Michelle Alexander argues that mass incarceration is the most significant negative response to the Civil Rights Movement, rather than other issues like affirmative action or civil rights enforcement. The common belief that society has overcome issues of racism, exemplified by the election of Barack Obama, is a misleading narrative. This view ignores the ongoing struggles related to race and the societal impacts of mass incarceration.

According to Alexander, the prevailing colorblind mentality in America, which suggests that race no longer plays a role in societal dynamics, obscures the continued existence of racial inequality. This perspective has allowed for the rise of a new caste system, where systemic racism persists and is perpetuated through practices like mass incarceration, thus undermining the progress made during the Civil Rights Movement.