Institutionalized Racism: "The War on Drugs"

The Los Angeles Riots of 1992 must not be thought of as an isolated incident. Although a major event in history, it was not the only time - or even one of the few times - that African Americans have been unfairly targeted and criminalized for little to no reason. Throughout American history, racism has been prominent. With the United States being built on the back of slavery, racism has always been a major issue. Even after the thirteenth amendment, segregation was enforced and the Jim Crow era began. In fact, racism has actually been engrained in our country's system, perpetuated constantly to this day.

One of the main events that comes to mind when I think about institutionalized racism is the "War on Drugs". In 1971, President Nixon declared it, stating that drug abuse was "public enemy number one". However, there is a far deeper meaning behind this "war". It unfairly targeted minorities, particularly African Americans. Although African Americans are not more likely to use or sell drugs, they are far more likely to be incarcerated for them. In fact, 62% of drug offenders sent to state prisons are Black, while only 12% of the population is. This creates an issue, is the "war on drugs" truly that, or is it rather a slightly discreet way of the government unfairly causing a "war on minorities"? This "war on drugs" continues to be a major political issue, but it is also only perpetuating the racism ideals engrained in the US's system.

With the mass population of African Americans in prison, this allows for not only institutionalized racism, but also institutionalized slavery. If a citizen is convicted of a federal crime, as drugs are, they are forced into free labor in prisons and also stripped of their rights. Once out of prison, they no longer hold the right to vote, which circles back to the Civil Rights movement and undercuts its progress. This is a system in which our country has allowed the unfair target of African Americans that needs to be rethought.

While not a direct motivator to the 1992 riots, the anger caused by this unfair and unequal criminalization had to contribute to the anger that fueled the LA Riots. This unfair treatment that has been perpetuated in so many of the United State's systems has caused anger to emerge from people being treated as second-class citizens. African Americans and other minorities have been treated as lesser for too long and our country's system must be reformed to put an end to this.

-Gillian McFerren