Thesis: The War on Drugs, the rise of gangs in Los Angeles, and incidents of police brutality all had a significant impact on social dynamics and prolonged structural injustices. Well-known songs like “Changes” by Tupac Shakur and “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder highlight these hardships and the perseverance required to overcome hardships, calling for group action in the direction of justice and equality. In the 1970s, New York City was an economic wasteland plagued with limited economic opportunities, wage gaps, and systemic issues like redlining, which have compounded over time, perpetuating a cycle of poverty. New York City was riddled with severe economic and political troubles, unlike what the city’s inhabitants had experienced …show more content…
On June 17, 1971, President Richard Nixon held a press conference, declaring drugs to be “public enemy number one” and therefore initiating the war on drugs. However, when Nixon resigned from office in 1974 and Jimmy Carter stepped in, these policies became dull. After Jimmy Carter's presidency, the war on drugs gained renewed momentum during Ronald Reagan's presidency, and he significantly expanded these efforts. At first, domestic anti-drug policies were widely accepted because the use of drugs, such as crack, was accompanied by an alarming spike in homicides and other violent crimes nationwide. These policies had the backing of most of the black community because they wanted to get drug dealers out of their neighborhoods and help the people negatively affected by the drug epidemic (Morrison). Reagan went on to later lose a large portion of that support because in 1986 Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. This act established mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain drug offenses. While good in theory, this policy was heavily criticized for its racist ramifications, as it allocated longer prison sentences for instances involving the same amount of crack rock, which was used more often by black Americans, as powdered cocaine, which …show more content…
This led to Tupac being a very outspoken and influential adult who was not afraid to express his ideas. In his song, "Changes," he reflects on the harsh realities and systemic disadvantages he has faced: “I’m tired of bein’ poor, and even worse, I’m black. My stomach hurts, so I’m lookin’ for a purse to snatch” (Shakur). Tupac emphasizes the inherent struggle of a black person to become successful in society, simply because of their skin tone. The line, “I’m tired of being poor, and even worse, I’m black,” demonstrates that due to the finite amount of opportunities for black Americans to find jobs and prosper economically, being black is an even worse fate than being poor. He later goes on to explain that a leading cause of crime is desperation. The lack of income in the black community is such an abundant issue that some people within the community resort to crime just to put food on their table. This crime, which originates from necessity, evolves into violence, resulting in people within the black community harming each other. Due to the rise of gangs in Los Angeles and the violence that comes with it, Tupac believes that “and as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped /
The theme of lines 1-5 in, ¨Untitled 1¨ by Tupac Shakur is that African Americans have been oppressed, over many generations. He describes the world, ¨as a ghetto, that they cannot leave,¨ referring to ghettos such as
Even worse, the way politicians address crime. The tough stand on drugs started during the Nixon presidency, with most of the resources focused on medical treatment rather than punishment. Although it was a better strategy and alternative than the drug war policies that exist today, it was a very divisive issue between the conservatives and the liberals. The war on drugs ignited during the Reagan administration, two thirds of the financial resources were being spent on law enforcement. In addition, the end of the Cold War left the United States with weaponry and resources that needed to be repurposed.
In one of the chapters, ‘Where Did Our Love Go?’ the author reveals how blacks in America use the music to express their anger and commitment to emerge as great people in an unfair community. Most songs are written to educate the society on the negative effects of racism. They encourage the society to love one another and embrace unity. The human nature is founded through a social platform where philosophers claim that people were created to love one another and live with peace and unity. Through this book, it is clear that the blacks in the hip-hop generation are money minded. However, this is expected in a world where the economy is tough. The author claims that the youth are the people who are majorly affected by racism. Many of them have been arrested for pity mistakes which are magnified in the courts due to the impression that the society has on the black people. They engage in dirty activities like drug dealings that that put them on the wrong side of the
While the War on Drugs may have been portrayed as a colorblind movement, Nixon’s presidency and reasoning for its implementation solidifies that it was not. Nixon coined the term “War on Drugs” in his 1971 anti-drug campaign speech, starting the beginning of an era. He voiced, “If there is one area where the word ‘war’ is appropriate, it is in the fights against crime” (DuVernay, 13th). This terminology solidified to the public that drug abusers were an enemy, and if the greatest publicized abusers were black, then black people were then enemy. This “war” started by Nixon claimed it would rid the nation of dealers, but in fact, 4/5 of arrests were for possession only (Alexander, 60). Nixon employed many tactics in order to advance the progress
Although there was an astounding amount of impoverished people in New York during the nineteen twenties, there happened to be a petite community of affluent individuals living extremely lavish lifestyles. Wealthy residents of New York often are void of important values like honesty, sympathy, and compassion. Per contra, most people existing in poverty live
A Thug Life What is it that determines and creates an abnormality in the mental state of a young man growing up in East Harlem: the violence, gangs, drug abuse, or perhaps the overall condition of poverty they’re brought up in? A young black kid that no one on the street expects to go anywhere or do anything with his life, that is, if he even gets past the age of eighteen, destined for doom before he’s even brought into the world. Tupac Amaru Shakur, or makaveli, which ever you decide to call him, grew up in exactly these conditions, if not worse. His mother, a strong leader in the Black Panthers during his birth, had over one hundred and fifty accusations of conspiracy against the government. To start off, Tupac had already accumulated enemies being born.
