Interview with Mel A. on The New Jim Crow

Jenny Bulstrode [JB] Hi Mel, You’re just starting your second year studying the Sociology and Politics of Science in UCL’s Science and Technology Studies department (STS), what made you choose STS and how are you finding it so far?

Mel A. [MA] Choosing to study STS was an easy decision. I have always loved science and keeping up-to-date with current news so being able to study a degree that brought together both my passions is something I'm very fortunate to do. Science and technology govern our day-to-day lives and a benefit of studying STS is the ability to approach problems from many different perspectives as we draw on historical, philosophical and sociological schools of thought to provide different solutions to the same problem. As a second year, there are a wide variety of modules to choose from which allows me to tailor my degree towards my interests in history of science, technology and policy. One of my favourite things about STS is how it challenges my way of thinking about the world and allows me to consider alternative perspectives.

[JB] Outside your university work, what have you been reading lately that’s had a big impact on you? 

[MA] I have recently finished The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. This book argues how the War on Drugs was designed to engineer a new underclass of citizens in the United States (US), this underclass disproportionally being made up of Latino and Black Americans. For context, the War on Drugs originated in 1971 under President Nixon who declared substance abuse as the main enemy of the US and the primary purpose of this policy is to discourage illegal drug use by increasing penalties and harsher sentences for drug offenders. However, the policy began to form its shape under President Reagan who significantly increased funding for police forces to tackle illicit drug use which led to the incarceration rate in the US rising exponentially.    

Alexander recognised that this rise in the prisoner population was disproportionally made up of Black and Latino men. This was deliberate. Instead of targeting the most popular sites of drug activity which were university campuses, law enforcement officers selected minority ethnic communities. As a result, Black Americans were imprisoned at a higher rate than White Americans, in some states this was 13 times higher. Under President Reagan's tenure, the prisoner population skyrocketed, with the incarceration rate more than doubling.  

To summarise, the United States through political and legal manoeuvres had now created this underclass of citizens I referred to earlier. This underclass refers to criminalised people, and I say that because American society has produced legalised structures of discrimination against criminalised people. They face significant barriers to accessing secure housing, government benefits, and employment. Michelle Alexander highlights that though the language has shifted from outwardly racist to coded language such as "tough on crime”, the message remains the same. 

[JB] I’m always impressed by how you connect your work in STS to thinking about challenges in global society today. Do you see a connection with what you’re reading and what you’re studying in STS? Can you tell us a bit about how the combination of the two is informing your thinking about challenges in global society today?

[MA] One thing I have learnt during my first year of studying STS is that everything can be linked back to STS one way or another due to its interdisciplinary themes. But yes, it absolutely has. Michelle Alexander highlighted how the media was an effective tool in associating the Black community with drugs, specifically crack cocaine, long before the "War on Drugs" was declared. Through sensationalised images such as "Black neighbourhoods being addicted to crack" and "crack whores", the media had created the image of the Black drug dealer in the public imagination. Through this coverage, it conditioned the public into accepting the harsher sentencing given to Black Americans. 

This encouraged me reflect on how the media holds a significant power in its ability to shape the perception of the public. The media does not simply deliver news; it controls what people consume on a near-daily basis by selecting which stories receive front-cover coverage or the primetime slot. The use of language and images also shape how audiences can interpret the same story. How many stories are buried because they clash with the priorities of those who control the media? 

[JB] What will you be reading next? Any recommendations for us?!

[MA] The next book I plan to read is “More Work for Mother” by Ruth Schwartz Cowan. She discusses how the Industrial Revolution and innovative technologies did not decrease women’s domestic labour but instead decreased the work men did within the home. I am looking forward to starting it.