W09-1 Lecture on Canvas W09-1 Racism in the Criminal Justice System I

W09-1 Lecture on Canvas

W09-1 Racism in the Criminal Justice System I

Outline

1. Ethnic Studies Summit: Extra Credit!  (Note: the link in the Slides doesn't work)
2. Final Paper prompt
3. Chapter 10 overview
4. Film: 13th documentary
5. Current Events: Crimmigration & the Prison Industrial Complex

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week 8 Discussion

  Section A

What is the significance of using testimony as a decolonial methodology when studying the racial wealth gap, and how does it differ from relying solely on statistics?

Using testimony as a decolonial method is important because it focuses on people’s real experiences, not just numbers. Statistics can show how big the racial wealth gap is, but they do not show the pain, stress, and long-term effects of poverty and discrimination. Acevedo explains that testimony helps us see wealth inequality as a human experience, not just an economic issue (Acevedo 9.2). Linda Tuhiwai Smith also says that testimony gives people a safe space to share painful truths and challenge systems that silence them (Smith 165). For example, Gil Scott-Heron’s “Whitey on the Moon” shows how the government spent money on space travel while poor communities struggled with medical bills (Acevedo 9.1). This makes inequality feel real and personal. Testimony helps us understand inequality in a deeper way by listening to voices that were often ignored.

Section B 

1. What arguments do proponents of reparations make, and what social, political, or economic conditions might explain why reparations have not been implemented in the U.S.? Why do you think that the U.S. granted reparations to Japanese Americans but not to African Americans? Support your claims with evidence from the course materials, and cite sources using in-text MLA format.

People who support reparations say that wealth was taken from enslaved Africans and their families through slavery and discrimination. They believe justice means giving material repair for this long history of unpaid labor and harm. Coates explains that slavery, Jim Crow, and redlining created the racial wealth gap we still see today (Coates). Acevedo adds that unfair laws allowed stolen wealth to grow and pass down through generations (Acevedo 9.4). Reparations have not been implemented because it would require the U.S. to admit that its economy was built partly on racial exploitation. It is also politically controversial and challenges ideas about merit and fairness. The U.S. gave reparations to Japanese Americans because that injustice happened during a specific time and was officially recognized. Slavery and racial discrimination lasted for centuries, which makes the issue more complex and debated.

 

Module 9 Overview: Racism in the Criminal Justice System

To-Do Date: Mar 2 at 11:59pmTo-Do Date: Mar 2 at 11:59pm

Introduction

In this module, we explore racism in the criminal justice system. 

We will examine the following aspects:

• The Prison Industrial Complex
• War on Drugs and the Age of Mass Incarceration
• Policing, Colonialism, and Slavery
• Is Policing Inherently Racist?
• School-to-Prison Pipeline
• Alternative Solutions

Learning Outcomes/Goals

• Analyze representations of race and criminality in the media and its impact on law enforcement discretion;
• Analyze historical roots and contemporary consequences of mass incarceration and heavy policing among communities of color;
• Analyze the intersections of race, class, gender, ability, and sexuality in the context of the U.S. carceral state;
• Evaluate the impact of policing and incarceration as related to settler-colonialism, slavery, white supremacy, and racialization on communities of color;
• Describe and actively engage with anti-racist, abolition, and anti-carceral issues and the practices and movements in Native American, African American, Asian American and/or Latinx communities to build a just and equitable society.

Required Reading & Viewing

• Chapter 10: The State of Human Caging - Incarceration, Policing and State-Sanctioned Violence, Introduction to Ethnic Studies textbook, Libretext, 2023Links to an external site.
• Watch: 13th Feature Documentary

Supplemental material

• Comix: Pushed Out: Youth of Color and the School-to-Prison Pipeline
• Podcast: Stephon Clark's Fiancée Speaks out on Police Shooting
• Current Events: California ex-police chief tells of colleagues’ racist harassment campaign (11/21/25)

This Week's Assignments

• Read - please read this module's readings and go through the pages in the module.
• Extra Credit: Ethnic Studies Summit (Wednesday)
• DISCUSSION FORUM 9
  • Answer - Please respond to two Discussion Forum prompts (due Friday):
    • One prompt from Section A
    • One prompt from Section B
  • Comment - Respond to two classmates' forum posts (one from Section A and one from Section B). (Due Sunday)

• Read: Final Paper Prompt (Do not submit until Week 12)