Underground Codes Race, Crime and Related Fires [Paperback]

Winner of a 2005 Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award (Honorable Mention)

Americans fear crime, are rattled by race and avoid honest discussions of both. Anxiety, denial, miscommunication, and ignorance abound. Imaginary connections between minorities and crime become real, self-fulfilling prophecies and authentic links to race, class, gender and crime go unexplored. Katheryn Russell-Brown, author of the highly acclaimedThe Color of Crime, makes her way through this intellectual minefield, determined to shed light on the most persistent and perplexing domestic policy issues.

The author tackles a range of race and crime issues. From outdated research methods that perpetuate stereotypes about African Americans, women, and crime to the over hyped discourse about gangsta rap and law breaking, Russell-Brown challenges the conventional wisdom of criminology.Underground Codesdelves into understudied topics such as victimization rates for Native Americans—among the highest of any racial group—and how racial profiling affects the day-to-day lives of people of color.

Innovative, well-researched and meticulously documented,Underground Codesmakes a case for greater public involvement in the debate over law enforcement—and our own language—that must be heard if we are to begin to have a productive national conversation about crime and race.

Katheryn Russell-Brown's newest work highlights the unique ways that race, culture, and criminal justice issues operate across communities of color and within them. Her study of these issues raises important questions and draws the critical distinctions between fact and fiction for our understanding and ultimate liberation.