Turning Off the White Noise of Systemic Racism

The latest issue of the DC Bar's Washington Lawyer magazine featured an article written by Natasha Baker, Equal Justice Under Law Staff Attorney, about shackling in the criminal system, white supremacy, and the role of the legal profession in pursuing racial justice. The article was inspired by a play Natasha saw last year called White Noise, which resurfaced traumatic memories for her of visiting clients in juvenile and adult jails. She started writing the article as a cathartic exercise to process her pain. The final product, just like the work of Equal Justice Under Law, is meant to raise public awareness of how dehumanizing and cruel our "justice" system is and be a call to action to do better.

White Noise touches on the connections between slavery and the modern criminal legal system; this historical thread explains why economic exploitation is foundational to the American "justice" system and why Equal Justice Under Law is committed to ending the criminalization of poverty. While often couched in neutral language, many legal policies actually promote racial and class hierarchies. With every lawsuit challenging these policies, Equal Justice Under Law also challenges those hierarchies.

As a legal organization, Equal Justice Under Law has a special obligation to shine light on injustice. Lawyers are often witnesses to the harms of the legal system, which are largely kept hidden from public view. Lawyers are also officers of the court, obligated to promote the legal system's credibility and legitimacy. That can only happen if we are willing to hold it accountable for its shortcomings.

To our supporters, we hope you'll take a moment to read Natasha’s article and gain a little more insight into the legal system as it is and the legal system we at Equal Justice Under Law advocate for - where legal justice does not depend on a person's money or race, but rather where there is truly equal justice under law.