OppressionOctober 27, 1986

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986

Mandatory minimums punish crack 100x more harshly than powder cocaine, devastating Black defendants.

Resources

Documentary tracing the 13th Amendment loophole to mass incarceration.

Connections to other moments, systems, and investigations, the links rarely drawn together.

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The crack epidemic devastates Black cities
Public panic over crack drove Congress to pass mandatory minimums within a year.
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Mass Incarceration
The 100-to-1 crack/powder sentencing disparity funneled a generation of Black defendants into prison.

Public panic over crack drove Congress to pass mandatory minimums within a year.

The 100-to-1 crack/powder sentencing disparity funneled a generation of Black defendants into prison.