Black Silent Majority : The Rockefeller Drug Laws and the Politics of Punishment

Aggressive policing and draconian sentencing have disproportionately imprisoned millions of African Americans for drug-related offenses. Michael Javen Fortner shows that in the 1970s these punitive policies toward addicts and pushers enjoyed the support of many working-class and middle-class blacks, angry about the chaos in their own neighborhoods. Often seen as a political sop to the racial fears of white voters, aggressive policing and draconian sentencing for illegal drug possession and related crimes have led to the imprisonment of millions of African Americans—far in excess of their representation in the population as a whole. Michael Javen Fortner shows in this eye-opening account that these punitive policies also enjoyed the support of many working-class and middle-class blacks, who were angry about decline and disorder in their communities. Black Silent Majority uncovers the role African Americans played in creating today's system of mass incarceration.Current anti-drug policies are based on a set of controversial laws first adopted in New York in the early 1970s and championed by the state's Republican governor, Nelson Rockefeller. Fortner traces how many blacks in New York came to believe that the rehabilitation-focused liberal policies of the 1960s had failed. Faced with economic malaise and rising rates of addiction and crime, they blamed addicts and pushers. By 1973, the outcry from grassroots activists and civic leaders in Harlem calling for drastic measures presented Rockefeller with a welcome opportunity to crack down on crime and boost his political career. New York became the first state to mandate long prison sentences for selling or possessing narcotics.Black Silent Majority lays bare the tangled roots of a pernicious system. America's drug policies, while in part a manifestation of the conservative movement, are also a product of black America's confrontation with crime and chaos in its own neighborhoods. Often seen as a political sop to the racial fears of white voters, aggressive policing and draconian sentencing for illegal drug possession and related crimes have led to the imprisonment of millions of African Americansfar in excess of their representation in the population as a whole. Michael Javen Fortner shows in this eye-opening account that these punitive policies also enjoyed the support of many working-class and middle-class blacks, who were angry about decline and disorder in their communities. Black Silent Majority uncovers the role African Americans played in creating todays system of mass incarceration. Current anti-drug policies are based on a set of controversial laws first adopted in New York in the early 1970s and championed by the states Republican governor, Nelson Rockefeller. Fortner traces how many blacks in New York came to believe that the rehabilitation-focused liberal policies of the 1960s had failed. Faced with economic malaise and rising rates of addiction and crime, they blamed addicts and pushers. By 1973, the outcry from grassroots activists and civic leaders in Harlem calling for drastic measures presented Rockefeller with a welcome opportunity to crack down on crime and boost his political career. New York became the first state to mandate long prison sentences for selling or possessing narcotics. Black Silent Majority lays bare the tangled roots of a pernicious system. Americas drug policies, while in part a manifestation of the conservative movement, are also a product of black Americas confrontation with crime and chaos in its own neighborhoods. Often Seen As A Political Sop To The Racial Fears Of White Voters, Aggressive Policing And Draconian Sentencing For Illegal Drug Possession And Related Crimes Have Led To The Imprisonment Of Millions Of African Americans--far In Excess Of Their Representation In The Population As A Whole. Michael Javen Fortner [argues] That These Punitive Policies Also Enjoyed The Support Of Many Working-class And Middle-class Blacks, Who Were Angry About Decline And Disorder In Their Communities. [his Book Examines] The Role African Americans Played In Creating Today's System Of Mass Incarceration--dust Jacket Flap. Introduction : The Reign Of Criminal Terror Must Be Stopped Now -- Rights And Wreckage In Postwar Harlem -- Black Junkies, White Do-gooders, And The Metcalf-volker Act Of 1962 -- Reverend Dempsey's Crusade And The Rise Of Involuntary Commitment In 1966 -- Crime, Class, And Conflict In The Ghetto -- King Heroin And The Development Of The Drug Laws In 1973 -- Race, Place, And The Tumultuous 1960s And 1970s -- Conclusion : Liberal Sentiments To Conservative Acts. Michael Javen Fortner. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents Preface Introduction: “The Reign of Criminal Terror Must Be Stopped Now” 1. Rights and Wreckage in Postwar Harlem 2. Black Junkies, White Do-Gooders, and the Metcalf-Volker Act of 1962 3. Reverend Dempsey’s Crusade and the Rise of Involuntary Commitment in 1966 4. Crime, Class, and Conflict in the Ghetto 5. King Heroin and the Development of the Drug Laws in 1973 6. Race, Place, and the Tumultuous 1960s and 1970s Conclusion: “Liberal Sentiments to Conservative Acts” Notes Acknowledgments Index Introduction : the reign of criminal terror must be stopped now Rights and wreckage in postwar Harlem Black junkies, white do-gooders, and the Metcalf-Volker Act of 1962 Reverend Dempsey's crusade and the rise of involuntary commitment in 1966 Black silent majority King heroin and the development of the drug laws in 1973 Race, place, and the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s Conclusion : liberal sentiments to conservative acts.