In light of the recent killings of
George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor,
Chantel Moore as well as the many other people of colour who have lost their lives as a result of systemic racism and police brutality, this week's list of recommendations focus on titles that can serve as a jumping-off point for anyone looking to further educate themselves on the effects of racism and the work that still needs to be done. These three three insightful documentaries, including the seminal 1990 doc
Paris Is Burning that looks at the intersections of drag and ball culture, racism and poverty, will hopefully spur conversation, reflection and a renewed dedication to making equality for all a reality.
4 Little GirlsIn the summer of 1963, the Klu Klux Klan bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Killed in the attack were four African-American girls; Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, all between the ages of 11 and 14. Legendary director Spike Lee’s Oscar-nominated 1997 documentary
4 Little Girls tells the story of the subsequent civil unrest in Birmingham, in conjunction with the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the national outrage that springboarded the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The doc features archival footage as well as first-hand interviews from members of the church, friends, family, government officials and civil rights activists. You can stream
4 Little Girls today.
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra BlandThe 2018 HBO documentary takes an in-depth look into the death of
Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old African American woman and political activist, who was found hanging in her jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015, three days after being threatened, arrested and forcefully removed from her vehicle during a routine traffic stop. Later that year, the dash cam footage of the incident went viral, highlighting how quickly the situation escalated and turned violent. Veteran documentary duo Kate Davis and David Heilbroner contacted Bland’s family following her death and followed them for two years as they examined surveillance videos, poured over autopsies, filed lawsuits and protested in her memory. You can stream
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland today.
Paris Is BurningThe critically-acclaimed cult classic documentary shines a light on ball culture, racism and poverty, through stories of renowned drag queens living in New York in the late '80s. The doc gives viewers an inside look at the elaborate ball competitions which served as a refuge and community for socially-shunned performers and has clearly inspired the current drag queen culture that's been popularized by shows like
RuPaul's Drag Race and
Pose. Capturing the glitz, glamour, drama and heartache of the ball scene, the film doesn't shy away from exploring homelessness, AIDS, homophobia, transphobia, sex work and the constant danger many drag performers and transgender people of colour still find themselves in today and the legacy left by the performers who are no longer with us. You can stream
Paris Is Burning today.
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