Guest Post by Ben Larson
The lyrics and video below are from my new song “No Crow.” It was inspired by the book The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander. It would take too long to recap the whole book here, but here are two statistics from it that might totally change the way you think about the U.S. criminal justice system:
- More African Americans are under correctional control today than were enslaved in 1850.
- The U.S. is only 4% of the world’s population, but we have 25% of its incarcerated population.
Here’s a brief description of what I’m trying to talk about in each verse:
Vs 1 – The end of the Jim Crow laws right after the Civil Rights Act was passed
Vs 2 – The birth of the New Jim Crow with the War on Drugs
Vs 3 – The personal, human side of living within a racial caste system
Vs 4 – The big picture and the end of all evil
Vs 1
Let’s raise a glass for old Jim Crow
We laid him to rest about an hour ago
Jesus must have had His eye on me
Prayed to be delivered and now I’m free
Chorus
No crow standing on my shoulder
No yoke from Maine to California
No toll for crossing over Jordan
No crow, nevermore
Nevermore
Vs 2
Uncle Sammy bought the devil a suit and tie
Said “Get God’s children out of my sight.”
Assembled him an army to wage his war
He crushed our bodies with a heavy cruel sword
Vs 3
I do what I gotta do to feed my kids
Police are gonna show me what wartime is
Now I gotta wear these black and whites
Slavin’ in the dungeon the rest of my life
Vs 4
So let’s raise a glass for the new Jim Crow
The tightest little birdcage the world will know
But Jesus sees every little sparrow that falls
The King will return and redeem us all
