he presents gripping accounts of successful struggles against entrenched injustice. Another book, “The New Jim Crow” by Michele Alexander comprehensively traces the historical development of legal manipulation and racist policies that produced a distorted criminal justice system. I referred to this book for the facts presented above. Another book, the classic: “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin.
Anyone wishing to follow up after reading this with a discussion group or a book club, can call Bob Krouskoff at 914-831-7392 or at rkrouskoff@optonline.net.
This essay was written in July 2016 by Robert L. Krouskoff – Pearl’s father and Mel’s father-in-law. We wanted to share it today as an example of one person using his voice in his community. We trust you will find the way to use your voice in your community. We salute Bob Krouskoff . We are proud of his continuing commitment to social justice and the world we live in together. Visit his website to learn more about his 70+ year artistic career
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