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.)