Preview

Reflection On The Movie 13th

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
423 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Reflection On The Movie 13th
After years of suffering and seeing the minorities fight this endless cycle, you wonder, if there is an end? I honestly don’t think there is ever an end to this outgoing cycle that keeps us down. As a minority, I feel we are always being targeted. We have spent the last three weeks discussing the historical, political, and theoretical foundations of our current criminal justice system. Many articles we read, and the documentary we saw includes the impact of slavery, segregation, and the war on drugs and I do agree with what Angela Davis states in the film 13th, “historically when one looks at efforts to create reforms, they inevitably lead to more repression.”
It sheds light on the fact that our criminal justice system is far from perfect.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    13th, Ava Duvernay: Film Analysis
    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages

    13th, Ava Duvernay: Film Analysis

    In her film 13th, Ava DuVernay details the injustice of mass incarcerations and violence perpetuated by the Criminal Justice system of the United States. In her documentary, she sets the tone with a staggering statistic: a country with five percent of the world’s population hold twenty-five percent of all of the world’s prisoners. DuVernay creates a timeline to show the linear progression of African American’s movement into mass incarceration. DuVernay does this by starting at the end of slavery when black men and women were supposed to be made free. According to Khalil Muhammad, this left 4 million who were formerly slaves and an integral part of the southern economy free. In order to maintain the southern economy, the United…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Changes In The Macpherson Report: Eradication Of Institutional Racism
    • 2043 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Changes In The Macpherson Report: Eradication Of Institutional Racism

    Today, the number of deaths including black people in custody has continued and black people are disproportionally stopped and searched on streets. After the case of Macpherson life for the black community was expected to change, however to some it is known that the changes have been extremely disappointing. Black people feel they are less likely to get a decent job, they feel they are treated disproportionally by police, by being stopped and searched and within communities (Janet et al,…

    • 2043 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    An Essay On The Movie 13th
    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An Essay On The Movie 13th

    The film 13th explores race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States. The film mainly focuses on the history of how racial inequality came to be in the United States. Also the film mentions that in the United States’ prisons there are inordinate amount of African-Americans. Additionally a variety of different political activists and public figures from different backgrounds gave their view from Angela Davis, Bryan Stevenson, Van Jones, Newt Gingrich, Cory Booker, and many others.…

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    13th
    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages

    13th

    The film 13th by Ava DuVernay empowers and alerts the audience to the majority of the discrimination against people of color and especially black people that are victims of extreme predigest against them in so many different parts of life. The film does not signal out one or two individuals but singles out dozens of people in power, people who we think of as leaders, and huge organization that make laws for our country. DuVernays claims that we have not moved past the days of slavery and Jim Crow laws, instead we have just shifted and keep rewriting laws that have people of color in the crosshairs of a loaded gun. The United states claims to be the land of the free, yet we have 25% of the worlds prisoners, with only five percent of the world’s population. Among all the people who live in America black men make about 6.5%, however they represent over 40 percent of our prison system. The minority will always have to fight for equally…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    U.S. Prison System and Its Populations: Whites vs. Minorities
    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages

    U.S. Prison System and Its Populations: Whites vs. Minorities

    In the prison system today, there has been an explosion of minorities being incarcerated for offenses that may not have gotten jail time if they had not been of a certain race. Although the overall numbers of incarcerations may have dropped just slightly for the first time in over 35 years, the amount of inmates remains to be a topic of concern. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2003 almost 10.4 percent of black males who were between the ages of 25 to 29 were in prison compared to the rate of 2.4 percent for Hispanic males and a rate of 1.2 percent for white men. Why is there such a difference in these numbers? This paper will take a look at the growing trend. The last figures have shown that these figures have grown to 12 percent for black males, 3.7 percent for Hispanic males, and 1.6 percent for white males. This is a concern for the states that have prisons since the statistics show that by the end of 2002 most were operating at an average of 1 to 17 percent above their rated operating capacity. In 1990 the number of felony convictions in state courts was about 829,000. That number has grown to over 1,132,290 in 2006. The most current statistics (as of January 2010) have put the figure of people in state prison at about 1,404,053. Of all of the convictions that send a person to prison, the U.S. Bureau of Statistics has reported that about 69 percent of those have had prior convictions. That means that almost 20 percent of those in prison are repeat offenders. When studies were done asking the general public what reasons they…

