"I Am Not Your Negro" Review - Discussions Waiting To Happen

This film was so intriguing, and it was a very different kind of civil rights documentary, more so than others in the past.

This movie is not meant to point out one singular thing wrong like Blackfish did, but rather it’s meant to start a conversation. “I Am Not Your Negro” goes to great lengths to tell the story of James Baldwin and what he saw working with three incredible civil rights leaders. Throughout this show of movie clips, archival recordings, and certain point of views, the documentary starts to shine some light on the problems that started racism in the first place, and what new problems have kept racism going up until now. More importantly, what hasn't changed with racism is the question that is answered. IANYN does this by connecting all these different race related events from the 60s and connecting them to the similarities of events like Ferguson and Trayvon Martin. By the end of the film, you feel such shock and sadness, yet, a desire to learn more. IANYN is not asking you to solve racism, but rather ask why are we living in such an imaginative reality that is blinding us from the truthful world out there.

Samuel Jackson and Raoul Peck have created something horrifying and magical in the sense of starting a discussion. Everyone deserves to see this. Unfortunately, the people who need to see it the most are the ones that’ll refuse to believe racism exists, or will resort to, “BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH RIGHTS!” These people would rather protest Budwiser, a Netflix Show, and Hamilton than come out of the false reality they live in and face the truth. That’s the most unfortunate truth about this. Still, I’m glad someone made this documentary and it’s out there for people to see. It’ll probably win best documentary at the Oscars, and there’s nothing all the racists in the world will be able to do about it.

Two Nebs Up!