Mass Incarceration

Mass Incarceration

A dramatic expansion of the U.S. prison population due to policies that criminalize race and poverty.

Walter McMillian Case

A wrongful conviction case where Walter McMillian, a Black man, was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, largely due to racial bias.

George Floyd Incident

The killing of an unarmed Black man by a police officer that sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism.

Furman v. Georgia

A Supreme Court ruling in 1972 that struck down the death penalty as it was being applied, citing violations of the 8th and 14th Amendments.

Children’s Crusade 1963

A significant event in the Civil Rights Movement where thousands of young students marched in Birmingham, Alabama, to protest segregation.

Trayvon Martin Case

The shooting of a Black teenager by a neighborhood watch volunteer that raised issues about racial profiling and self-defense laws.

Loitering Laws

Laws that criminalize individuals for standing or sitting in public places without a specific purpose, often disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.

6th Amendment

An amendment that guarantees the right to a fair trial, including the right to an impartial jury, which is often violated for communities of color.

Freedom From Fear

A moral concept that people should live free of police violence, hate crimes, state harassment, and environmental harm.

SayTheirName Movement

A campaign to raise awareness of Black victims of police violence and racialized killings.

Southern Strategy

Richard Nixon's political strategy aimed at appealing to white southern voters by emphasizing crime and opposition to civil rights.

Shelby County v. Holder

A Supreme Court case that struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act, allowing states to change voting laws without federal oversight, impacting minority voters.

Bloody Sunday, Selma

A peaceful voting rights march that was violently confronted by state troopers, highlighting racialized state violence against Black activists.

Workhouses/Poor Law Amendment Act 1834

An English law mandating that poor individuals would only receive assistance through harsh workhouses that penalized poverty.

George Wallace

Governor of Alabama who opposed federal desegregation efforts and used state power to enforce racial segregation.

Racialized Patterns of Police Violence

The targeting of Black neighborhoods by law enforcement, leading to disproportionate incidents of police brutality and systemic bias.

Just Mercy

A book by Bryan Stevenson that highlights the issue of wrongful convictions and systemic racism in the legal system.

Prison Labor Costs

The economic implications of utilizing incarcerated individuals for labor, often resulting in exploitation and perpetuating economic inequality.