Black Marijuana Magazine June 2017 | Page 64

AN

ECONOMY

OF

RACISM

A White House Executive Report discloses,

...men of color could earn as much as $170 billion more per year for the GDP - if the education gap in America is equalized.

Statistically, we are literally restricting black men back from creating a better country and economy for all of us.

The same executive report reveal the cost advantages of investing in education over incarceration:

- 1 year of incarceration = $100,000

- 1 year of tuition, housing, and expenses

at a top university = $50,000

- 1 year of a professional

mentoring program = $1,000

So what can we do?

One Utopian solution is simple. And education is the key.

Most marijuana possession arrests target young men of color with minimal access to education and/or professional opportunities.

Now, imagine if we invested into people instead of imprisoning them for profit.

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