Summary Of 13th By Av Duvernay
Ava Duvernay's documentary "13th" does a great job of capturing the problems with the criminal justice system in North America. It draws attention to problems with excessive minority representation and racial injustices in the system. This paper will examine the central issue and main message explored in the documentary "13th". It will also explore my initial reaction to the film and whether any specific case or facts challenged my pre-existing views on the prison system. Additionally, a comparative analysis will be conducted between the intersection of race, crime, and criminal justice in Canada and what is presented in "13th". The paper will conclude with a personal assessment of the argument proposed in the film that there is a direct connection …show more content…
The criminal justice system is utilized as a means to maintain oppression of Black people even after slavery was abolished. Through minor offenses and possession of even small amounts of drugs, Black people are often subjected to long periods of incarceration. This serves as a way to enforce labor without slavery. The documentary aims to highlight the fact that the legacy of slavery and racial oppression continues to exist in the United States through the criminal justice system. According to Owusu-Bempah and Wortley's "Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Canada," “Aboriginal and black Canadians, are grossly overrepresented in Canada’s correctional institutions. Further evidence indicates that racial bias does exist in the administration of Canadian criminal justice, and, at times, this discrimination has been supported by court decisions” (Owusu-Bempah & Wortley, 2014, p. 2). The fact that Indigenous and Black Canadians are overrepresented in correctional institutions demonstrates that the issue of overrepresentation depicted in "13th" is not limited to the United States but is a current concern in Canada. It is crucial that systemic racism in Canada is not overlooked and is approached with the same level of significance as it is in the United …show more content…
More precisely, in Canada, Aboriginals and Black individuals are overrepresented, while in the United States, the same applies to the Black community. According to the reading "Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Canada," the statement is supported by the fact that “The extent to which blacks and Aboriginals are overrepresented in Canadian correctional institutions is similar to that of African Americans in the United States” (Owusu-Bempah & Wortley, 2014, p. 2). Although Canada and the USA share some similarities in their criminal justice systems, there is one significant difference. The US system is influenced by its history of slavery, as highlighted in the "13th" documentary. One example of this is the exploitation of Black labor through the criminal justice system's prison labor programs, which is permitted by the US Constitution's 13th Amendment that banned slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a form of punishment for a
The Film 13th Explains Mass Incarceration
559 Words | 3 PagesThe film 13th was documentary that explains mass incarceration, Jim Crow, and slavery as being the same forms. Through use of statistic, testimonies, and stories, the documentary portrays a message of what is and has been going on and has a call to action. The film starts off with explaining how there is a loophole a clause of the 13th amendment that makes it unconstitutional for anyone to be a slave except criminals, and ever since that loophole was discovered there was a mass of African Americans arrested. Although the film was able to show evidence for the parallels between slavery, Jim Crow laws, and mass incarceration, it did not provide solutions for this problem.
Summary Of 13th By Ave Duvernay
620 Words | 3 PagesIn the documentary “13th” directed by Ava Duvernay, focuses mainly on a recurring issue in society since the mid-1800’s. The documentary takes both sides and depicts the concerns and problems that many inmates face day to day. “13th” asks the question if African-Americans were actually ever truly “free” in this country. African Americans are considered free under their born rights but what “free” meant to myself through this film is, will they ever be treated equally compared to the rest of society. The opening minutes of the film started with a statistic that read, “One out of four African-American males will serve prison time at one point or another in their lives”.
Summary Of 13th By Av Duvernay
727 Words | 3 PagesIn the documentary 13th by director Ava DuVernay, a racial stigma is investigated regarding the skin colors of those being incarcerated in the U.S. prison systems. Some questions being introduced in 13th leave us intrigued and those relate to the presidents at the time handling every situation differently. Those questions and many more will be answered along with a critique of the handling by those in power regarding incarceration. Many symbols with meaning are introduced in 13th, such as the whites power over the media, their exaggeration of the release of Birth of a Nation and the presidency itself. The documentary goes in-depth into the incarceration of many blacks, and it does that with the questions it asks.
Vicki Chartrand Unsettled Times Summary
952 Words | 4 PagesHer article discusses that even in the early 20th century the British Columbia penitentiary advised that white prisoners should associate as little as possible with Indians and Half-breeds (Minister of Justice, 2895:113, as cited in Chartrand, 2019). She traces back to the colonial era and explains that Indigenous people were punished and imprisoned for resisting the rules. She argues that we need to address the issues within the Canadian penitentiary system there is a need for decolonization. Decolonization allows for the restoration of colonized groups whose power was stolen. Decolonization in the prison system is an important step to reducing systemic racism and can produce fairer outcomes for Indigenous people (Korchak, 2017).
Just Mercy Summary
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Analysis Of 13th By Av Duvernay
584 Words | 3 PagesBy analyzing the 13th Amendment, the film argues that although slavery was legally abolished, it persisted differently through the criminal justice system. The documentary exposes mass incarceration's root causes and dire consequences, particularly for Black Americans, and calls for change in the current system.
