I think it is fair to say that 2020 has been one hell of a year so far, from the bush fires that decimated Australia to the pandemic that forced the entire world into isolation. In amongst all the chaos and noise, one voice that has risen up above the rest is that of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Now I would like to hold my hands up and admit that, as a straight white woman, I am more than a little ignorant to the suffering and struggles of those who fall outside of the realm of ‘white privilege’. It’s not right that it took the shocking death of a stranger to force much of the world to realise that they needed to educate themselves on the world around them, but at least I can say I’ve started on that journey.

During lockdown Mark and I went through a proper documentary phase but the one that stood out the most was 13th, a documentary film from Ava DuVernay centred around the 13th amendment of the US constitution and its impact on the lives of Black Americans.

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”

13th Amendment, US constitution

The United States are often advertised as home of the ‘American Dream’ and ‘the Land of the Free’ but this documentary shines a light on the dark underside of the 13th amendment and reviews the systematic abuse of the amendment to disguise racism as progress.

DuVernay chronicles 150 years of history, oppression and injustice from the aftermath of the introduction of the 13th amendment to the Jim Crow segregation laws which eventually made way for the mass incarceration of today.

Now you may be getting some fuzzy memories of history lessons back in the day but what you didn’t learn in school is the tragic impact that incarceration can have on your life even after your time has been served. When you couple that with the prison figures you can definitely understand the anger that has spilled out after the death of George Floyd.

13th is clearly a passionate piece that is meant to push a point but the facts, statistics and footage along with discussions from activists, academics and political figures brings just the right amount of humanity and balance to the documentary to ensure it is informative and not preachy. This ensures the message being delivered is powerful and undeniable.