An important film about the African American casualties from the War on Drugs is The House I Live and can be found on youtube or Netflix. What started in the late 70’s, and disrupted the Recovery Movement strides on alcoholism was disrupted during the Regan presidential years. Increased incarceration rates over crack cocaine, cost Black men their lives, disrupted their families, and put young boys on the Pipeline to Prison route. These children were likely to act out in school, receive detentions, and suffered suspensions at higher rates. Without stable role models, and lack of education, they were more likely to fall into gangs, and commit violent offenses. If caught, were given harsher sentences, than white counterparts. The Civil Rights movement was only the beginning of equal rights, and stopped in its tracks.

Bernie Sanders’ campaign is strong on systemic racism in our criminal justice system. By far, black males are incarcerated, more than whites, for non-violent drug offenses. For-profit prisons led to profits over people, and now that the opioid and heroin epidemic is wreaking havoc on white families, we’re seeing eradication of our nation’s middle class.

Barak Obama has made strides in a racist society, and uniquely made it to the Presidential office. He has overcome as much as he could with unprecedented obstruction and maligned by the extreme Right Wing of the government.