Kevon Dawkins

10/20/20

English 1121

Word Counts:836

WRITING: Micro-Activity #14: Continue Drafting the Annotations

Ava. “13th.” Web.

DuVernay, Ava. “13th.” IMDB. Spenser Averick, 16 Oct. 2016. Web.. 

 The Documentary Film “13th” by Ava Duvernay states how the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution that the law abolishes slavery. This documentary film was one of the missing keys of how America was split apart, just 100 years from the Jim Crow Laws in the southern states. Another key segment is that how this documentary simplifies the justification of the mass penal servitude of black people and their color. The 13th decodes the past and present society of racial structures. It also teaches the imputation of African American people and the importance of equality of all races. The 13th also portrays the judicial and imprisonment is corrupt and how it has an effect on black people due to their melanin of their skin. The documentary also teaches the minority poor through years to serve political ends that contribute to fears and anxiety by whites and police brutality against black communities which reminds of the civil rights movie “Selma”

Based on the documentary film “13th” by Ava Duvernay that I recently watched for this writing prompt, in my dogma, I think most people will be angry and ignorant based on the behavior of whites and how blacks are being molested by the police/people who don’t support their convictions. In the middle of the film, I come to conclude how the prison system is cruel that they continue to be racist and violent towards their fellow black residents. This reminds me of racial public segregation that separates blacks and whites therefore if a pupil is in the wrong assign group, they can get execution or beaten to death which is utterly disgusting. Since slavery is banned, whites took the advantage of opportunity to seek revenge and continue the bloodshed and massacre of the blacks, which as a result blacks went defenseless relate to a commoner robbed a noble guy perspective, survival of the fitness. One of the scenes portrays favoritism that the black guy went to jail for a lifetime, while the white guy has been sentenced to jail that being said, the white guy has an upper hand of advantage in this situation which describes inequality.

Based on what I have seen from the film, Barack Obama declares that “The united states is home to 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the world prisoners; think about that”, by Barack Obama.  When I heard this interview from the film, it hurts my chest that it has to be American, which we all know is the land of opportunities free country. Being 5 percent of the world’s population but a quarter of the world’s prisoner is a hard statement like that’s impossible. I believe we need to stand up for ourselves and not take this that judgment day will come and there’s no turning back for their own sake.

Wilson, Gabriella. “H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe (Audio).” Youtube, uploaded by H.E.R, June 18,2020,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRZWiqBHYaY

The musical song “I can’t breathe” by H.E.R is dedicated to Eric Garner and George Floyd who were both killed by police, talking about police brutality is a crisis, here again, can’t emphasis this term anymore!!. I can’t breathe is also the motto of the black lives matter movement that strategizes how to solve racial conflicts in American society. This demonstrates the “I shall show no mercy” message that police follow whenever they encounter a black individual. Gabriella Willson (stage name H.E.R.) wrote the lyrics to this song in response to the police killing of innocent black civilians who are targetted by the police brutality and the racial system.

Based on what I had listened to, I can say that it’s a sad song that made me very emotional by starting the melody of the song. Based on my experience, I can make a rhetorical event that ties relations to this musical piece. I went to Robert F Kennedy Middle school in North Carolina that had some like experience some racial difficulties but that didn’t affect me because I know when you migrate from your home country to a total different background of a country, you might experience some disliking but hey that’s life you just have to tough it out until the end. Although this event didn’t gave any influence, that was the closest if not due to my introversion life.

Based on her lyrics that she sang about the police brutality and victims. The key lyrical statement that best intrigues me is “where is hope and empathy” which symbolize that losing faith in humanity one person at a time is like you can’t trust a person who protects you from violence, basically a false protagonist of a story (turning good to evil). I cannot forget the space is so little that we cant enjoy our daily lives as an American citizen which can be proposed to a morose being.