A Colony in a Nation – Chris Hayes

 A good start.

Chris Hayes breaks down the definition of ‘law and order’ first proposed and implemented by President Nixon and is now being bellowed by 45.  He examples the the increasing numbers in Black mass incarceration, the occupying police forces in inner cities, the ‘look the other way’ policing on ‘prestigious’ campuses and the overall imbalance of law between America’s Black and White citizens.

Chris uses his experiences growing up in New York – witnessing all the social aspects the city can provide.  Good and bad.  He references Giuliani and his crusade against crime, the Central Park Five case, Tamir Rice, Travon Martin and Michael Brown.  All these with the underlying aspect of would this happen in ‘the nation’ as opposed to ‘the colony.’

He doesn’t reveal anything new or provide the depths of 13th or The New Jim Crow.  At least for me or any other conscious Black person.  I assume he wrote this piece for a White audience who may be surprised or ill-informed about this ‘separate but unequal’ aspect that’s imbedded in our society.  And if that’s the case, he fell short on providing an answer or solution to solving this vast problem.  The book itself is less than 200 pages so again, it’s a start and hopefully it will open a dialogue that can perhaps begin promoting change and if that’s the case, then I highly recommend this read.  But other than that, read The New Jim Crow or go see 13th to really grasp an understanding to the Black plight within these American borders.