    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The New Jim Crow: Is Colorblindness This Generation
    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The New Jim Crow: Is Colorblindness This Generation

    Alexander, who for many years worked as a civil rights lawyer, uses her vast experience and knowledge concerning the criminal justice system to craft a meticulously researched argument that “colorblindness” is this generation’s most important civil rights issue. As the title indicates, she makes the bold claim that mass incarceration is the 21st century version of Jim Crow. This era in our racial history was one in which brutally devastating laws discriminated and segregated black populations. During Jim Crow, the idea of justice did not exist for black people within law enforcement or court systems. Though her argument is daring, Alexander successfully proves it by analyzing the criminal justice system. She discusses multiple ideas to formulate a case for individuals who are interested in social justice that refocus efforts to tackle the issue of over-populated prisons. In the books introduction, Alexander asserts that she is writing for an audience that cares deeply about racial justice, but also, she wants to empower individuals who have a impression that our nation’s criminal justice system is flawed, but do not have the data or evidence to back up their assumptions.…

    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration Analysis
    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration Analysis

    Growing up in America, , as a black male in Philadelphia, Pa, throughout my life I have seen many of my ethnic group arrested and convicted for various crimes and offences. This has had a profound effect on my perspective of the Pennsylvania Judicial system, including police, courts and prison. Being in an environment that glorified violence, I saw young men fall victim to the delusion that we could avoid the consequences of crime. But I have also seen the unfairness of the system and the bad results of incarceration for individual and families. Since attending Community College of Philadelphia, I have taken two classes that have given me a better insight into this subject. Academic work for History 101 and English 102 have shown me the nation we live in has been built off the exploitation of lower class citizens, who as a result live in environments cut off from mainstream society. These citizens often experience discrimination as well.…

    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Movie 13th Essay
    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Movie 13th Essay

    I had intended on going to the vigil Wednesday night (2/8) but much to my dismay, there was no vigil (or I missed it). So instead of attending a diversity event for this paper, I watched a documentary on Netflix called 13th. This film discusses the issue of racism in the United States criminal justice system; specifically relating to how the 13th amendment transformed the view of African Americans from slaves to criminals.…

    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Black Lives Matter Analysis
    • 1803 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Black Lives Matter Analysis

    Porter’s academic article, the author discusses the collective impact of justice involvement on communities of color and how recent social movements are challenging the issue of mass incarceration. Nicole D. Porter’s background includes managing The Sentencing Project’s state and local advocacy efforts on sentencing reform, voting rights, and eliminating racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The article stresses that the purpose of the movement is not to ignore or excuse criminal offences, but rather offers a new view of justice and how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. Porter emphasizes that the movement “offers an opportunity to deepen the organizing narrative that will hopefully reverse harsh criminal justice practices and policies and shift public spending to social interventions that reduce law enforcement contact in the first place.” Her argument is centered around how mass incarceration has impacted the youth and how social movement like Black Lives Matter have influenced a push for social justice. Porter continues with her argument highlighting the disparities communities of color face as a result of mass incarceration including the inequities present within these areas and its collective impact on the…

    • 1803 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Critical Race Theory Essay
    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Critical Race Theory Essay

