It wasn’t all that long ago when it struck me that one of the many devastating effects of the disproportionate number of black americans who are caught up in our criminal “justice” system is the loss of their right to vote. (Convicted felons are not permitted to vote. Which is somewhat mind-boggling, considering the type of thing that passes for a felony these days . . . )
This past Saturday, members of my church went on an outing to see an exhibit called “Hateful Things“. We viewed (in near-silence) 39 images of racist images in advertising, photos, and even board games.
One that really stood out to me was a photo of two men who had been lynched. Now, you might say that I’ve had nooses on the brain lately, but this one gave me an epiphany of sorts . . .
WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGE FOLLOWS
In viewing these images, it seems to me that the message being sent is the same now as it was when these pictures were taken. ”If you think you can have a voice, if you dare to think you can advocate for change, remember this.” Whether through a knotted piece of rope, or through the vast inequalities of our legal system, the message is clear.
(in researching this post, I came across this professor’s webpage. She has a ton of really good information here, particularly about racial disparities in incarceration. I’m going to add her site to my anti-racism resources tab.)
November 17, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Since blacks commit more crimes, isn’t it appropriate more of them are in jail, especially as so many of the victims are also black.
November 23, 2007 at 3:29 am
where do you get your information that “blacks commit more crimes”?
March 3, 2008 at 10:05 pm
[...] disproportionately represented in our prison system. When you get a felony, you can no longer vote. There’s more than one way to keep a black man from being able to vote in this [...]
September 28, 2008 at 10:05 pm
[...] thing with McCain’s refusal to look Obama in the eye the other night. “How dare this uppity ______ not know his [...]