For my text review assignment, I wanted to dig deeper into the concepts of racism we learned in this class while also reviewing my choice as a whole. To do this, I decided to review Race Matters: America in Crisis, a PBS news hour special. It is probable that not many of you know what PBS news hour is, as they are more known for their TV programming for children. However, the purpose of the special was to inform the American people of the systems set up to directly disadvantage Black people and provide an explanation for the recent outrage after the death of George Floyd among others this past summer. They provide an interesting argument that previously, the apprehension of black people had only been through bodycam footage of police officers and lacked reliable bystander footage. Since George Floyd’s death was recorded by a bystander, it provides another perspective and is the reason why white America is “taking it more seriously” as many would agree his death was unlawful if not murder. The news hour called upon many African American professionals that have experienced if not been the first-hand witness to the injustice rooted in the American society. By doing this, it brings credible stories to move the focus on why America is still racist. In one instance, they brought in Dr. Lauren Powell, an executive director at Times Up Healthcare to bring up the fact that despite the global pandemic, protests are emerging, and as she said it is a “privilege” to be able to do it during this time. She believes it is likely attributed to the fact that there is no convenient time to “dismantle” racism as a whole, so, she suggests that people should take health precautions when protesting (i.e: masks, distancing as much as possible, etc.). In my opinion, she couldn’t have explained it better because even if we weren’t in a pandemic right now, these protests would still have to happen to show lawmakers that people have had enough. Either way, it is not the most ideal time to ever start getting rid of the structures set against Black people because lawmakers are aware of the power structure it holds. (She by no means said that you should protest, rather, she said to evaluate the risks and determine if it is right for your health and safety). In this special, PBS touches on many areas such as educational disparities, policing, COVID-19, and the protests that occurred over the summer. By doing this, it gives people more insight as to the roots of where racism began and how it is possible to get rid of the structures set up in American society that were designed to disadvantage people of color. In my opinion, this is an amazing 56-minute watch as it builds on many concepts we learned in class such as “other” vs. “self”, subaltern, etc. I would venture to say it was one of the best documentaries I have watched on racial issues to date that was released by a media outlet. Overall, the news special was very informative and addresses a lot of concerns people should have about why there is a racial crisis in the United States.
If you want to watch it, here is the link:
https://www.pbs.org/video/race-matters-america-in-crisis-uh1vzd/