Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro"
Raoul Peck's most recent film, "I Am Not Your Negro," is about numerous things, including the author's relationship to racial governmental issues and the unique yet undermining energy of the silver screen's racially characterized pictures. I Am Not Your Negro is a new prolog to Baldwin's work; it is a remedial course in American history, and a propelled workshop in racial legislative issues. The film is a brief, about an hour and a half motion picture. The documentary shows the visuals of African American individuals who stand in opposition to the police force, and it also shows the different forms of police brutality during the protests. Raol Peck uses old images that are coupled with actions that are happening in the present to show the audience that not much has changed in the past few decades about police brutality and discrimination of African Americans. I Am Not Your Negro
Racial Prejudice and Power Structures
Isn't only a past filled with the social equality development or its key players. The film additionally analyzes, as James Baldwin did in his written work, organizations of prejudice and the ways they have been maintained during the time in American culture by individuals in power (Brian Lowry, CNN).
Tension between African American Community and Law Enforcement
The documentary addresses the ongoing tension between the African American community and the police force together with other law enforcement bodies. The police officers are not portrayed as protectors of all American citizens but as destroyers who discriminate against some American citizens based on the color of their skin. The film is a reflection of the African Americans who witnessed and were also subject to police brutality, racial prejudice and other forms of social injustices. The documentary circles around the lives of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers and James Baldwin retells the story of these three black heroes (Morgenstern).
Baldwin's Quest for a National Dialogue on Race
Being a Northerner does not seem to have excluded him from or made him oblivious to the plight of African-Americans in the South because Baldwin appears to have also become an essential player in the advancement of the civil rights movement. He sought to make sure that there was the creation of an environment in the United States that tried to address the racial issue in such a way that there was a candid discussion of all the events that had taken place to precipitate it. In this case, he seems to suggest that individuals in the country, especially members of the white community, even the most well-intentioned, seem to want to sweep the racial issue under the carpet and move on as if nothing happened. However, Baldwin is of the opinion that there has to be a national dialogue concerning the contradictory stances on race so that it can be possible to ensure that this issue is dealt with once and for all (Christopher John Farley).
Continued Fight for Rights and Addressing Historical Injustices
Despite this stance, Baldwin also seeks to promote the idea that it is in the interests of all those involved, especially members of the African-American community, to continue fighting for their rights. This is especially considering that in the rest of society, there are often contrasting opinions concerning how to address the historical injustices that they have suffered. One of the most significant aspects of this documentary is that it shows the various reactions that the white community tends to have towards the oppressive history that African-Americans had to undergo. Among these is the contrast that can be seen between the rage that some feel when the issue is raised, on the one hand, and the empathy that seems to come about depending on the circumstances. However, despite these feelings, there is often a failure to ensure that the issue that is the root of the problem, essentially race, is addressed (Scott). Instead, there are often attempts to make sure that there is the advancement of the idea that all that happened took place in the past and that everyone should move on. This failure to consider the historical injustices that have taken place throughout American history can be viewed as a means through which to avoid addressing them and is also anticipatory of the contemporary world, where the issue of race is still extremely prominent in American society. Thus, Baldwin points out the contrasts and hypocrisy of American society, and this is in such a way that it has been unable to come to terms with its racial past to prevent its continued prevalence in society. The I am Not Your Negro documentary tells the story of Baldwin's recounts of the fight of African Americans for equality and justice, it also tells the story of Baldwin's life during the Civil Rights Movement and his relationship to the three black freedom fighters (Kenneth Turan, Kenneth Turan).
Works Cited
Brian Lowry, CNN. "'I Am Not Your Negro' Brings James Baldwin's Words to Life." CNN, 17 Feb. 2017, edition.cnn.com/2017/02/03/entertainment/i-am-not-your-negro-review/index.html.
Christopher John Farley. "'I Am Not Your Negro? Gives Fresh Voice to James Baldwin." WSJ, 25 Jan. 2017, www.wsj.com/articles/i-am-not-your-negro-gives-fresh-voice-to-james-baldwin-1485354481.
Kenneth Turan, Kenneth Turan. "James Baldwin is Illuminated, with Dizzying Multimedia Savvy, in 'I Am Not Your Negro' - Los Angeles Times." Latimes.com, 8 Dec. 2016, www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-not-your-negro-review-20161205-story.html.
Morgenstern, Joe. "'I Am Not Your Negro? Review: Brilliant Notes on a Native Son." WSJ, 2 Feb. 2017, www.wsj.com/articles/i-am-not-your-negro-review-brilliant-notes-on-a-native-son-1486068192.
Scott, A.O. "Review: 'I Am Not Your Negro? Will Make You Rethink Race." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, 15 May 2018, www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/movies/review-i-am-not-your-negro-review-james-baldwin.html.
