Beginning on Thursday, July 30, Raleigh Friends Meeting's Peace and Social Concerns Committee is hosting a reading discussion group of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander for all interested in racial discrimination within the criminal justice system.  The New Jim Crow is about how the political system has been used to use the War on Drugs as a way to create a new de facto Jim Crow system by disproportionately targeting African American communties. It was published in 2010, and the book has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year.

The discussions will take place during the evenings of July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27, September 3, and September 10.  There will be a copy of the book in the Meeting library, and Kathy K., has several copies for purchase.  The book is also available online and as an e-book from FGC Quaker Books.   All are welcome and encouraged to attend, even if you haven’t seen the book.  Friends are welcome to bring their own dinner. 

The general focus of the discussions will be as follows:

7/30/15: Introduction led by Kathy K.

8/6/15: Chapter One: The Rebirth of Caste led by Kathy S. 

8/13/15: Chapter Two: The Lockdown led by Paul P.

8/20/15: Chapter Three:  The Color of Justice led by Kathy S.

8/27/15: Chapter Four: The Cruel Hand led by Rudy

9/3/15: Chapter Five:  The New Jim Crow led by Doug

9/10/15: Chapter Six: The Fire This Time led by Sue

It is hoped that Alexander's book will inspire conversation that arises from each participant’s personal experiences and insights. We hope you can join us for one or more of these discussions.

The meeting maintains a Resource page about criminal justice for racial minorities.

Study Guides

The New Jim Crow Study Guide and Call to Action: http://www.newjimcroworganizing.org/studyguide.html

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, a network of several thousand progressive black churches: http://www.amazon.com/New-Jim-Crow-Incarceration-Colorblindness/dp/0976514540

Unitarian Universalist Association: http://www.uua.org/documents/lfd/commonread/crow_discussion.pdf

Campaign to End the New Jim Crow (CENJC), an organizing project of the Riverside Church Prison Ministry (used by AFSC): http://www.endnewjimcrow.org/CENJC_Study_Guide__LW__.pdf

Also, Wikipedia has a chapter by chapter overview for the 6 chapters, but not the introduction.