Here's a pretty astonishing chart on the skyrocketing number of arrests of Black Americans for nonviolent drug crimes. Brookings' Jonathan Rothwell lays it out:

Arrest data show a striking trend: arrests of Blacks have fallen for violent and property crimes, but soared for drug related crimes. As of 2011, drug crimes comprised 14 percent of all arrests and a miscellaneous category that includes “drug paraphernalia” possession comprised an additional 31 percent of all arrests. Just 6 percent and 14 percent of arrests were for violent and property crimes, respectively.

Even more surprising is what gets left out of the chart: Blacks are far more likely to be arrested for selling or possessing drugs than Whites, even though Whites use drugs at the same rate. And Whites are actually more likely to sell drugs.