Humanizing the War on Drugs: Donovan X Ramsey's When Crack Was King

 When Crack was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramsey

When Crack was King book cover

Author and Journalist Donovan X. Ramey

Donovan Ramsey's excellent book "When Crack Was King" seeks to humanize and reframe the crack epidemic of the 80's and 90's during the current opioid epidemic and does so with a well researched history of crack and its spread of terror and addiction interspersed with personal stories from those most affected by it. This is a book that is much needed to reframe the narrative and present the crack epidemic as a public health issue rather than a criminal problem or as a part of the failed war on drugs. Ramsey's research is excellent, covering the history of cocaine and how it evolved into the less expensive form of crack. Like other books that examine the systemic issues in the justice system (Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow, Balko's The Rise of the Warrior Cop), Ramsey examines how news and media misrepresented the drug and allowed it to be reframed as a crime issue. This ultimately led to unjust laws as politicians sought to capitalize on the fear mongering from the war on drugs. It was interesting to read about Kurt Schmoke, who I didn't know about previously. As the first African American mayor of Baltimore, Schmoke was on the front line of dealing with both a heroin and crack epidemic in Baltimore. One of the reasons I may not have heard as much about him was that he proposed some radical ideas about viewing the crack epidemic as a public health issue rather than a criminal or legal issue. This completely sensical but unpopular view failed to gain the kind of traction it needed and allowed crack to continue to gain steam as well as leading to overpopulation and representation in the prison system. Ramsey's research and spotlight on Schmoke allows us to hear some of the voices of reason during the failed war on drugs and consider how these voices were largely drowned out by other politicians seeking to frame inner cities as war zones.

While Ramsey's research is insightful, the strength of this book lies in the interviews of those most affected by the crack epidemic-- the recovered addicts, the dealers, and the children of addicts. Their stories and strength were testament to the fact that drugs are not a death sentence, but with community and support, people can and do overcome the serious health problems related to addiction. Furthermore, these stories helped to humanize a period in American history that the media and politicians have largely tried to paint as more of an illicit or criminal epoch. Ramsey's writing ties the historical and factual data with the stories of those who took, sold or were affected by crack. This is a highly recommended and much needed account to challenge many of the prevailing narratives of crack and reframe it as a public health issue in the way we tend to think about opioid addiction.