13th
Directed by Ava DuVernay in 2016, the film refers to the 13th amendment of the United States Constitution. It breaks down the amendment's details and informs audiences that, while the law freed slaves, Black men were still imprisoned in large numbers for minor offenses, or for nothing at all, causing oppression.
Ava explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
After the Civil War, and the 13th Amendment was officially in the Constitution, African Americans were arrested in staggering numbers. ... Not only did these incarcerations mean these people were once again slaves, it also helped create the narrative that is still alive and well in America; black people are criminals.
13th shows how the prison system began after the Civil War. The documentary highlights how prisons and incarceration began as a way for the South to continue to have free labor. The 13th Amendment of the Constitution granted everyone freedom from slavery--except those in prison for a crime.
What was the loophole in the 13th Amendment? 1865, was ratified later that year, the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery across the nation, with a key loophole: “Except as punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” This paved the way for the country's burgeoning prison labor system and the world's largest prison population
SOURCE FROM GOOGLE PAGE - 13th the documentary summary
Black Paraphernalia Disclaimer - images from Google images
