Michelle Alexander
Encyclopedia
Michelle Alexander is an associate professor of law at Ohio State University
and a civil rights advocate, who has litigated numerous class action
discrimination cases and has worked on criminal justice
reform issues. She is a recipient of a 2005 Soros Justice Fellowship of the Open Society Institute
, has served as director of the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU
of Northern California
, directed the Civil Rights Clinic at Stanford
Law School and was a law clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun
at the U. S. Supreme Court
. Michelle Alexander has published the book The New Jim Crow
, in which she argues that systemic racial discrimination in the United States
has resumed following the Civil Rights Movement's gains, implicit but legalized and of devastating social consequences, with the domestic War on Drugs
and other governmental policies. She considers the scope and impact of this current law enforcement, legal and penal activity to be comparable with that of the Jim Crow laws
of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her book concentrates on the mass incarceration of African-American men
.
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
and a civil rights advocate, who has litigated numerous class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
discrimination cases and has worked on criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
reform issues. She is a recipient of a 2005 Soros Justice Fellowship of the Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
, has served as director of the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
of Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, directed the Civil Rights Clinic at Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Law School and was a law clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun
Harry Blackmun
Harold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
at the U. S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Michelle Alexander has published the book The New Jim Crow
The New Jim Crow
The New Jim Crow is a 2010 book and a name given to a category of race-related social and political phenomena in the United States by Michelle Alexander, a civil rights litigator and legal scholar...
, in which she argues that systemic racial discrimination in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has resumed following the Civil Rights Movement's gains, implicit but legalized and of devastating social consequences, with the domestic War on Drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
and other governmental policies. She considers the scope and impact of this current law enforcement, legal and penal activity to be comparable with that of the Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her book concentrates on the mass incarceration of African-American men
Racial inequality in the American criminal justice system
Racial inequality in the American criminal justice system have a strong effect of many realms of society such as the family life, and employment. Education and race seem to be the most decisive factors when deciding who goes to jail and what age cohort has the greatest percentage chance of...
.