1619 Project Lesson Plan

According to Stevenson, what are the two things that define the criminal justice system? How does Stevenson support this arguments?

The two things that define the criminal justice system are: the criminalization of black people and a desire for harsh punishment for that perceived criminalization. For Stevenson, these two components of the criminal justice system have their roots in slavery. He supports his argument by giving examples of policies. For instance, he shows how the 13th Amendment ended slavery, except for the imprisoned. Criminals could still be treated as slaves. “Laws governing slavery were replaced with Black Codes governing free black people—making the...