The Drug War here in the U.S and abroad has always been intricately linked with racism and racial tropes against blacks and other minorities as well...

1. In 1914 Dr. Edward Huntington Williams wrote an article in the

NYT titled NEGRO COCAINE "FIENDS" NEW SOUTHERN MENACE. in his piece he argued how cocaine made the negro more savage, and made him a uniquely murderous individual

2. Harry Anslinger the 1st commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the 30s

linked drug use like marijuana among others to the black musicians during that time like Billie Holliday etc, and said how the drugs they would use made them make freakish music like jazz and as some reporters mentioned he stated he longed to see them behind bars

3. More contemporary you had Nixon declaring war on drugs in the 70s with admission from his domestic policy advisor Ehrlichman stating the war had objectives in targeting “blacks and hippies”

4. Biden was also involved with his crime bills he worked on since the 70s

With his infamous crime bills that targeted minorities.. his speech on the floor in which he pathologized black folks and stated how black kids were irredeemable and beyond rehabilitation.. his bills on crime and drug use had profound effects on the incarceration of black folks

I could say more and even go back further than 1914 but I wanted to highlight these events because the war on drugs has always been detrimental especially towards racialized minorities.. With recent data on the increase of adulterated drugs such as fentanyl etc it’s about time

Congress addresses major changes to our drug policy that has hurt and killed countless lives especially minorities... #EndTheDrugWar