‘I am not your negro’ is a M-rated documentry made with intent of critiquing America’s racist culture during the 1900s. The film, directed by Raoul Peck and narrated by Samuel L Jackson, is a recount of the civil rights movement through the eyes of James Baldwin, created with the remains of his unfinished novel ‘Remember this House’. An unfinished 30 page personal count of the lives and assassinations of Baldwin's close friends and well known civil rights activists Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Understanding the context of a text aids in the understanding of key ideas within a text and its perspective. When first reviewing ‘Im not your negro’ I assumed that it would focus on the history of the civil rights movements during the 1900’s. Although the documentary does cover the history of the 1900’s its main focus is relating …show more content…
The social normalities during the civil rights movement directly correlate to the political events of the time. Although the documentary was created in 2017, since it was based off of James Baldwin's work it focuses on the late 1900’s. One of the main subjects of "I Am Not Your Negro" is the effects of racism and prejudice on African Americans over time. In the face of institutionalised racism, activists fought valiantly for equality and justice. These conflicts are the subject of the film. An understanding of the social and political environment during the civil rights movements provides insight on the difficulty these activists faced and the danger they were putting themselves and loved ones in. By integrating Baldwin's words into this more thorough historical account, the film highlights the relevance of these issues even today. Viewers are forced to confront the ongoing effects of racism in our culture and consider how they could contribute to a more equitable and just