Lots has been said and written about racialism in America these days. Joining the folks, I started to watch some documentaries and movies on the theme and thought to jot down an assorted list for others to benefit from. This is just my random pick and in no way it intends to be exhaustive. You should find all of them (unless otherwise stated) on Netflix.
“13th” (2016) is a documentary tells the story of prisons in USA. 13th amendment abolishes the slavery, but places a clause that excludes those who are criminals. That gave an excuse to find every small opportunity to make a Negro criminal, and hence the prison industrial complex.
“When they see us” (2019) is a mini documentary series that talks about the white female New York jogger raped and murdered in the Central Park. See how the police fabricated confessions from five under-16 kids and took from them under coercion video statements that they committed the crime. When it comes to white supremacists agenda, the most emotional card they play is colored man assaulting a white women. Ever since motion pictures is invented the theme started to roll with the airing of the 1915 racist movie “Birth of a Nation”.
Talking about sending the innocent to the jail, don’t forget the excellent investigation of Abdur-Rahman Muhammad on “Who Killed Malcolm X” (2020). This also shows how FBI infiltrated the inner circle of Malcolm X.
“Mudbound” (2017) is a story of two families: a white and a black in the southern states on and around the World War II. It is very hard for white folks to give up their prejudices and treat the black equally. It was then and it is today as well.
“Marshall” (2017) talks about the first black supreme court justice takes you through the traditional black man raping a white women case, and how Marshall defended the case being NAACP lawyer.
“Imperial Dreams” (2014) demonstrates the prison culture in America and the flawed system that spoils the life of a black once he entered behind bars. No decent job, no vote, no driving license, no nothing. Yet you blame them to do drugs. It is natural, stupid!
“LA 92” (2017) documents horrible footages from the riots in Los Angeles in the aftermath of brutal beating of Rodney King. Despite the beating was captured in video, yet the jury declared not guilty. That sparked in riots, killing, looting and burning of LA in late April 1992. The scenes are apocalyptic. The problem is that police never take lessons and we are there again in 2020.
Here are two of Spike Lees movies inspired by true events. BlacKkKlansman (2018) talks about the challenges of a black cop and his interplay between black panther at one extreme to KKK in the other. Da 5 Bloods (2020) is an suspenseful plot linking black soldiers challenges during Vietnam war with Trump’s make America great again.
The above should not implicate that all whites in America are racists. Not all all. The fact that millions of white folks went to the streets in support of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter is a testimony that there are still lots of courageous and noble white Americans out there. Watch for example, “Same Kind of different as me” (2017) and enjoy the kind heart of the white women Deborah towards the homeless.
For you to check who are the culprits that fuels the white supremacists, I can suggest few documentaries.
Roger Store in “Get me Roger Stone” (2017) knows how to mobilize the mobs on lies. He and Alex Johns are born to be despicable. White at it, don’t forget to get a glimpse of the other devil on earth Jeffrey Epstein in “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” (2020).