Looking to the origins of slavery, the Jim Crow era, and mass incarceration, how do racial caste systems evolve over time? How are these systems tailored to the eras from which they arise?

What does Alexander mean by “racial bribes”? What are some of the bribes offered to whites during the onset of various caste systems, including slavery, Jim Crow, and mass incarceration? Do Black Americans ever receive these bribes?

What does Alexander mean by “closing the courthouse doors”? How has the Supreme Court immunized police officers and prosecutors against constitutional challenges on the basis of race? What are some of key court cases Alexander identifies?