Here in the US, two distinct institutions guide teenagers on their journey to adulthood. One is college, the other is prison.
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Here at GMP we spend a LOT of time talking about the criminal justice system, income inequality, and racism. We discuss things like the “School to Prison Pipeline,” and the disproportionate number of men—particularly men of color—who are incarcerated in this country. There is no question that while young men in middle to upper-class neighborhoods and predominantly white schools and communities are preparing for college and their future, young men of color are sometimes on a much different path.
For 6 years, sociologist Alice Goffman worked and lived in a troubled Philadelphia neighborhood where she saw first-hand how black and brown teenagers are funneled directly down the path to prison. Many times, this journey begins with minor infractions. In this stirring TEDTalk she clearly brings to light the hardships and almost insurmountable odds facing the youth in these impoverished neighborhoods.
Goffman asks the question we should all be thinking about if we truly want to create change within our society, “Why are we offering only handcuffs and jail time?”
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Photo: Getty Images