The United States holds about 5% of the world’s population.

We have about 25% of the world’s prison population.

Many current civil rights activists refer to our criminal justice system as “the new Jim Crow”

and claim this is the most important civil rights issue of our time.

African Americans make up about 12-13% of US pop.

African Americans make up about 40% of US prison pop.

African Americans make upabout 0.65% of the world’s pop.

African Americans make upabout 10% of the world’s prison pop.

“Racism is [currently] a much more clandestine, much more hidden kind of phenomenon, but at the same time

it's perhaps far more terrible than it's ever been.”

“Poor people, people of color especially, are much more likely to be found in prison than in

institutions of higher education.”

“I think the contemporary problem that we are facing [is] increasing numbers of black people and other people of color being thrown into

a status that involves work in alternative economies and increasing numbers of people who are incarcerated.”

“I'm suggesting that we abolish the social function of prisons.”

Activist Angela Davis Calls for Abolition of Prison System

• Read and annotate together in groups of 3 or 4• Discuss and write down answers to the following

questions:– According to Angela Davis, how are current incarceration

rates connected to our history of racism in the United States?

– Why might someone like Angela Davis consider prisons and incarceration to be one of the most important civil rights issue today?

– Is this something we should all be concerned with? If no, why not? If yes, what should we do about it?