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But for many black families, this is the case
Convict Leasing: The Foundation Of The Dilemma
This means for us Black folks that we are likely to know someone or of someone who is incarcerated or has been incarcerated. I blame convict leasing to be a significant contributor to the problem of mass incarceration of black people.
After slavery ended, people still needed slaves to execute labor for cheap or free. The best way to get someone to work for cheap is to put them in prison, so they’re forced to work for dirt cheap wages or nothing at all.
Incarceration Is Incentivized
There has always been an incentive to incarcerate black individuals, whether to receive more tax dollars, enforce racist agendas, acquire labor for cheap or free, and there’s so much money to be made in private prisons (a highly profitable business). There are many other reasons of course, but these are some of the primary ones.
It’s easier to incarcerate black individuals because they make up some of America’s poorest and economically disadvantaged people.
Just over 150 years ago, half of the dollars in circulation had pictures of enslaved people picking cotton on them. Slaves represented wealth in America and were worth over 3 billion dollars by 1863. Thankfully a lot of change has occurred since then, and many racial barriers have been broken, but many barriers are still present.
The racial wealth gap measures white household wealth and black household wealth.
The median white household wealth is $171,000. The median black household is $17,600. Furthermore, the gap between the two races continues to grow exponentially. – Source, Explained, 2018
See the image below for a financial depiction of wealth in Black households compared to white households:
Persons identifying as Hispanic or Latino and black had the lowest educational attainment (source: Wikipedia).
We’re behind…severely (educationally and financially), which means if one of us does end up in jail or prison, it’s likely we won’t receive much assistance or be able to afford a decent lawyer to help us fight our case.
People in law enforcement and the government know this and can use their power to abuse this situation for many African-American families, whether they’re guilty or innocent.
It shouldn’t feel normal to have a loved one in prison, but for many black families, this is the case.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.