Continuing my Knowledge Journey, through film with an anti-racist lens
Earlier this year I share a list of anti-racism books that I read last year, as part of my lifelong journey to learn and unlearn the equity, diversity and inclusion space. As I continue to expand my library and deepen my knowledge, I wanted to share a list of movies that have also made my list as resources. I know that we don't always have capacity to put up our feet and dive into a book, but we can usually find two-ish hours of time to fit in a film. I'm sharing a list of films that have had a profound impact in my learning journey, as well as a few that are now on my list to watch next.
Anti-Racism Documentaries I've Watched
Ava DuVernay’s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary 13TH refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” The progression from that second qualifying clause to the horrors of mass criminalization and the sprawling American prison industry is laid out by DuVernay with bracing lucidity.
According to a study from GLAAD, over 80% of Americans don't personally know someone who's transgender. That means most people learn about trans people from the ways they're depicted in movies and TV.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story
After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question.
"The police had turned my brother into the prime suspect in his own murder."
Filmmaker Yance Ford takes an emotional and unflinching look at his family's devastation and lingering pain after the murder of their son and brother, William Ford.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Who killed Marsha P. Johnson?
She was one of the icons of the gay rights movement in the 1960s, the self-described "street queen" of NY's gay ghetto, and founded the Transvestites Action Revolutionaries with fellow luminary Sylvia Rivera. When Johnson's body was found in the Hudson River in 1992, police called it a suicide and didn't investigate. In David France's new documentary, trans activist Victoria Cruz seeks to uncover the truth of her death while celebrating her legacy.
What's on my list to watch next:
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up
On August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley’s rural property with his friends. The jury’s subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and propelling Colten’s family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice. Sensitively directed by Tasha Hubbard, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up weaves a profound narrative encompassing the filmmaker’s own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.
What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest—including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale—were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.
Based on a true story that gripped the country, When They See Us will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color, labeled the Central Park Five, who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The four part limited series will focus on the five teenagers from Harlem -- Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. Beginning in the spring of 1989, when the teenagers were first questioned about the incident, the series will span 25 years, highlighting their exoneration in 2002 and the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.
I'm no longer accepting the things I cannot change...I'm changing the things I cannot accept.
- Angela Davis
As I've said before -- do not let the passage of time dwindle your curiosity to learn and grow. Remember to listen and learn to those that have different experiences than your own. This is how we evolve.
May the learning continue.