Thread by @DrSamiSchalk

I finally forced myself to watch @ava’s #13th on @netflix. I know I am massively tardy to the party, but racial documentaries are hard for me. It was, of course, devastating, so I’m glad I’m grading at home today so I can process, seethe, mourn & completely avoid wypipo.

My first reaction was “Fuck, this [the systemic oppression of black people & destruction of black lives] is never going to end. Not until we upend every last piece of the existing systems.” Then I sat overwhelmed & crying bc the earth/humanity may not last long enough for that.

And let’s be clear, I read The New Jim Crow years ago (which is why I felt like I didn’t *need* to watch 13th), but watching the documentary tie these legacies to images/audio of #NotMyPresident brought it home in a new way emotionally for me rather than just intellectually.

So if you’ve been avoiding it because you think you already know or whatever, just watch it. It’s worth the time & (re)awakening. Sometimes as activists & changemakers, we need reminders of what we’re doing on a big picture level. This was a good one for me. Hard, but good.

#prisonabolition #prisonindustrialcomplex #BlackLivesMatter #race #racism #slavery #history #netflix #Documentary #activism