Due the popularity of its release, ENC decided to host a showing of the Netflix movie 13th at Bethel Church of the Nazarene. This documentary viewing was not only open to college students but also to the public. The viewing was on November 3, and had a good turn out.
13th is a thrilling documentary that centers around racial inequality in the United States. Director Ava DuVernay discusses prisons throughout history, focusing on the disproportionality of African Americans compared to other ethnic groups who are incarcerated.
The documentary opens with a surprising statistic. It states that one out of four African-American males will serve prison time at some point in their lives. Interviews from history professors from a variety of accredited schools and black activists, all expressing their views on the system of incarceration, followed this startling fact. The discussion of this topic sent some viewers in an uproar because of its timeliness.
Many people from ENC after viewing the documentary on their own took to Facebook with their opinions.
Assistant chaplain J.D Brenke wrote, “Go watch 13th on Netflix. It’ll speak for itself. All I’ll say is – awareness is the first step towards change. We cannot afford to live in the darkness of denial as a society anymore. Enough is enough.”
ENC senior Amber Ervin posted to Facebook saying, “I ask white people in my life to please go watch 13th on Netflix. Do not be ignorant to the pain and suffering of others. Ignorance in this subject does not make you look innocent and uninvolved, it makes you look guilty and the point of the problem.”
Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs and Student Transitions Robert Benjamin spoke about this event. “I think for many folks it opened their eyes to the justice system. There was a level of consistency while watching the things that happened and the timeline from the period of enslavement, up until today. A great part about this is that we had such a rich discussion afterwards. Individuals began opening up and sharing about a loved one that is or used to be in prison and how it impacted their lives.”