DuVernay brought pieces of Black culture into the film through old - yet relevant - music, such as “Don’t Believe the Hype” by Public Enemy (1988) and “Criminal” by The Roots (2008).Ĭommon’s song “Letter to the Free,” featured in “13th,” was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.īut just listening to his lyrics is nothing compared to watching the full documentary.
The songs mostly spoke about the pain behind Black stigma, and being wrongfully imprisoned because of their skin color. Although the sparks of hope were struggling to thrive amidst some strong feeling of helplessness, I couldnt help but question my role in helping change those statistics. As the film visuals faded, the closing remarks by Bryan Stevenson kept playing and replaying in my head. The rap lyrics were featured in bold letters, leading to a deeper understanding of Black history and incarceration. 2 13 th Film Documentary Reflection Questions Question 1 I felt a combination of the three. However, the most impactful part of her film was the music. She exposes the racist political objectives behind the War on Drugs, using footage from Nixon’s press conferences and evidence of public pressure for the arrests and sentences of thousands of Black individuals. However, unlike similar history films, it reveals the complexity surrounding legal racial injustice and the myth of “Black criminality.”įilmmaker Ava DuVernay brilliantly combines both monochrome and modern graphics to show how American slavery has not disappeared, but simply morphed into the shape of mass incarceration and prison labor. in a different perspective from what students are taught in school, from slavery to Jim Crow laws to mass incarceration.
The name of the movie, “13th,” refers to the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution, stating that “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, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” However, the exception, that criminals can be legal slaves, has brought us back to the 17th century and modernized slavery to encompass the criminal justice system. The resultant increase in media attention towards the Black Lives Matter movement has also encouraged people to educate themselves on the shocking statistics surrounding injustices against the Black community and in the American criminal justice system.Īlthough “13th” was released on Netflix in 2016, this provocative documentary speaks volumes to current racial injustices and systemic racism in the United States, and is a must-see for those who hope for police reform. Outrage over the death of George Floyd sparked international protest and calls to action against police brutality.