African Americans, Imprisonment, and the Carceral State

Catalog description

The mass incarceration of people of African descent has emerged as one of the most daunting issues in contemporary U.S. society and politics. But too often discussions of this important phenomenon proceeds without sufficient historical perspective. Thus, this course explores the history of African Americans in the nation's prison system from the emancipation of some four million enslaved people following the Civil War through recent times. Specifically, we examine the process by which the nation's prison population shifted from predominantly white inmates during the mid-19th century through the inter-World War years to majority African Americans and other people of color by the closing years of the 20th century. In addition to examining the role of law, policing, and racist social policies and practices, students explore the lived experiences of imprisoned people, with an emphasis on the impact of class and gender as well as racial considerations. Along with selected primary documents, assigned readings include a series of scholarly case studies on the carceral experiences of black men and women in the North and South during the industrial and emerging postindustrial eras in African American and U.S. history. Finally, students will write a series of short essays on particular facets of African American life in the American prison system.