Besides all of this police brutality on African Americans, the real question is will our own community stop violence on one another? Its so easy to blame the “white” people and protest and its nothing wrong with that. If we cannot do that for our own, when people of color kill one another isn’t that kind of contradicting each other. Are people saying it is okay for blacks to kill one another, but it is not okay for white cops to kill blacks? Both of them are not okay and it never will be. People have to be tired of seeing our own get killed no matter who is doing the shooting. When are blacks especially going to rise up and make their community a better place and come together like they did in the Civil Rights Movement? Where is the unity, I want to be able to walk in the hood and feel safe and not worry about if I am going to get rob or mugged. I am afraid to go to the hood, just because of that. I know that is wrong but am I wrong for feeling that way? I never grew up in or around that area. All I ever hear are bad things about it. I want the black community to come together and just build a beautiful movement.

In the news lately, black students are being targeted in their own college campus. Recently, a boy named Martese Johnson got slammed to the ground, because they reported that he was using a fake ID to enter a bar. He attends The University of Virgina and he is an honor student there.  I found out about him on Instagram because it was not in the news and the picture was so graphic I had to find out more about it. His lawyer said that he showed the cops his real ID. If it was another race they would have not slammed him to the ground using extra force, it is extremely sad that we cannot go to school and not feel safe. If it was not for social media I do not think that we would have heard it about it. Social media is a powerful tool. Thank god we do not have this problem at Georgia State and I can honestly say that I do feel safe. How many students can say that? We should not be targeted as criminals, instead we should be looked at as scholar trying to better our life and society. I have attached the video of Martese Johnson.

In Mississippi, a black man was hanged from a tree around last week. The FBI claims it is a mystery and is awaiting the autopsy. I do not find it surprising since it’s a lot of police brutality lately.  The big question is if it is a suicide or racial matter. Some people claim it was due to a murder he committed and served 25 years for it, but got released on parole. Something is just not right and I hope we as people are not stepping back into hanging blacks like they use to do back in the day. It is not cool and its very sickening and makes me upset. Why are black males always the target? Are we that bad to where whites have to do things to us to make a point? Why can’t we all just leave the past in the past and build new relationships?

I came across an article about letting convicts have the right to vote again. The are in the works of passing the Democracy Restoration Act. I think it’s wonderful to let them vote again, according to the article it will raise the black population votes a lot and make a difference.  Some of the facts are that:

1. They will be restoring voting rights to 4.4 million people
2. People who are on probation will never lose their right to vote
3. Let people know of their rights upon release and inform them of things.

There are only 15 states that have done this, but it still leaves 35 states who are not willing to align with this act. What is so bad about letting people of out prison not haveing the right to vote? I cannot wait to see what will happen, it will better the world and it make better. Imagine if those 35 states are willing to change their voting rights. The world would be different.

Words cannot express how much I love this book! It opened my eyes to a lot of things that I never knew, because I did not grow up around any of the “poor” neighborhoods. Lately, my thoughts and beliefs have been shifted and I feel awful about not really caring about what happens to the youth and adults that grew up in those neighborhoods that have a rough. History definitely repeats itself from what is going on today and how they want to keep black people down. Mass incarnation is a massive problem and I do not think a lot of people know that and if they did I do not think it would be as bad as it is. I almost feel like it is a trap within itself and what are community organizations doing to help relieve the problem? How about we organize some mentoring groups or after school activities to get the children involved so they will not give to the street life. It just crazy and sad that every day and every minute somebody child is getting involved with drugs and gang violence. It’s up to us to change things and it is not going to be easy but it only takes one person. Be the change you wish to see!

I feel comfortable describing how mass incarceration is the new caste system. The book has some great examples of how it has  brought the black community down by its tactics. Some people may find it hard to believe that people who are  incarcerated are there for crimes that should not involve major sentences. The government is trying to trap men and make it hard for them to be productive in society if they are a person who is living in a low-income area. They do illegal searches and a lot of racial profiling goes on, and once they get caught with a drug it is over for them. Their rights are taken away and once they are released it is hard for them to be a model citizen in their communities. It is a problem when a lot of men are in jail or prison for something petty. 

My beliefs about race were that everything was changing for the better and headed in the right direction. Before all of the police brutality started to happen. That is where my beliefs started to shift from race and everything else. I thought our criminal justice was there to protect  and get justice for people who have committed a crime. I thought we had made a tremendous amount of progress in recent years, but not it has seemed to decline. My views of everything has changed  since after reading the book. I was shocked to found a lot of information that I was so blind to even recognized. It has opened up my eyes up to things that are with our society. Mass incarceration is a HUGE deal and it’s affecting people of color and Mexicans, but mostly African Americans. The system is designed to keep people of color in a box and not to get too much ahead in life. I am appalled at the laws that were made up for the War on drugs. This book as really made me think about the criminal justice system and I want to try and make a difference so everybody can actually be equal and not stuck on RACE. 

As you all may know is that Rosa Park is famous for refusing to move on a desegregated bus. Everybody in school always honor her and give her praise but do most know that she was not the FIRST? That is right, as some people may find that surprising it is true. It actually came shocking to me, because she is the only person that is ever talked about. There are actually two women name Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith who were technically the first and the second. The reason why nobody wanted to speak up for them on their behalf was because their backgrounds were not clean and flawless. It would not look good for “white America” and they would dig up some dirt and use it against them. Rosa Parks fits that description and so they basically took her under their wings. It is a shame to think back in those days they were trying to present the perfect imagine instead of fighting for justice. Who cares what they would have thought it is all about achieving justice for that person? It makes me wonder.

Claudette Colvin

Mary Louise Smith

Just because you have a criminal record does not mean you are not qualified. Everybody deserves a chance and it should not matter what you have done. If you served your time and know what you have done wrong I do not see the problem. It is like slavery all over again but on another level of being discriminated against whether it is for a job, loan application, apartment application, etc. Recently, I have experience a situation like this. Back in 2011 of my senior year, I went to a party and everybody at the party was arrested for underage drinking. It was a misdemeanor. I thought it would automatically erased once I turned 21, but I was wronged. I had an interview with six flags and I got the job as a ride operator. I came back a week later so they could process my paperwork, but when I got there my background was not back.  A week went by and I called them and nothing. I got a packet in the mail from six flags saying that they took my job offer back, due to my misdemeanor. I thought that was really strange because I am 23 now and I even disclosed that on my application. Why would they give me an interview along with a welcome packet if it was a big deal? I grew up in a wonderful neighbourhood, high middle-class and never got in trouble with the law until 2011. I was devastated and scared when it happened, I thought it would not be a big deal. I am pretty sure everybody did drink when they were young and at a party. It is just very unusual and the jobs I had in the past did not ask but ran a background yet.

On February 5th, Howard University middle school students walk out and start to protest after they fired their teachers. The principle who is an African American female, fired three social studies teachers who were caught teaching the correct history of black history. If they do not know their real history who is going to teach them? The irony is that the principle is black and instead of her being supportive of her teachers she fired them. I know schools have their own curriculum but if they want to go off and teach them the correct way I don’t see a problem. Its named after an HBCU who embraces their culture and uplifts it. It sad to see these young children have to protest this issue. At the end of the day it is still history.