#FalseFreedom

DEAR READER,

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This syllabus serves the purpose of focusing on the United States incarceration system, its influence from the media, and how Black people have become one of the central groups affected by the incarceration system. In using a combination of foundational readings, news articles, handbooks, scholarly articles and social media sites our goal is to engage readers in a narrative that is often twisted and misunderstood by the broader American public. America’s history of mass incarceration goes back to its very founding, deeply rooted in the enslavement of African people. This practice went on to produce the conditions for a system in which the use of Black people as bodies to be confined and used as cheap labor has continued on to the present day. The effects of this system ripple out into the Black community, even beyond the 1 in 3 Black men who are projected to be in prison at one point in their lives and the Black women who have the highest growing rate of incarceration of any demographic in the world. People in the United State's prison system are seen as unpersons who don't deserve rights. As the mainstream media ignores prisoners striking across the country and the legal system limits convicted felons basic citizenship rights such as, voting and access to welfare, society is limited in understanding the true nature of American criminal justice system. America has reproduced a system which puts people of color, especially Black people, behind bars and forces them to bear the labor of the American economy with little to no pay under the guise of justice, law, and order.

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The rhetoric of law and order is being used to police how people act and it attacks those who do not fit into the mold of the white, male, etc. as a citizen. The media is a strong force that produces and spreads knowledge about what is happening in the world. This power influences how Black people are portrayed and then tries to justify high rates of incarceration. The media centers the individual at fault rather than starting at the beginning of the story about the structures in place that have lead to mass incarceration. Mass incarceration is the new system of slavery. This is true because prisoners have no rights and are forced to work for little pay. Mass incarceration, specifically Black incarceration, has been addressed throughout the internet from twitter to mainstream online news. The internet, being a place that anyone can post their ideas, has lead the topic of mass incarceration to be challenged and discussed as a huge humans rights issue in the United States. The ideas on popular media and news media greatly affect the trajectory of discussions, and is a consequence of our culture and popular view. It is imperative to view all media discussions as valid points; intellectualism is not just found in scholarly journals. Many discussions around the issue of mass incarceration is happening all around us through many different media outlets and consumption.

 

In the United States Black men and women are adversely affected by the incarceration system. The targets that exist on Black bodies is apart of much more deeply entrenched system of oppression that places profit over Black lives. In the modern day incarceration system, Black men are often centered as the most oppressed because they have the highest population within the incarceration system, but in reality Black women are the ones who should be at the center of this conversation. Black women are the caretakers and supporters for their families when their brothers, husbands, boyfriends or fathers are thrown into jail. Additionally Black women also face an uncalled for amount of sexual harassment and violence from police officers who have oftentimes been called to protect the Black woman. This current narrative is problematic, but this portion of the syllabus aims to expose our readers to a world that is often kept quiet. Black women work hard to have their voices heard and this is a tribute to all that they do. There is a lot of work to do to change the incarceration system and the first step is education. Not going to school or getting a degree but reading and interacting with information from a variety of sources to gain a fuller grasp of the issues at hand. This syllabus works to educate people on mass incarceration and to help spread ideas of intellectuals in a way that is available to all. Every reading and media source has a link to a free edition so that all of these ideas are free and open to the public to enjoy and learn. 

Best of luck in the readings and we hope they are useful in your continuing education.

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Love,

#FalseFreedom Team