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Rochester Local

Give 5: Documentaries to Diversify Your Screen

give fiveRochester Mom is starting a brand new resource series called Give Five. The idea of Give Five is simple. We are inviting you to Give Five minutes to read through each of these posts. The series will provide you with ideas, resources, lists, and suggestions on specific topics. We acknowledge that giving five minutes is just the start…a small step in a bigger journey we can all take to become allies to our BIPOC friends, family, and neighbors.

This series is intended to be a resource for YOU and your families. Topics will vary but all will be helpful as we work towards anti-racism and expand and diversify our understanding of race and diversity. Some resources will be collaborative with Rochester Mom writers, and for others, we’ll look to YOU! We want to know what you have learned on your own journeys and what resources have helped you along the way. Our goal with this series is to be a conduit of information: pulling together resources to help one another. We are learning ourselves and it’s been a challenging yet beautiful process. Will you join us?


Documentaries give us an in-depth look at the stories, systems, and events of real people, history, and the world we live in. Below is just a small list of some of the incredible documentaries focusing on racism and BIPOC lives available on streaming services.

Asian Americans, TV-14
Amazon Prime or PBS
Told through personal stories, this series casts a new lens on U.S. history and the role that Asian Amerians have played in it.

13th, TV-MA
Netflix or YouTube
In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.

I Am Not Your Negro, PG-13
Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or YouTube
This documentary explores the history of racism through James Baldwin’s writings and life experiences. It also explores the directors personal observations of American history.

The Latino List, 14+
HBO and Amazon Prime
In this documentary, renowned Latino artists and leaders are interviewed to give you a glimpse into the Hispanic American culture.

Call Her Ganda, 16+
Amazon Prime
This documentary film is about a Filipina trans woman who is brutally murdered by a US Marine. After, three women start a political uprising and pursue justice. 

Incident at Ogala: The Leonard Peltier Story, PG
Amazon Prime
This documentary examines Native American activist Lenoard Peltier’s questionable conviction for murder.

The Uncomfortable Truth, 13+
Amazon Prime
In this honest and personal documentary, the son of a Civil Rights hero is confronted with the reality that his family played a part in the start of institutional racism in America. 

Amend: The Fight for America, TV-MA
Netflix
This series looks at the fight for equal rights in America through the lens of the 14th Amendment. Hosted by Will Smith.

Last Chance U, TV-MA
Netflix
This series follows elite athletes with difficult pasts to junior college football and basketball for a last shot at turning their lives around.

 

What would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments!

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