#36: Hippies and POC in the 1970s

The 1970s witnessed the dawn of the “War on Drugs,” a campaign ostensibly aimed at curbing substance abuse but with deeply troubling consequences. While the rhetoric of this war was couched in the language of public health and safety, its impact fell disproportionately on marginalized communities, particularly people of color and those associated with countercultural movements.

Law enforcement’s aggressive tactics, including no-knock raids and mandatory minimum sentences, targeted urban neighborhoods and minority populations, creating a devastating cycle of incarceration and community destabilization. Decades later, it became clear that this approach failed to address the root causes of addiction and instead fueled a cycle of social injustice and mass incarceration that continues to plague society today.