The problem is that the fact (and it is true) that there are more Blacks in prison today than were in slavery 160 years ago, without proper analysis and context (which I will assume that Alexander offers in her book), is misleading at best, and at worst, potentially damaging to the very population of Black males whose treatment and exploitation is being protested. That’s because statistics, without the benefit of context, analysis and critical thinking, are extremely dangerous, especially for Black people. For every person who believes that the over-representation of Blacks in the prison system is proof of the bias inherent in that system, there is at least one other who believes that such disproportionate representation is proof positive that Black men are more prone to crime and violence—and worse, that most Black men are guilty until proven innocent. Statistics and facts can be used to define and defend, or to demonize and destroy. For every tweet of this headline shared as proof of Black males being systematically hounded and oppressed, there were others shared as evidence of the criminal nature of Black men—which ultimately speaks for all Black men, including me. And this is the case even when the facts that the statistics reveal prove ultimately meaningless, even though true. blackenterprise/news/are-there-really-more-blacks-in-prison-than-were-in-slavery/
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:00:02 +0000
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