The Condemnation of Little B: New Age Racism in AmericaThrough the story of a thirteen-year-old black boy condemned to life in prison, Elaine Brown exposes the 'New Age' racism that effectively condemns millions of poor African-Americans to a third world life. The story of 'Little B' is riveting, a stunning example of the particular burden racism imposes on black youths. Most astonishing, almost all of the officials involved in bringing him to 'justice' are black. Michael Lewis was officially declared a ward of the state at age eleven, and then systematically ignored until his arrest for murder. Brown wondered how this boy could possibly have aroused so much public resentment, why he was being tried (and roundly condemned, labeled a 'super-predator') in the press. Then she met Michael and began investigating his case on her own. Brown adeptly builds a convincing case that the prosecution railroaded Michael, looking for a quick, symbolic conviction. His innocence is almost incidental to the overwhelming evidence that the case was unfit for trial. Little B was convicted long before he came to court, and effectively sentenced years before, when the 'safety net' allowed him to slip silently down. Brown cites studies and cases from all over America that reveal how much more likely youth of color are to be convicted of crimes and to serve long-even life-sentences, and how deeply the new black middle class is implicated in this devastating reality. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 76
Page 9
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 13
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 18
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 22
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Page 25
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Contents
Black ManChild | 3 |
The Murder Case | 12 |
Evil in the City | 28 |
Atlanta Hub of the New South | 51 |
The Bluff | 69 |
Little B | 80 |
Superpredator or Outcast? | 94 |
Monticello Revisited | 127 |
This Little Light Extinguished | 155 |
Marching from Monticello | 173 |
The Abandonment | 207 |
Trompe Loeil | 263 |
The Innocence of Little B | 292 |
The Appeal | 339 |
Notes | 361 |
Acknowledgments | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adult affirmative action agenda America arrest Atlanta Journal Atlanta Journal-Constitution attorney Big E black boys black children Black Panther Party Bluff Bush Center charged Civil Rights Clarence Thomas Clinton Condoleezza Rice convicted court crack cocaine Crime Bill criminal Darrell Woods death defense DFACS Dilulio Dixon Eric Mills fact federal Fulcher Fulton County Georgia ghetto Guichard Henry's Howard Howard Zinn Ibid interview issue January Jefferson jury Kenya Woods kids knew later Little lived Michael Michael Lewis million Moreover mother murder National never asked November Ockleberry Olympic percent police poor population poverty Powell President Press prison race racial racism Reagan Republican Richey sentence Shawntello shooting slave slavery social South state's Street superpredator teen testified testimony thousand tion told Transcript trial United urban Valerie Morgan W. E. B. Du Bois Washington Post Wilson York young black youth