13th (2016)

 In her documentary 13th, Ava Duvernay states that the 13th amendment never truly abolished slavery.

This isn’t a new argument, but by bringing it into a visual medium, it truly brings the argument to the forefront.

The film Birth of a Nation was used to continue vilifying Black people after the civil war. This vilification has continued over the years as Black people make up the majority of those incarcerated.

Throughout the film, the use of the word criminal is emphasized. It’s astounding how casually that word is thrown around, regardless of the severity of the crime.

The argument that slavery was never truly abolished becomes more clear as the film goes on. The most obvious example being the use of cheap prison labor. Inmates are made to work for little pay.

The war on drugs especially brought forth an unequal amount of Black men being incarcerated. They were incarcerated at much higher numbers than their white counterparts. The film brings forth politicians from both sides of the spectrum as well as a variety of different experts.

The documentary is a must see. It makes its arguments in a clear and concise manner.