Tonight we’re turning to you to hear more about why so many black and brown kids are ending up inside our juvenile prisons and jails. We’ve invited community members, officials and advocates to participate in a conversation about the problem and some solutions. We’re gathering for a community conversation at the Experimental Station. That’s the same place where earlier this year, WBEZ’s Steve Edwards sat down with author Michelle Alexander. She’s chronicled the history of racial disparity within the justice system in her book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. We’re bringing you an excerpt of that conversation now to give you a sense of how we got to the current state of affairs. According to Alexander, it all comes together at a critical point.

Tonight we’ll pick up the conversation. Parents, children, community activists, and officials with different perspectives on the racial disparity within the justice system will gather together for a community conversation. You can also participate in a live chat that will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Community Forum:
Singled Out: Why are Black and Brown Youth Arrested and Incarcerated at Higher Rates than White Youth?
Tonight at 7:30
Experimental Station