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It is a privilege to educate yourself about racism instead of experiencing it.
There is so much truth to that statement. And with everything going on in the world right now, it is a great time to use that privilege to educate yourself. From George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to Jacob Blake, the racism in our country is becoming worse and worse.
It’s always been unacceptable to me. Apparently, not everyone feels that way. Well, please do us all a favor and educate yourself. While you are educating yourself, make sure you have some empathy too.
It’s time for a change. Systematic racism needs to end. It’s past time to drop this broken system and build a new one that benefits EVERYONE.
If you don’t think systematic racism exists, you may need to look in the mirror because you are part of the problem. We must acknowledge the fact that it does exist to change it.
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#1: When They See Us
This miniseries follows the Central Park Five. The Central Park Five are five young Black Americans who were wrongly convicted for rape. Trisha Meili, a 28-year old white woman, claimed that while jogging through Central Park, she was raped by these teens. These five Black teens from Harlem spent years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit.
I am sure they aren’t the only Black Americans in jail right now for crimes they didn’t commit. This miniseries will show you just how easily America will put minorities in prison for crimes they didn’t even commit just because a white woman said they did. It’s disgusting and unacceptable.
#2: 13th
This documentary follows the huge increase in criminalization of Black Americans during the U.S. prison boom.
It goes into great detail on the history of racial inequality and how all U.S. prisons are filled with way more Black Americans than any other race.
The U.S. system is designed to get Black Americans into prisons at young ages. It has been used to trap disenfranchised black communities. This documentary features activists, political, and academic figures.
You can learn a lot about systematic racism and the broken judicial system of America by watching this documentary.
#3: Time: The Kalief Browder Story
All of these documentaries and shows make me emotional. Because it is really sad what this country is doing to Black people. It’s really sad what this country has done to Black people for generations. But The Kalief Browder Story really made me emotional. This story is just wrong on so many levels. It’s not right. I can’t and won’t accept that this is the best we can do in our legal system.
Kalief Browder, at 16-years old, refused to plead guilty for a crime he didn’t commit. He was forced to endure the brutal Riker’s island for 3 years. He was innocent. The system failed him. They abused him and he spent almost two years in solitary confinement. He’s dead today. This system broke him. It’s not right.
#4: Selma
Selma is a historical film based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches. It follows how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 didn’t really stop the South from making it hard for Black Americans to vote.
It is an amazing film. Dr. Martin Luther King and many others march from Selma to Montgomery. They force President Lyndon Johnson’s hand in signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
I encourage you to watch this because it is a very accurate depiction of the struggles Black Americans had just to get the right to vote in this country.
#5: Just Mercy
Just Mercy is a film based on a true story. It follows civil-rights attorney, Bryan Stevenson, on his journey to Alabama to defend people that have been wrongly convicted.
The movie focuses on the case of Walter McMillian, who was sentenced to die in 1987 for the claimed murder of an 18-year old girl.
There is literally evidence proving McMillian is innocent, yet at every turn they are met with racism in the system. This is a great movie to learn about how the system has been designed against Black Americans for years.
#6 Teach Us All
This film is a documentary and a social justice campaign. It focuses in on the violent resistance to the desegregation of Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. A group of Black American students decided to stand against racism and hatred by attending an all-white school.
Educational inequality is still, to this day, a huge part of the war against systematic racism. Just because the laws say segregation is gone and equal rights exist doesn’t mean all Americans are living that way. It’s time we go a lot further in criminalizing hate and discrimination.
#7 The Hate U Give
This is based on the award-winning book. It follows a Black teen named Starr Carter, who witnesses her close friend being shot by the police.
This is great movie that follows how some white people claim they want diversity, but they don’t want too much diversity. Their actions speak completely differently than their words.
This is a great movie for what is going on in the world. It will allow you to take a deeper look at police brutality against Black Americans. We need to put an end to police brutality. Hold the police accountable.
. . .
I have always wanted everyone to be treated equally. However, they are not in America. They haven’t been for years. Systematic racism is a problem. It is a moral issue. It does exist. We must change that. We can do it together.
It is time we hold police and our leaders accountable. It is time we hold American citizens accountable who think it is okay to participate in hate and discrimination. It’s not okay. Let’s make America a safe place for EVERYONE.
I will continue to educate myself on what Black Americans go through. I think you should too. Stand together because we are all human. Don’t allow us to be divided and consumed by fear and hate.
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Previously published on Medium.com and is republished here under permission.
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Photo credit: James Eades on Unsplash