John H. McWhorter’s essay was first seen in City Journal in 2003. It focuses on rap retarding black success by reinforcing the stereotypes that long hindered blacks, and by teaching young blacks that a thuggish lifestyle is a genuine response to a racist society. (McWhorter 44) Hip Hop started off as an expression of emotion and to tell what was happening in society, but it seems to have gone downhill.
Men like Nixon and Reagan had a tough mentality, while Clinton and Carter were a little more lenient (Parenti). Some targeted the suppliers, some targeted the consumers, and others targeted both. One of the key faults in the War on Drugs has been targeting consumers. People are going to take drugs no matter what. In order to reduce mass incarceration, the government must stop targeting and focusing on punishing the consumers of drugs. In 2005, four out of five drug arrests were for mere possession, and the vast majority of those offenders had no history of violence (Alexander). Targeting consumers of drugs is completely detrimental to the War on Drugs. You aren’t removing the problem by getting rid of the consumers. Instead you are putting a lot of people who have never committed a violent crime into a system surrounded by hardened criminals who truly deserve to be away from society and in prison. Prison is not a safe place. After a few months or years in prison, you become accustomed to prison norms, full of aggression and violence. People who simply got caught in possession of a drug are interacting and living with rapists and murderers. 77 percent of drug offenders would be arrested again (Crimeinamerica). Putting drug addicts and users in prison doesn’t solve the problem, but only enhances it. The point attempted to be made here is not to abolish drug laws for consumers,
New York City is claimed to be one of the greatest cities in the world. Many are blinded by the breathtaking skyline, the endless opportunities, and the hustle and bustle of the streets. As one of the economic capitals of the world, it is surprising to hear that about 30 percent of children currently residing in New York City are living in poverty (Cheney). New York City has evolved into a city for the wealthy by eliminating inexpensive housing and jobs, forcing many families to the streets (Elliot). Many are unaware of how prevalent child poverty is.
The war on drugs began with the presidential term of President Nixon in the 1970s. According to drugpolicy.org, “He dramatically increased the size and presence of federal drug control agencies, and pushed through measures such as mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants. Nixon temporarily placed marijuana in Schedule One, the most restrictive category of drugs.”
Although this original face of rap music was murdered at the young age of 25, Tupac’s expressions of dreams for black social justice, along with his declaration of “thuglife,” have contributed to his beloved legacy by hip culture, even 19 years after his death. He was considered a figure of empowerment for urbanized communities because of his support in black nationalism that aims to “define, defend, and develop of Blacks as a people,” especially because he grew up in the impoverished intercity (Stanford, 2011, pg. 4). In “Violent” he raps,
Throughout U.S governmental history, policies have been known to affect the way of life and every aspect. The topic it choose to research is about “The War on Drugs”, the impact policies have on society and if it does help the public or tend to extent social inequality. This topic is very important to me in the sense that, I look at the community I live and see how drugs have affected people lifes, broken up families and also destroyed the community itself. I wanted to know if the “war on drugs” stop our neighborhood from being flooded with drugs or it just over shadow the real problems that needs to be tackled.
In Christopher Klein's the tect "The First Great American Road Trip," he discusses Dr. Jackson's journey from Vermont to New York City. Klein mentions how someone bet Jackson fifty dollars that he would not be able to make it to New York City by car in less than 90 days. He also explains how all the odds were against this being able to happen due to factors like unpaved roads, no road signs, no road numbers or gas stations, and the fact that the likelihood of automobiles breaking down was fairly high. With this being said, Klein's attitude towards Dr. Jackson throughout this text influences his portrayal of him by Klein describing the adversity he faced, including pieces of background information about Jackson's life, and providing his readers
In 1971, President Nixon declared a “war on drugs.” He substantially increased the presence and size of federal drug agencies, and passed legislation like mandatory sentencing laws and unconstitutional warrants. Nixon even listed marijuana as a Schedule One drug, the most constrictive drug category. Over forty years later, the U.S is still waging a war on drugs, spending billions of dollars per year and creating major social issues.
In society the use of illegal drugs is strongly opposed by the government. With the introduction of increasingly potent and seemingly dangerous drugs to American Society, President Richard Nixon declared a “War on Drugs”. While the “War on Drugs” is generally regarded as a beneficial program, it is actually detrimental to American society. Throughout American History, various presidential administrations focused money and resources on the war on drugs, leading to the rise of gangs and organized crime, increased racism, increased government expenditure, increased taxes and a decrease in drug safety.