13th
I finally got round to watching Ava DuVernay's "13th" on Netflix this afternoon, which I've heard a lot about and I imagine many are familiar with, having been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars (losing out to the terrific "O.J: Made In America").
The film's title refers to the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibited slavery and servitude except in cases of incarceration. It proceeds to make the case that the African-American population have been targeted and criminalised to retain their status as second class citizens. And it's a compelling argument that takes us through Jim Crow legislation, the disproportionately hefty punishments for crack cocaine related offences through to Bill Clinton's "three strikes and you're out" policy that saw many black citizens imprisoned for life for three offences.
We are dispiriting far from the end of these problems, as a chilling speech from Donald Trump about "the good old days" near the end of the film demonstrates. It's a powerful and vital piece of work.
The film's title refers to the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibited slavery and servitude except in cases of incarceration. It proceeds to make the case that the African-American population have been targeted and criminalised to retain their status as second class citizens. And it's a compelling argument that takes us through Jim Crow legislation, the disproportionately hefty punishments for crack cocaine related offences through to Bill Clinton's "three strikes and you're out" policy that saw many black citizens imprisoned for life for three offences.
We are dispiriting far from the end of these problems, as a chilling speech from Donald Trump about "the good old days" near the end of the film demonstrates. It's a powerful and vital piece of work.
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