Research Guides: Anti-Racism Resources: Films // Videos // Podcasts

Films // Videos

13th
Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.
American Reckoning – A PBS NewsHour Special Report
Following the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, this special report looks at the economic and racial history that led to a political divide between Americans,
more...less...
the impact of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric throughout his presidency, and the next steps for the nation to heal from the recent attack on American democracy.
Black Feminism and the Movement for Black Lives: Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, Charlene Carruthers
Panel discussion from the January 21, 2016 National LGBTQ Task Force conference on Creating Change
Black Lives Matter
In 2013 in Sanford, Florida, vigilante George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the murder of 17-year-old African American Trayvon Martin. As a result, the struggle against police violence flared up under the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and turned into one of the biggest grassroots movements in the United States.
more...less...
This film interviewed co-founder Patrisse Cullors about the various forms of violence against black citizens, and why resistance is essential. A documentary by Netherlands Public Broadcasting, 2017.
The Civil Rights Movement
This documentary reveals a long-running struggle for racial equality starting with Civil War– and Reconstruction-era events, moving through the blight of Jim Crow and the formation of the NAACP and other groups, and depicting the drama of King’s movement in varied, evolving phases.
more...less...
The work of Malcolm X, the rise of the Black Power movement, and the future of America’s ongoing equality battles are also examined.
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement 1954–1985
Produced by Blackside, Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights era from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of American life, and embodied a struggle whose reverberations continue to be felt today.
more...less...
Winner of numerous Emmy Awards, a George Foster Peabody Award, an International Documentary Award, and a Television Critics Association Award, Eyes on the Prize is the most critically acclaimed documentary on civil rights in America. The 14-part series recounts the fight to end decades of discrimination and segregation.It is the story of the people— young and old, male and female, northern and southern—who, compelled by a meeting of conscience and circumstance, worked to eradicate a world where whites and blacks could not go to the same school, ride the same bus, vote in the same election, or participate equally in society.
Frontline: Police on Trial
2022. Investigating the Minneapolis police in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. With Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters from the Star Tribune--from the killing and protests to the trial of Derek Chauvin to the struggle for accountability. Release
I Am Not Your Negro
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, "Remember This House".
more...less...
The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends--Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only thirty completed pages of his manuscript. Now, in his incendiary new documentary, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished.
Minds that Matter: John Lewis
No one grasps the connections between social activism, electoral politics, and racial issues better than Congressman John Lewis (D-GA).
more...less...
Produced by the University of Kansas, 2008. (58 min.)
Race Matters: America After George Floyd
(Premiered 5/25/21). One year after the police killing of George Floyd, where does America go from here? Examine the lasting effects of systemic racism, the lingering distrust between communities of color and law enforcement, the trauma that remains for so many and what the future looks like.
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland
On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland, a vibrant 28-year-old African American from Chicago, was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. After three days in custody, she was found hanging from a noose in her cell.
more...less...
Bland’s death was quickly ruled a suicide, sparking allegations of a murder and cover-up, and turning her case and name into a rallying cry nationwide. From the Oscar®-nominated, Emmy®- and Peabody Award-winning team of directors/producers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland examines this story in depth, revealing previously unknown details. The film follows the Bland family and legal team from the first weeks after her death as they try to find out what really happened in that jail cell in Texas. Embedded with the family and their lawyers, the filmmakers tracked the story for two years, drawing on key documents, jail footage and interviews with those closest to the events.
Soundtrack for a Revolution: Freedom Songs from the Civil Rights Era
On picket lines, in organizational meetings, even in police wagons and jail cells, songs of protest and inspiration helped drive the civil rights movement. Showcasing many of those songs, this stirring documentary explores the history of the era through archival footage, interviews with key civil rights activists, and performances by contemporary artists assembled specifically for the film.
The Talk: Race in America
This film documents the common conversations taking place in homes across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police.
Talks to Help You Understand Racism in America (TED Playlist)
Includes talks by: Kimberlé Crenshaw, Alicia Garza, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Damon Davis and others.
United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell
All 5 seasons of the CNN show where W. Kamau documents his travels across the country and explores communities like only a comic can.
West Valley College's Black History Month Playlist
Includes:
David Hilliard -- History of the Black Panther Party
Michael D. McCarty - Spoken Word Storytelling
Diane Ferlatte - Storytelling
What is Systemic Racism?
An 8-part video series from Race Forward that shows how racism shows up in our lives across institutions and society: Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration, Drug Arrests, Immigration Arrests, Infant Mortality… yes, systemic racism is really a thing.
White Like Me (the film)
The Tim Wise film "White Like Me" is available to borrow on DVD from the Library.
White Like Me: Q&A with Tim Wise at WVC
Author Tim Wise visited West Valley College and answered questions after the preview of his film White Like Me.

Podcasts

1619: The Podcast
An audio series from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. Also available on apps such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts etc. WVC community has free access to the digital NYT. Contact the library for more information.
Code Switch by NPR
The podcast tackles the subject of race head-on and explores how race impacts every part of society. Hosted by journalists of color, Code Switch covers politics and pop culture to history, sports and much more.
The Diversity Gap
"This project will empower people to create the cultures they say they want—cultures where all people are seen, celebrated and given the space to thrive." --website
Intersectionality Matters with Kimberlé Crenshaw
Intersectionality Matters brings the concept of intersectionality to life by highlighting the work of leading activists, artists, and scholars, exploring the hidden dimensions of some of today’s most pressing issues, and helping listeners understand politics, the law, social movements, and even their own lives in deeper, more nuanced ways.
MLK Jr., The Last Speech
Episode 1 of John Meacham's documentary podcast series on famous speeches, unwraps Dr. King's last speech on April 3, 1969 in Memphis, TN.
more...less...
John Meacham is a presidential historian and holds the Chair in American Presidency at Vanderbilt University.
The Nod
Hosted by Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings, The Nod tells the stories of Black life that don’t get told anywhere else. It celebrates the genius, the innovation, and the resilience that is so particular to being Black — in America, and around the world.
Pod Save the People
Hosts DeRay Mckesson, Sam Sinyangwe, Kaya Henderson and De’Ara Balenger explores news, culture, social justice, and politics. They offer a unique take, with a special focus on overlooked stories and topics that often impact people of color.
Throughline
Throughline goes back in history to review events that can help us understand our world today.
You Are Your Best Thing (episode)
Tarana Burke, Founder of the #MeToo Movement talks with Brene Brown on their new anthology of essays titled, You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience and the Black Experience. The book available as an ebook in our collection. Check out the "Books" page from the left nav bar.
more...less...
There is also a reading by Jason Reynolds of his essay, "Between Us: A Reckoning with My Mother"