*** THE UNITED STATES, 2010: A NATION OF PRISON HOUSES! ***

Friday, June 4, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

Movie: “American Violet” - Based upon a true story of a woman in Texas who fought against systematic criminal frame-ups of several black citizens, on drug charges, and won.

Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

Discussion: The Prison Industrial Complex. Why is the United States the country with the highest number of prisoners per thousand persons in the world? How did our country's prison population mushroom from 500,000 in the 1970s to over 2 million today? Why are the numbers of African American, Latino, and other prisoners of color way out of kilter compared to their numbers in the US population? And what should we be doing about it? How do we combat this racism? How can we organize?

Suggested Readings:

Anthony Papa, “Congress Must Change Racist Crack Cocaine Laws”

Seth Sandronsky, “U.S. Inequality and Racism: ‘The Hiring Crisis for America’s Black Teens’”

Juan Lopez, “One Family’s “American Violet” Experience

All articles are available in hard copy at the:
Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library for Social Research
6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland (bet. Alcatraz and 66th)
Phone (510) 595-7417

Website: www.marxistlibr.org