13th, by highly acclaimed filmmaker, Ava Duvernay, takes a powerful look at how a loophole in the United States constitution has been exploited for racism and modern slavery through mass incarceration and privatized prisons. I highly recommend watching this award-winning, Netflix Original to better understand how pervasive and destructive both racism and toxic capitalism are in America. 13th is definitely a conversation starter and extra motivator for creating better laws and a more just society.
More info:
The title of Ava DuVernay’s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary 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. With a potent mixture of archival footage and testimony from a dazzling array of activists, politicians, historians, and formerly incarcerated women and men, DuVernay creates a work of grand historical synthesis.
-This is the official description from Rotten Tomatoes.
The documentary includes interviews from:
- Van Jones
- Michelle Alexander
- Corey Booker
- Henry Louis Gates Jr. (and more)
“Incendiary, indelible and indispensable.” –Rolling Stone, Peter Travers
“Given the concerns about relations between law enforcement and minority communities, 13th could hardly be timelier.” -CNN.com, Brian Lowry
With the movie trailer here.
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