Whole Class: The Hate U Give Discussions

This is a really great point, and its something that popped out at me while reading and I didn't think to highlight in these discussions! First of all, thanks for starting a new topic apart from the one's Dipaolo wrote, this topic in particular is really interesting. It's very true, especially in the criminal justice system, that white people aren't punished the same way BIPOC drug dealers are. Their charges are significantly different, and it adds a larger obstacle to rising out of poverty or drug dealing than for white people. Often we see that BIPOC are often profiled for being drug dealers even if they have nothing to do with it. The percentages shown in the article you shared, "Race and the Drug War," representing black and Latino individuals in prison for drug offenses compared to white people is a scary reality. This among the others.

Sara, thanks for sharing these links, I think that they really help to ground our discussions in the real world, proving that these issues exist outside of the book. I find it very interesting that the "war on drugs" in the US heavily focuses on incarceration rather than addressing the systematic issues that contribute to the use and sale of drugs. That said, systematic racism means that POC are often targeted in these campaigns even when they are not the ones at fault.
Moreover, I think it is also important to recognize the trauma that these communities are facing at the hand of systematic racism. We know that these realities have long term effects on communities, which can lead people to substance abuse in an attempt to deal with and suppress their trauma. In this way, it’s not that these communities are the only ones using drugs, but that the oppression and abuse have very negative effects. Furthermore, while the novel had a positive ending, Starr never concretely addressed her trauma from seeing her friends get shot. In this way, there are limited supports from the beginning that could help people in these communities live healthy happy lives. As you said Sara, there are limited resources for combatting addiction, but I would also argue that these supports are limited even more when it comes to preventative measures, like mental healthcare and job access.

Hi Sara,
When reading the novel, I also kept thinking about the same points and I appreciate that you started this discussion post! In the reading that titled “ The Criminalization of Addiction: Privilege and Recovery”, it mentions a point about how inner city schools are more likely to have police officers stationed inside, where issues that could have been resolved by teachers or students, are turned over to law enforcement, leading to more involvement in the criminal justice system (pg. 2-3). I think that this is an important point to highlight, particularly when looking at the cycle of poverty and crime, and how mass incarceration has disproportionately affected the BIPOC community. This also allowed me to reflect on the documentary “13th” and how it seeks to highlight the United States ‘war on drugs’ that has targeted minority populations, and worked to continue slavery in the country through mass-incarceration. It is shocking to look at the statistics surrounding those in prison for drug offences. These statistics aid to depict an intersection between the cycle of poverty and crime and how the system has failed to provide adequate resources and opportunities for BIPOC communities to thrive and succeed.

I ended up doing some more reading on this topic, and found an article that talks about mass incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline in the United States. I've linked it below in case anyone is interested.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-many-inner-city-schoo_b_5993626

This is not something I had even thought of while reading but this is a really great point! This reminds me of the documentary The 13th where they touch on the war on drugs which targetted primarily BIPOC in areas similar to Garden Heights even though drugs were still highly present in primarily white suburbs. The criminal justice system punishes people differently for the same crime and when you look at the statistics of black and Latino individuals in prison compared to white people you can really see that white privilege is present.

This a great point to bring forth away from the core five, as in real life the book highlights a lot of white privilege for example the better schools in the white neighborhood, the complete disregard the cop had for Khalil when he was pulled over the second he realized that he was black ( if it were a white we know the narrative would be different) and we also saw it when all the other police constantly defended the cop for shooting an innocent right up until the end of the book ( again if it were a black person who had accidentally or even in self defense killed a cop they would be confined instantly)

Another thing to consider is how in the USA, the War on Drugs resulted in incredibly high rates of incarceration of people of colour. I highly recommend the documentary entitled 13th which is available on Netflix.

Hi Sara,
I agree. People of color are often targeted in most situations involving criminality.

You guys all really have amazing points, mass incarceration is a really big issue among people of colour and opportunities to make up for their crimes such as community service, rehabilitation instead of time behind bars, and programs that are available while incarcerated seem to mostly be offered primarily to white people or in prominently white areas. The lack of funs provided for these programs and even community programs in areas where they are needed most is astonishing, my question is why aren't we funding these to prevent crime instead of waiting for it to happen and pay more? Rehab centres that are small and not supplied well in areas that need it most, criminal charges for children who act out in school, theres so much priviledge wrapped up in getting proper help for a human just needing support and basic resources to better themselves. When I think of the systemic racial issues happening bother here in Canada and in the US I think of a personal instance where my mother had to be taken by police and admitted to a psych ward, not once did any doctor act as though her mental health issues weren't important, she was given proper support and as her family so were we, no matter the issue I still remember being taken for interviews to ensure I was okay even though I was 16 and not in her care. What I would like to know is why isn't this compassion given to everyone regardless of race or who they may be, because in reality addiction issues are not something that should be criminalized they should be treated as mental health.