Unequal under Law
Race in the War on Drugs

- Contents
- Review Quotes

One Racial Discrimination in the Eyes of the Law
Two Race in America’s First War on Drugs
Three Negro Cocaine Fiends, Mexican Marijuana Smokers, and Chinese Opium Addicts: The Drug Menace in Racial Relief
Four Congress on Crack: How Race-Neutral Language Hides Racial Meaning
Five The Racial Impact of the War on Drugs: How Government Coped
Six Racial Justice: The Courts Consider Sentencing Disparities
Epilogue
Notes
References
Index
“Unequal under Law goes beyond conventional analyses of the War on Drugs and probes into the historical antecedents of current policy. The picture that emerges is one in which racial dynamics have always pervaded drug policy, from the criminalization of opium in the nineteenth century to Prohibition to the indefensible crack cocaine penalties of today. Only by understanding these basic functions can we assess the true implications of current drug policy and develop more constructive policy responses.”—Marc Mauer, executive director, The Sentencing Project
“Unequal under Law is a masterful overview of the War on Drugs, drawing compelling historical continuity between different eras of U.S. policies toward ‘mind-altering substances’ and vulnerable populations. For future research and informed policy discussions in this area, Provine has set a new bar, and the bar is very high. This is an unusual combination of meticulous scholarship, analytic acumen, and ‘the big picture.’”
“This book will help the forces for racial justice, for drug law reform, and more broadly for human rights in criminal justice and law. It should help rekindle the much-needed debate about the deeply racist consequences of current drug laws.”—Craig Reinarman, University of California, Santa Cruz
Law and Legal Studies: Law and Society
Political Science: Public Policy | Race and Politics
Sociology: Race, Ethnic, and Minority Relations
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.