We are having a moment of national discussion I have not seen in my lifetime. People are asking difficult questions about what we would like policing in America to be. People are considering wealth inequality. And many people are finally wrestling with America’s inescapably intertwined relationship with white supremacy. Some for the first time

This is a difficult issue to face.

Many of us are being faced with a reality of America that does not match the “America” we grew up believing in, much less the America we were taught about in school. I mean, who writes the history text books? The victors of course. Those in power. So it’s no surprise that many people are just now learning about things like redlining, the Tulsa Race Massacre, Loving Day, Juneteenth, and so much more. I know that I was not taught these things. I wasn’t taught who/what Columbus really was. I wasn’t taught that “Manifest Destiny” is genocide. I wasn’t taught about Jim Crow. I wasn’t taught about systemic racism, and so much more. Anything I’ve learned about these things (which I don’t claim to be all that much) has occurred after all my “formal” schooling.

And if we are to be people who love our neighbors well, we must learn together. We must know our history. What we do with our past in the present determines our future. We are where we are because of the choices of our ancestors, so to make a better future, we need to understand that journey.

There are so many good resources out there. Here are just some of the things that have helped me along the way. Of course there are more, but these are good places to start.

I welcome your suggestions and I can’t wait to hear what’s helped and challenged you on this journey. Here’s 4 movies, 1 series, 1 “stand up routine”, 6 graphic novels, 6 books, 1 letter and 10 Tweeters.

5 Movies/Series:

13th:

“Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.” Since this is a resourcing post, you can find the trailer for the film right here but it is also available in full on Youtube (Watch the full film for free here).

Watch the full movie for free at Youtube

Selma:

“Selma is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people – a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with the epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

Watch the move for free (for a limited time) at Amazon

Just Mercy:

“A powerful and thought-provoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice.”

Watch the movie for free (for a limited time) at Amazon

The Color of Compromise:

“In this series, Tisby provides a unique survey of American Christianity's racial past, revealing the concrete and chilling ways people of faith have worked against racial justice.”

Watch the movie for free (for a limited time) at Amazon

I Am Not Your Negro:

“In his new film, director Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished - a radical narration about race in America, using the writer's original words. He draws upon James Baldwin's notes on the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. to explore and bring a fresh and radical perspective to the current racial narrative in America.”

Watch the movie for free (for a limited time) at Amazon

1 Short:

8:46:

Dave Chapelle is a brilliant comedian and social commentator. I don’t know what else to say except it’s worth your time. I know that this is a “resources” page but this is only 27 minutes, you can watch it. If you have language hangups, I suggest you get over them to consider what’s really being said.