Michelle Alexander

The author of the book, a civil rights lawyer, activist, and legal professor. Using her experience as a lawyer and organizer as a foundation, Alexander argues that the rights denied to felons parallel the rights denied to Black Americans during Jim Crow.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

A civil rights activist and minister. Though King had a message of love and cooperation that appealed to the masses, he also warned against the dangers of the racial indifference that Alexander argues makes systems of mass incarceration possible. King had a vision of a new America, one that would be more inclusive of all Americans.

Barack Obama

The first Black President of the United States. Obama, who served two terms as President, is often upheld as proof that racism is no longer an issue. Alexander argues that such examples of Black exceptionalism are required for covert racism to continue to thrive in a “colorblind” society. She suggests that Obama continued the “tough on crime” stance of those in the office before him and, rather than forwarding systemic change, often blamed individuals for their own poor circumstances.

Bill Clinton

A 42nd President of the United States. In order to avoid appearing soft on crime, Clinton escalated the drug war, setting the tone for a bipartisan support of “law and order” rhetoric and for expansion of the War on Drugs. The Clinton administration saw the largest increases in federal and state inmate population of any administration.

George W. Bush

A 43rd President of the United States, son of former President George H.W. Bush. Given how close the race between Bush and Gore was in 2000, many argue that, had the millions of people labeled felons been able to vote, Gore would have been elected president, changing the face of American history.

George H.W. Bush

A 41st President of the United States and father of former President George W. Bush. Continuing the work of President Reagan, George H.W. Bush embraced the drug war and used images of Black criminals to help him win the presidency. George H.W. Bush advanced the idea that drugs were the most pressing issue in American society, which permanently changed the conversation around crime.

Ronald Reagan

A 40th President of the United States and the original architect of the War on Drugs. Reagan was a major proponent of removing race from the political discussion. He created a model for using “colorblind” rhetoric with implicitly racist appeals that set the tone for conservative talking points for years to come. Reagan’s rhetoric laid the groundwork for the race-neutral yet implicitly racist ideology of the War on Drugs.

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