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1. How does the author use Jarvious Cotton as an example in the Introduction to The New Jim Crow?

Jarvious Cotton is used as an example of an African American man who is barred from voting. Cotton's great-great grandfather did not vote because he was a slave. Cotton's great-grandfather was prevented from voting when he was murdered by the KKK. Cotton's father did not vote because of poll taxes and literacy tests. Cotton himself cannot vote because he is a convicted felon.

2. What obstacle does the Barack Obama presidency present for civil rights advocates, according to the author in the Introduction?

Obama's presidency presents an obstacle because of black exceptionalism. Whites are less likely to believe there are still serious race issues in the U.S. when we have an African American President, even though Obama's circumstances are far from the realities faced by most African Americans in the country.

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