Media Representation By Wendy Chan And Dorthy Chunn
910 Words | 4 PagesWendy Chan and Dorthy Chunns “Media Representations of Race, Crime and Criminal Justice” provides not only a retelling of violent crimes and how the white media depicts such acts in order to fit the “white is right” narrative but critically engages and analyzes the ways in which these media depictions negatively harm minorities in Canada. This piece is filled with opinions, facts and queries that all engage with the relationship between crime, media representation and intersectionality. The most interesting sections from the reading are; newsworthiness and crime reporting, the symbiotic relationship between police and journalists and the erosion of the line between fact and fiction in relation to the spectacle that is criminal justice. Media
13th, By Ana Duvernay
1077 Words | 5 PagesAccess and attention to this information has become easy and immediate through social media. Therefore, I find it impossible that anyone could say that they were unaware of the injustice within our police and prison systems towards people of color before watching this documentary. However, I was unaware of some of the moments in our history that have built up this injustice that we see today. Although I have studied the constitution's amendments several times throughout my education, it has never been brought to my attention that the wording of it allows people to be treated as a slave once they are labeled a criminal. In my memory of learning about this amendment, I was taught that this amendment abolished slavery after the Civil War.
What Are The Biggest Differences In Canada's Prison System
978 Words | 4 PagesThis is so much Canada’s reputation that the overwhelming cry after Trump got elected was, “let’s move to Canada!” with the assumption that it, unlike the United States, isn’t overtaken with subscribers to Trump-esque rhetoric. But looking closely at Canada, particularly with respect to its prison system, it is jarringly similar to the United States, nearly the only difference being their respective reputations. While the United States is infamously known for its brutal and discriminatory prison system, Canada’s government has constructed a deceivingly
The Memoir Of Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson
558 Words | 3 PagesAccording to The University of Michigan's law education, African Americans are seven times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of serious crimes due to their race (law.umich.edu). Bryan Stevenson who is a human rights lawyer and author wrote the memoir by the name of Just Mercy. This piece focuses on the idea that the criminal justice system is discriminatory. In this memoir, he defends and fights for citizens to protect their rights as a person. Bryan Stevenson beautifully utilizes strong word choice, repetition, and emotional appeal to emphasize and persuade the readers that the efforts to fight institutional cruelty and raise the most vulnerable to a “higher ground” is what matters most.
Review Of Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness By Michelle Alexander
983 Words | 4 PagesANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, M. (2012). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: The New Press. Michelle Alexander in her book, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" argues that law enforcement officials routinely racially profile minorities to deny them socially, politically, and economically as was accustomed in the Jim Crow era.
Michelle Alexander The Lockdown Analysis
718 Words | 3 PagesWe live in a society where ethnic minorities are target for every minimal action and/or crimes, which is a cause to be sentenced up to 50 years in jail. African Americans and Latinos are the ethnic minorities with highest policing crimes. In chapter two of Michelle Alexander’s book, The Lockdown, we are exposed to the different “crimes” that affects African American and Latino minorities. The criminal justice system is a topic discussed in this chapter that argues the inequality that people of color as well as other Americans are exposed to not knowing their rights. Incarceration rates, unreasonable suspicions, and pre-texts used by officers are things that play a huge role in encountering the criminal justice system, which affects the way
Overrepresentation Of Indigenous People Essay
1076 Words | 5 PagesThe overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian criminal justice system is a deeply concerning issue that has garnered significant attention from academics, policymakers, and the wider public. The notion that Indigenous peoples account for more than 30% of the federal prison population, despite comprising just 5% of the Canadian population, highlights the extent to which they are disproportionately impacted by the legal system. The overrepresent of indigenous peoples in the justice system in Canada needs to be addressed through a review of the fairness, equity and effectiveness of the legislation that is currently in force, due to its lasting impacts on indigenous communities. Through examining the failures of Canada's
13th: Documentary Summary
492 Words | 2 PagesThe “13th” is a documentary about the American system of incarceration and the economic forces behind racism in America especially in people of color. One of the claims that the author mentioned is that today incarceration is an extension of slavery. It is also mentioned that most of the time in society we are defined by race. In the documentary, we can see how African Americans are sentenced for many years since they are too poor to pay their fines or sometimes most of these people plead guilty to get out of jail fast. However, African Americans are separated from their families and also treated inhumanly in prisons just because they are of a particular race.
Annotated Bibliography: The New Jim Crow
1343 Words | 6 PagesAnnotated Bibliography Alexander, M. (2010). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. New York: The New Press. Alexander opens up on the history of the criminal justice system, disciplinary crime policy and race in the U.S. detailing the ways in which crime policy and mass incarceration have worked together to continue the reduction and defeat of black Americans.
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