3 chapters across the catalog
The 1988 crack laws and the 1994 Crime Bill are identified as primary drivers of mass incarceration in the Black community. The hosts highlight Joe Biden's collaboration with segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond on these policies. They note the disparity between sentencing for crack versus powder cocaine as a systemic tool.
Bayard Rustin is identified as the primary architect and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Despite his effectiveness, Rustin remained in the background due to his homosexuality and past political affiliations. Senator Strom Thurmond famously attacked Rustin on the Senate floor, citing a 1953 arrest in Pasadena, California, to discredit the civil rights movement.
The narrative continues through the 1950s and 60s, detailing the 1957 Civil Rights Act and the massive resistance in the Deep South. It highlights the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery and the subsequent signing of the Voting Rights Act by Lyndon Johnson. Moe emphasizes the severity of historical suppression, such as literacy tests and poll taxes, to provide context for his critique of modern political rhetoric.
