Locking Up Our Own by James Forman Jr. Summary
Overview of Locking Up Our Own
Pulitzer Prize-winning "Locking Up Our Own" explores how Black leaders inadvertently fueled mass incarceration through tough-on-crime policies. Cited in Supreme Court cases and praised by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, this timely work asks: How did well-intentioned justice become systemic injustice?
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Key takeaways
The Paradox That Built America's Largest Prison System
A Black teenager stands before a Black judge in a Washington D.C. courtroom. The lecture is familiar-wasting opportunities that civil rights heroes died for. Six months in detention for gun and marijuana possession. The judge, prosecutor, bailiff, even the court reporter-all Black. The police chief, the mayor-Black too. How did a majority-Black city end up locking away so many of its own children? This question drives one of the most unsettling revelations in recent American history. After the 1965 Voting Rights Act, African Americans finally gained real political power in cities like D.C. Yet the policies they helped shape-born from genuine concern, limited options, and unforeseeable consequences-would contribute to creating the world's largest prison system. This isn't a simple story of oppression from above. It's far more complicated, and far more human.
When Fear Made Strange Bedfellows and Funerals Outnumbered Weddings
The Tradition No One Wanted to Remember
The Limits of Black Badges and the Severity No One Expected
The Worst Thing Since Slavery
The Problem with "Nonviolent Offenders"
One Person, One Mercy at a Time
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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