The New Jim Crow
Michelle Alexander
11 people recommended it in 10 threads, 2012–2026.
What people on Hacker News said
Evidence-packed investigation of how the War on Drugs and mass incarceration have been leveraged to disenfranchise and oppress black people in America. It is infuriating and upsetting and inspiring to read (and provides excellent context for Black Lives Matter and the protests over police brutality).
The New Jim Crow - this gave me a way to frame structural racism and its impact now, in today's society.
A lot of it is familiar, but the sheer scale of how many black men are incarcerated was eye opening. The extent that we discriminate against released criminals was also eye opening, even if some of it was things I knew in the back of my mind.
Good 101 on war on drugs, although some broader social arguments the book makes straightforwardly don't seem to follow, or are contradicted by, its factual base IMHO.
It should be considered required reading these days--couldn't be more timely.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List? 2018 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Books Recommendations? 2026 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Summer Reading List 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What was the best book you read in 2016? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014? 2014 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What book are you reading? 2013 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Great book that you read recently? 2012 · 1 recommendation