Chapter 5 Retooling Solidarity, Reimagining Justice

The fifth chapter for the book Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code starts off with the overall discussion of freeing the public from data-driven surveillance and rewriting cultural codes. Benjamin discusses about the influence of the wealth and how the white folk are mentally habited in a abolitionist mentality. This distrust and oppression on people of color and those who are not migratorily represented is also a reflection of this white rich people to go against poor and marginalized groups. Higher ups and people of fame are often let go easy when it comes to the criminal system as they are released from prison when they commit a felony. Eventually in the future if there is another crime committed, they are still let go on the easier path. The criminal and jail system does not affect these with wealth and social hierarchy. The topic of platforms to help make social affairs more stable has also failed. Promise is an app that works along with the police department to go after people using a location tracking device. The app is positioned as a solution when in reality as stated by Benjamin, the app doesn’t help much with social improvement. It digitalizes the outreach of the prison system instead to help shrink its use. Apps like this are a waste of time and money as they are presented as a solution when in reality it just adds to the problem.