Orange is the New Black (OITNB) has never shied away from tackling serious issues. From the very beginning we have seen representation for women of colour, gay women, and trans women. We have seen the impacts of race and socio-economic status on a person’s upbringing and all the social commentary that goes with it. We’ve seen corruption in law enforcement and the prison system, the damaging spiral of drug addiction, and the harsh realities that are everyday for people living in incarceration (albeit donned with Hollywood dressings).

Season 6 has continued this trend, tackling some of the biggest issues facing today’s society in an easily accessible way. Whether we talk about the fantasy inmate game played by the violence-hungry and apathetic guards, or the struggle to land on your feet for previous inmates who have left the prison system, the latest from OITNB remains a stand out for taking real world issues and examining them in the extreme environment of prison. But the issue that I want to discuss specifically with regards to Season 6 are the problems facing people of colour in America.

Following on from the prison riot in Season 5, we see early on that the death of actual human trash, CO Desi Piscatella, is being blamed on the prisoners. The investigation into this death is flawed from the beginning, with the agents electing a pool of inmates to pin it on from the start. Early on the stereotypes begin, with authorities assuming that the riot instigators (to them, the worst of a bad bunch) must be responsible for the death of a guard. In reality it wouldn’t have been difficult to discern how he really died with a bit of effort, but the agents aren’t concerned with actual justice – simply the appearance of justice. Eager to please the media and the powers that be, they quickly pin the murder on Tasha ‘Taystee’ Jefferson.

This plot line carries the cross of Season 4 when fan-favourite inmate Poussey Washington was killed in prison by a guard despite having done nothing wrong. The graphic and heart-breaking death of the African American character was made even worse when both the guard involved and the system responsible were not held accountable for her death (a situation that hugely contributed to the Season 5 riot). The media would not even mention Poussey’s name; a point that stuck with Taystee throughout.

It is easy to draw similarities between the heartache and anger felt by Taystee over Poussey’s death, and the same feelings felt by members of the Black Lives Matter movement when African Americans are shot by law enforcement. Just like Poussey, often no one is held accountable for these crimes, presumably because society sadly does not care about black victims. Examples of this from the real world are far too common, with one of the most recent occurring in late March this year, when Stephon Clark was shot dead by police officers in Sacramento: completely unarmed, and completely innocent.

In Season 6 Taystee continues to be a vehicle for OITNB to make a statement about the Black Lives Matter movement. She pleads not guilty to the murder of Piscatella, and begins her mission to prove her innocence, back-dropped by modern-day civil rights activism. The focus has developed now: instead of looking at the deaths of African American’s in custody, we are instead focused on the way the justice system does not work for people of colour in the same way it works for white Americans. This comes to a head in the final episode, when a jury of (mostly) white jurors returns a verdict of guilty. All this, despite Taystee having adequate representation and innocence on her side.

In a very emotional series of episodes we are presented with the bias of the justice system against people of colour, a very real problem in modern society. Census statistics show that 34% of the incarcerated population in the US is African American, demonstrating the fact that African Americans are incarcerated five times more frequently than white Americans. In fact, all together, African Americans and Hispanics make up for more than half the US prison population. This is despite the fact that 76% of the US population is white. It is clear that there is a racial stigmatisation against people of colour that ultimately leads to more frequent convictions, whether they be innocent (like Taystee) or not.

Taystee’s heartbreaking story, and the fight of African Americans for equality, is shown alongside the story of Blanca Flores. Blanca is a Dominican woman who has been with us since season one, and over that time we have seen her go from stand-off-ish and insane, to quirky and likeable. Despite being involved in the action every season, she has been limited to one main story arc, being her relationship with her boyfriend Diablo who is waiting for her on the outside. In this season, we see a greater development of this arc: Diablo is present in a lot more episodes and the nature of their love and relationship is revealed through their visits. We build up to the moment of Blanca’s release, when she can finally be reunited with an eagerly waiting Diablo.

This makes the end of Season 6 even more upsetting. In an unexpected twist, we discover that Polycon (the owners of the prison) plan to expand into Immigration Detention Centres. Blanca is processed for early released, but instead of walking free into the arms of her boyfriend, she is delivered into the hands of ICE agents. This moment has proven to be provocative for fans, least of all because of the (accurate) parallel that is drawn between prison and immigration detention centres. The viewer is wrapped up in the love story and instead of being rewarded with a happy ending they are faced with the bitter realisation that Blanca is no where closer to being reunited with Diablo.

This plot point is particularly pertinent in the current political climate. Trump’s current immigration policy has faced international scrutiny and condemnation for tearing families apart. Children have been taken from their parents, couples have been separated, and border patrol agents have been heard to say: “You will never see your children again. Families don’t exist here. You won’t have a family any more.” The policy is a severe and over the top reaction from an administration that has already come under fire around the world for their actions. The point also hits close to home for the OITNB family; star Diane Guerrero (aka Maritza Ramos) was only 14 years old when her Columbian parents were deported from America.

All of this is in contrast to Piper Chapman; the character we followed into Litchfield Prison all the way back in Season 1, and now follow back out of prison at the close of Season 6. Piper is a white, educated, upper-middle-class cis woman with ample financial resources and a support system. She attracts harsh treatment from other inmates for having these privileges, but these are privileges out of reach for many of the other girls living in incarceration. This is at the heart of Piper’s difficulties during her stint in prison. Although she spends most of her time complaining about her unfortunate circumstances, Piper still comes from a place of privilege and struggles to step outside of this protective layer to see where those around her are coming from; a struggle that pales in comparison to the real troubles faced by most of her fellow inmates.

This is most clearly demonstrated at the close of Season 6 when Piper is processed for early release and rushes excitedly into the arms of a waiting family member. This scene is cut with scenes of Taystee as she is processed back into maximum security prison following her (wrongful) conviction for murder. It is also cut with scenes of Blanca, who begins her release process with Piper, but is taken through a different exit that leads to a bus labelled US Immigration. All three women have come from the same prison and have been involved in much of the same conflict, but all three end up facing very different fates – largely due to the colour of their skin.

This is the entire point that OITNB has been trying to make over all these years, and is the message that all viewers should be left with. We can talk about politics all day long, but it is hard to truly visualise the damage being done to individuals because of policy and social stigma. Seeing these three characters meet such different fates despite similar circumstances forces the audience to ask ‘why?’ Why is it that Piper can walk free, when Taystee and Blanca continue to suffer at the hands of a system that clearly cares so little for them? The answer is very simple and incredibly harsh: because she is white.

Change desperately needs to occur, and OITNB is doing it’s part to inspire this change. Lets hope that other shows and movies take a leaf from their book, and help humanise these important issues for an audience that would prefer to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the stories and statistics of the under-privileged. Season 6 will stay with me – I hope it stays with you.

Images: Netflix, Bustle