    It should be noted, the criminal justice system in the United States of America is represented by a picture of a balanced scale. In theory, the scales of justice is supposed to be fair, and impartial, the scales are balanced, which signifies it’s equallity. However, the earlier example reveals that justice is not fair, and that minorities are unjustly targetted more than the majority group. The Critical Race Theory in a sense qualifies and quantifies the role race plays in every aspect of the American life. It qualifies it from the perspective that it explains systems of oppression and discrimination are purposely given to people based on race/ethnicity/gender and class. It quantifies it the statistical data that shows an unfair distribution of wealth and power that excludes the same group of people forcing them to deal with systemic inequalities and systems of oppression.…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    African American Men Sociology Analysis
    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages

    African American Men Sociology Analysis

    Through a macroscopic lens, oppression is viewed as a systematic disconnect that is detrimental to those groups who are affected. The criminal justice system’s perspective on crime and victimization would be an astonishing point to describe the macroscopic oppression that occurs with incarcerate African American men. However, systematically, the overall goal of the criminal justice system is to protect society from harmful people who hinder improvement within the community. In regards to society, there is a bigger picture that is painted to reveal African Americans as being…

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Racial Segregation Research Paper
    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Racial Segregation Research Paper

    The shameful history of the United States is a burden that is currently affecting everything from education to legal policy. Racial segregation has taken a toll on society and the lives of many minorities. The American judicial system lacks the understanding of human potential by targeting low income minorities and subjugating them for petty misdemeanors. Due to racial discrimination, false allegations towards minorities have resulted in wrongfully incarcerated people for petty crimes; more than likely, they will serve longer sentences for these offenses than a Caucasian person would. Without the necessary resources provided, lack of social capital can inflict damage to their reputation and the overall racial perception society has on minorities.…

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Higher Percentage of Minority Inmates
    • 1705 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Higher Percentage of Minority Inmates

    Since the year 1980 the numbers for incarcerated minorities has been staggering but for some reason they have always been higher than the whites. According to the new Census data, “In 1980, the number of blacks living in college dorms was roughly equal to the number in prison.” Following the years after 1980, minorities began to get a higher percentage each year, and these results are shown in the most recent census. Minorities and whites got treated differently when it came to suspecting crime and giving punishments for the crime especially after the war on drugs started. Throughout the years minorities in the U.S. are receiving high incarceration rates because of the drug war that eventually failed. People only blame the drug war to the reason why minorities have a high incarceration rate but there are more possible, exceptional reasons.…

    • 1705 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Personal Narrative: Stand Your Ground Law
    • 1291 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Personal Narrative: Stand Your Ground Law

    It’s not a secret that there is still injustice and racism amongst the African American community. Too often I hear and read these type of stories about us protecting ourselves or our loved in return going to jail for it. And a lot of time these type of stories always seems to only consist of us. I wish the system wasn’t rigged, but it is. It is like we have a right to be free, but so many of us get lectured, when we exercise our freedom. The stand your ground laws, hardly if ever have been demonstrated to apply to us, just against us. An Aurora woman facing felony firearm charges for firing warning shots at the gunman who killed her fiancé and father of her two children. In the Chicago tribes 26-year-old Ashley Harrison is getting convicted…

    • 1291 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Lowering Incarceration
    • 2094 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Lowering Incarceration

    Over the past twenty to thirty years the United States incarceration rate has gradually been climbing to its present day rate of 738 incarcerated citizens per 100,000 in the population. That number is 153% higher than Russia who is 2nd in line with the most imprisoned citizens and a whopping 2000% higher than countries such as Nigeria and Nepal (Hartney 2). The problem with this nations incarceration rate is not due to the amount of crime that goes on, “For some crimes, the US has higher crime rates than other countries, but not at levels that explain the high rates—and costs—of its current use of incarceration” (Hartney 5). The United States is also at fault for having the highest minority incarceration rates having three times as many women imprisoned than any other nation. The minority problem doesn’t stop at the women but Latinos composed 19% of Americas prison population while African Americans make up 41% (“More”). The other potent issue with this problem is that it is not being considered as one and the rates are continuously growing. Jails…

    • 2094 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More