Essay --

African-Americans, who only comprised 13% of regular drug users, made up for 35% of drug arrests, 55% of convictions, and 74% of people sent to prison for drug possession crimes. Also, three-fourths of all people incarcerated for drug offenses are either Black or Latino, the majority of illegal drug users are white. There is obviously something gone ridiculously wrong. Many African Americans that lived in the South were unable to vote, and even if they tried to, they had to pass literacy tests or even pay poll taxes. Also, places of employment were segregated as well; â€Å"White southerners refused to work under black supervisors and most white craftsmen strenuously opposed the hiring of African Americans in the skill trades† (Remembering 206). Kennedy states in his book that people of color were always â€Å"the last to get hired and the first to get fired† (Kennedy 113), so because of this it was extremely hard for African Americans to find employment or even keep a steady job due to discrimination they faced. This form of discrimination made it hard for African Americans to make a living for themselves during this time and is similar to how criminals are treated in today’s society. The practice of the Jim Crow Laws back during the 1870’s to the mid 1960’s is similar to how criminals are discriminated against today. Throughout America, prison inmates in 48 states, paroles in 33 states, and probationers in 29 states are not allowed to vote (Karjick). This is about 4.7 million Americans that are denied this right (Karjick). One may argue that the poor choices that these 4.7 million Americans have made make them untrustworthy to help make decisions for the country but labeling these people as criminals should not define ... ...ent opportunities, these children are forced to be raised in severe poverty. A theory that has been done by a researcher, who has been funded by the National Institutes of health, claims that the stresses of poverty can lead to impaired learning abilities in children (Stresses). The stress that is triggered by poverty is dangerous and can really affect our children’s future. The New Jim Crow system that has been redesigned in America leaves a lot of people with criminal backgrounds jobless and stuck in a second-class status. Discriminating against the criminals is morally wrong and it not only affects them but others such as their loved ones as well. â€Å"All men are created equal† is a famous phrase from The Declaration of Independence that America would like to believe, but it is clear that today’s society is unequal just based on how criminals are treated.