How can I learn about police brutality?
Unless you live under a rock, or aren’t very active on social media, you’ve heard about the large number of protests there have been against racism and police brutality. While the protests started in Minneapolis, MN (where George Floyd was murdered by the police), other protests have spawned across the US (All 50 states!) and even worldwide (Canada, Germany, UK, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and more).
It seems that George Floyd’s murder was the spark that ignited the protests, but the deaths of hundreds (and maybe even thousands) of black men, women, and children all across the US have not been forgotten or left out during these protests. The most recent ones being the murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, but before that there was Freddie Gray Jr., Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Atatiana Jefferson, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Aiyana Jones, and countless more.
Police brutality and racist vigilantes have been a rampant problem in the US for years (!!!). We should be angered and outraged by this. Racism and anti-blackness is not only a problem in the US; it’s a worldwide disease. Most Arubans have not forgotten about how Mitch Henriquez was killed by Dutch police in 2015. This is exactly why we should feel like it’s also a problem that we should teach ourselves and learn about and also speak out about!
With this in mind, I wanted to share a (non-comprehensive) list of films and documentaries that we can watch about racism and police brutality. While most (if not all) focus on the American context, the underlining theories and ideas can often be transferred to other contexts. Even if we can’t transfer the information, we can still learn something about why the (black) American people are protesting across the country and why they’re screaming out that #blacklivesmatter. Movies and series on Netflix: 13th Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap Time: The Kalief Browder Story When They See US LA 92 American Son Who Killed Malcolm X? Other movies and series Wit is ook een kleur (VPRO) 2Doc: Verdacht Zwart als roet (VPRO) Het grote racisme experiment (BNN) I am not your negro by James Baldwin Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes by Jane Elliot
Books Witte onschuld by Gloria Wekker Alledaags racisme by Philomena Essed White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing by Maya Angelou The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
The links for (most of) these movies, series, books, and more can be found on withuiswerk.nl.
I encourage us all to thirst for more knowledge on all these different subjects, because only by knowing more, can we do more. Only when we are aware that something we ourselves, or others, say, think or do comes for racist or anti-black sentiments, can we change these and be and do better. We should aim to be the generation that changes everything.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blogpost are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of Phryme Magazine.