The New Jim Crow

Reading Response


How does this text address the points of view (perspectives) of other groups, especially those who usually don’t get to tell their side?



The book, The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander, talks about segregation. She only talks about the perspective of one person, Jarvious Cotton, a black male. She talks about the history of his family connecting to his present, and future. She talks about only that persons perspective on what is going on, and what was going on. She connects this book to history. 


"We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." [2] this is part of the introduction. Alexander gives her opinion about society now. She clearly states that we have redesigned racism instead of putting an end to it. She states what we intend to do, which is end racism, and states what is being done, redesigning it, and makes society, or 'we,' look like a villain. Anyone can read this line and say that we have done something bad through the eyes of the author.


In the introduction, she introduces the character, Jarvious Cotton, and also states her opinion, which is also the characters opinion. "The more things change, the more they remain the same" [1] Th author states this in the introduction. She says that Cotton's story uses " the old adage" [1]. In the introduction, she explains how society was like in the past dealing with the issue of racism. She explains how freedmen were threatened and killed for trying to vote, and sometimes for voting. She states "denying African American citizenship was deemed essential to the formation of the original union" in history.