The Crack Epidemic had a long-lasting effect on the black community, as a majority of crack users were black. The War on Drugs imposed minimum prison sentences that led to a dramatic increase in incarceration rates for black males. While the Crack Epidemic was criminalized, the Opioid Crisis, which predominately affects the white community, has been treated as a health crisis.

Shannon shares some BIG Facts about the causes and effects of each drug crisis, and the hosts give their thoughts on the government's response to both. Would it even matter if the government tried to rectify the damage from the Crack Epidemic?

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About the Hosts

Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

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Research Links:

• Focus on Opiods - Connect2Health FCC
• Opioid vs. Crack: Congress Reconsiders Its Approach to Drug Epidemic
• Opioid Crisis: Addiction, Overprescription, and Insufficient Primary Prevention
• History Explains the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap | TIME
• Crack epidemic | US History, Causes & Effects | Britannica

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