Short videos, feature films, and documentaries are great tools to begin or continue conversations about race, bias, and identity; whether at home or in the classroom.
This is a small list of feature films that focus, either implicitly or explicitly, on the experiences of Black folks and how racism, prejudice and white supremacy impact lives.
Understanding Racism
Talks to help you understand racism in America from TEDTalks. From passionate pleas for reform to poetic turns of phrase, these talks take an honest look at everyday realities of Black Americans and illuminate the way forward.
Debunking The Most Common Myths White People Tell About Race | Think | NBC News Robin DiAngelo, author of “White Fragility,” unpacks common excuses white people make about race–and how to address them.
DeRay McKesson on Whiteness, White Supremacy, and Privilege | NowThis Civil rights activist Deray McKesson wants white people to examine how they benefit from the system of white supremacy.
Toni Morrison Takes White Supremacy To Task "Few intellectuals have waged a public battle against white supremacy and patriarchy like Toni Morrison. Morrison has both examined and challenged systems of domination throughout her intellectual life. With her novels, essays, and interviews she has taken critical looks at the interlocking systems of race and gender oppression. In this interview she is asked by PBS's Charlie Rose what it is like for her to encounter racism. In true Morrison fashion she turns the question on its head, and places the onus for explaining racism back into the hands of White people. She asks Rose what he thinks of racism, why do Whites hold onto, and what are they going to do about it ending it. She rejects the notion that racism is simply something that Black people must grapple with, insisting, demanding, that White people also grapple with it. Fearless. Brilliant. Powerful." - @Anti_Intellect
James Baldwin on institutional racism
James Baldwin: “How Much Time Do You Want For Your ‘Progress?’” From the 1989 American Masters documentary, "James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket."
Policing in America Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, speaks about the need for changing the culture of policing in America.
Instagram Live conversation from June 10, 2020 on the meaning behind the movement to "Defund the Police," between Ijeoma Oluo (author of So You Want to Talk About Race) and Janaya Khan, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto. Oluo and Khan address the history of policing in America, possible reasons for resistance to reform, and how to support Black communities and the even more vulnerable individuals within them, such as those with mental health conditions.
Resources for Non-Black POC
Breaking Down the Anti-blackness of Latinidad a video from The Root that explores why black and indegineous millennials take issues with Latindad.
The Grapevine | The Relationship Between the Black and Latin X Community | S4E13 The relationship between the Black and Latin X community has been complicated. With factors like colorism and anti-blackness plaguing both communities, how do the groups relate to each-other? Are Afro-Latinos a bridge between the communities? The panel takes a shot at unpacking the unique relationship.
Amara La Negra Discusses Being Afro-Latina & The Standards Of Beauty In The Entertainment Industry
Voices: Asian Americans on #BlackLivesMatter In the latest “Jubilee Project: Voices” video, Asian Americans speak out on supporting #BlackLivesMatter.
Anti Blackness and Colorism
TEDx: South Asians in the Perpetuation of Anti-Blackness Aretha talks about the impact of anti-black sentiments and the role South Asians play in this. Aretha Basu is a local social justice organizer and student leader. She is one of four co-founders of Women of Color for Systemic Change (WOCFSC) which was listed as one of the “Most Influential People of 2015” by Seattle Magazine.
WHEN POC IS NOT ENOUGH: ANTI-BLACKNESS IN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY an in-depth program addressing anti-blackness in the LGBTQ+ community and how it affects the ways its members navigate spaces with community, in addition to the way that people show up for each other. The goal of the program is to spark conversations around how folks in the LGBTQ+ community can work to eliminate anti-blackness in their everyday lives, how the LGBTQ+ community can work together to uplift each other regardless of race, gender identity, gender expression or anything else.
Rebuilding the house that anti-Blackness built in our Covid response
Angela Davis on Anti-blackness, Afro-Pessimism & Black Nationalism
Eight black woman discuss the politics of skin tone
How colorism shapes our standards of beauty When Chika Okoro read the casting call for one of her favorite films, she noticed that actresses with darker skin were assigned lesser roles —prompting her to address a phenomenon she'd experienced all her life: colorism. In this eye-opening talk, Okoro shares coping strategies along with steps that could help eliminate this insidious and destructive mindset of discrimination.
Mental Health Resources
Our Mental Health Minute — Riana Elyse Anderson, Phd a youtube series by Riana Elyse that discusses mental health issues in the black community, provides resources for mental health care, and aims to increase mental health literacy in a fun and relevant way.