The 13th Documentary

Superior Essays
The issues surrounding different races, especially African American in the United States, is a story about as old as this country. And even though times have changed and slavery is no longer legal, the issues of the past have changed the way African Americans are marginalized. For this history paper, I decided to watch the documentary “The 13th”, directed by Ava DuVernay. Although, slavery may be gone the new major issue to arrive is mass incarceration of African Americans by the thousands, that did not just magically appear but was crafted by hundreds of years of oppressions of African Americans. Right away in the beginning of the film we learn that the United States is home to 1/4th of the Prisoners in the world, that equals 2.3 million …show more content…
Which can be highly related to segregation and Jim Crow laws. As stated in the film, “They would say that the negro is out of control, that there’s a threat of violence to white woman” said by Jelani Cobb. With the film “A Birth to a Nation”, this film came out in 1915, depicting the African as such, a criminal. This popular film, also stared the Ku Klux Klan as hero’s in the movie from the big bad African man. From this, whites get this idea planted in their head that they need to be fearful, especially women, of Africans. Important figures, even as President Wilson, watched the film and called it history. And what person would question the president at the time on that? White workers created this belief that black men were rapist, so they could get more workers for them. After, when out right hanging was not accepted then comes the segregation and Jim …show more content…
With the high demands of the economy made from prisoners, it will be hard for this system to change. People with money, like corporations, and those politicians in power need to listen to African Americans and see what is happening. Time and time again, throughout our history white people have held the control and power over the rights of Africans and that needs to change. Perhaps, with the problem of mass incarceration of African Americans coming to light, we can start to make a

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