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Involuntary Servitude In The Film 13th, By Ava Duvernay

573 Words3 Pages

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." - Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. It was supposed it to be the end of the America's slave era, but it is far from over. The documentary “13th” directed by Ava DuVernay, argues that the constitution continues to be abused to this day.

The documentary is based on the 13th amendment, and how a loophole in the Constitution has been used for the benefit of the white American population. The loophole allows involuntary servitude could be used as a punishment for crime, in other words - slavery was abolished, unless you are a …show more content…

Crime played a particularly important part in Nixon's reign. He created a law and order period and crime began to stand in for race. Nixon’s presidential campaign, was on the outside a campaign against crime and drugs “if there is one area where the word “war” is appropriate, it is in the fight against crime” (Nixon, 13th15:30) But was he really was talking about, was a “war” against black political movements, the antiwar group and women and gay liberation. With this campaign he created a new era where there were a huge focus on the future and a rising outcry for law and order. Hundreds of people were thrown into prison for low-level offenses. Afterwards the Nixon administrations admitted that the “war on drugs” was all about throwing black people and other minorities in jail and make people associate them with crime and drugs “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. (...) We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or

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