KIANA MITCHELL

MRS. JENKINS
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
1ST PERIOD

It was during the mid-1980s that the emergence of a new smokable form of cocaine, called crack, had been introduced to the United States just about everyone was doing it. Some did it when they were pregnant, which had effects on the child and their learning abilities. The effect on the crack epidemic in the 80s helped the youth of today, to make better choices in life concerning this addictive drug. Crack, was highly-addictive and swept through plenty areas of cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Miami. In the end it caused devastating effects for black and Latino Americans. As crack cocaine was becoming popular and rising epidemic, hip hop was evolving alongside it. It was in the 1980s that crack cocaine and hip hop became the two leading fundamentals of urban street culture. It is not suggested that hip hop caused the crack epidemic, or vice versa. But, it can be argued that both fed off each other, particularly hip hop off the crack culture itself.
Crack cocaine quickly gained popularity among users in the 1980s due to its cheap cost, and the quick, intense high it left. Compared to freebase cocaine, which involved a complicated ritual involving Ether, crack cocaine had become simplistic and easier to manage. The drug was “made from powder cocaine, it was safer to make than freebase cocaine”. As crack and dope became parts of our neighborhoods, they started to have an impression on our culture through music and television. Epidemics are always a great time to remind America that racism still exists. For example, epidemics happen to everybody but white people. The holocaust happened to the Jews, HIV happened to homosexuals (although white, they must not have been Christian and thus didn’t count), and inevitably, crack cocaine happened to the African Americans.
Regardless of the effort by Bill Cosby to show a different side of the Black family in America, it was no secret to Black people in America that most of us had very little in common with the Huxtables during the eighties. Whether it was a mother, father, uncle, aunt, cousin, grandparent, or any close relative, finding a Black family without a crack or heroin addict was as common as finding a family of freed slaves in the 1700s. Many Black men were addicts, dead or in jail, which led to many single mothers. Many single mothers who may have been addicted as well. Cities became places where you were terrified to leave your house. You feared that you could be the victim of violence, even if you weren’t in fact a part of the drug trade. There were always gang initiations that required members to shoot and kill an innocent person. Many people grew up knowing that not only homosexual white men were at risk for HIV, but also dope addicts and women who were willing to have unprotected sex for drugs.
Dark alleys and unlit bus stops were a common fear, as well as, staying out past the hour when the streetlights came on. The murder rate rose astronomically. Teachers were teaching their kids to look to their left and their right, one of the three of us would not make it to 21. What was more alarming was that almost as soon as the US Government took action against crack cocaine with tougher law enforcement and sentencing the problem went away in a couple years. I grew up knowing that not only homosexual white men were at risk for HIV, but also dope addicts and women who were willing to have unprotected sex for drugs. What was more alarming was that almost as soon as the US Government took action against crack cocaine with tougher law enforcement and sentencing the problem went away in a couple years.
With televisions shows like, Miami Vice and rap artists like N.W.A., the drug culture we saw in our streets and neighborhoods made its way to our living rooms and television sets
It spirals downhill from there to the children born with defects or behavioral problems, to children who lost both of their parents to addiction and were raised by grandparents, distant relatives, or in foster homes
When you factor in the risky sexual behavior and drugs taken through intravenous needles, what you get is a high rate of Black Americans infected with HIV

“They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor. Say there ain’t no hope for the youth and the truth is, it ain’t no hope for tha future. And then they wonder why we crazy, I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby. We ain’t meant to survive, cause it’s a setup. And even though you’re fed up, huh, ya got to keep your head up.”
War on drugs has unequal impact on black Americans; Contras case illustrates the discrepancy: Nicaraguan goes free; L.A. dealer faces life"; and "Flawed sentencing the main reason for race disparity; In 1993, crack smokers got 3 years; coke snorters got 3 months."
While the use of coca leaves as an intoxicant dates back three thousand years, crack cocaine, a crystallized form of cocaine, was developed during the cocaine boom of the 1970s and its use spread in the mid-1980s.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, by the late 1970s there was a huge glut of cocaine powder being shipped into the United States.
In conclusion the crack epidemic dramatically increased the number of Americans addicted to cocaine. In 1985, the number of people who admitted using cocaine on a routine basis increased from 4.2 million to 5.8 million but later as time flies crack wasn’t being used at much and new drugs was coming up new to the society.

"Crack Cocaine Booklet & Video: Foundation for a Drug Free World." Crack Cocaine Booklet & Video: Foundation for a Drug Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013

Eighties Babies and How Crack Cocaine and Dope Changed Us Forever." SBM. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb
"CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy." CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013
"How Bad Was New York City during the Crack Epidemic? (crime, Neighborhoods) - City-Data Forum." How Bad Was New York City during the Crack Epidemic? (crime, Neighborhoods) - City-Data Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.

"THE CRIME REPORT - Your Complete Criminal Justice Resource." After '80s Crack-Fueled Homicide Epidemic, D.C. May End 2012 Under 100. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.