Racism continues to plague our society whether we want to admit it or not, but instead of remaining quite the films on this list have gone to great lengths to shed light on racism and the history of racial discrimination in this country.
13th
13th is a short documentary film that chronicles the history of incarceration in America. It is a primer on the Jim Crow laws, the Ku Klux Klan and also all the different racist machinations people have devised and constructed to date in American history. The overall focus of 13th is, however, to bring to light the sudden rise in nationwide convictions in the U.S. since the Nixon Era. The documentary film also addresses moments after prisoners were released from an unjust form of captivity as well as the continued experience of captivity in a perpetual prison after release. 13th was created by Ava DuVernay, she was also responsible for the four-part miniseries When They See Us, as well as This Is The Life and Middle of Nowhere.
Black Matters
Black Matters is an award-winning film from the MusicBed challenge that received over 63,000 votes among 1080 submissions from 87 countries expanding across six continents. Black Matters stands as a visual protest of the revolution happening in America today. It is narrated in the form of a spoken-word poem that highlights the feelings of countless Black Americans, their frustrations and anguish, and most of all, the difficulty they have convincing others that there is a very real problem with regards to race that we as a nation need to pay attention to.
The cast of Black Matters include Valerie Addas, Lola Cones, Adron Duell, Kel King and several other well-known actors. Kel King’s acting career took off with his performance in Black Matters. But the award-winning actor can also be seen in The Christmas Dance, Its the Thought that Counts, Yes Day as well as in eight other short films that came out during the pandemic. Kel King felt himself fortunate to be a part of Black Matters, he understood and believed in the message behind the documentary and its stand against racism and inequality.
Do The Right Thing
Do The Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee, made a very real statement regarding subtle racial hostility and microaggression as many people from different walks of life experience it. Viewers are first introduced to the film with the very powerful song, Fight The Power, which set the tone for the rest of the film. The film starts off following a customer at a Italian-American pizza restaurant who complains about the lack of Black artists featured on their wall. The film then goes on to follow similar events through a normal day in Brooklyn all the while subtly unpacking various forms of racial hostility and microaggressions that eventually causes the Black community to erupt. Do The Right Thing is not for the faint-hearted, director Spike Lee acknowledged in making this film that history repeats itself and this film is simply a retelling of that history.
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give is a powerful story about a young girl struggling to reclaim her identity. The film focuses specifically on the journey of 16-year-old Starr Carter and her struggle to accept her identity and all that comes with it. We see Starr Carter trying to un-black herself by avoiding every stereotype associated with Balck people, but after seeing first-hand her friend wrongfully shot by police officers, she does not stay quiet. We follow her journey as she reclaims her identity and fights for what is right. The film is a powerful example of how young people struggle with racial discrimination, but it also gives us a glimpse into the power of protest which we see towards the end of the film.
The way forward
The directors, producers and cast members behind this burgeoning movement within the film industry to shed light on racism are speaking up through their work. These films, along with so many others, are carving out a space within the film industry that give Black experiences and representation a chance to be heard and felt by others like never before.
