Analysis of "13th" Documentary

Abraham Lincoln approved an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would forever change the culture of America; “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” (U. S. Constitution Amend. XIII). At the time this proclamation was issued it seemed to give a bright future for America; however, a loophole was widely exploited that allowed for a different version of slavery.

Ava DuVernay produced a documentary to awaken those who may have turned a blind eye to the harsh realities of the African American life. Viewpoints and opinions from various credible sources remained prevalent throughout the duration of the documentary. Pondering carefully on the effects of ethos, pathos, and logos to help illustrate a very powerful message, persuading viewers to push for necessary change.

13th analyzes the history of African Americans, discussing how slavery still exists today but in diverse fashions.

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Breaking down the transition between slavery, Jim Crow, and prison industrial complex. The clause “except as a punishment for crime” allowed African Americans to be prosecuted for petty crimes. As time progressed and different administrations had taken office, we saw how there were different attempts to restrict the advancement of the African American culture. Many African Americans fled north or to the west coast to avoid the threat of being criminalized in a corrupt society (13th). The Nixon and Reagan administration both heavily targeted blacks through various bills and legislative acts; forcing in an era of “law and order”.

President Barack Obama was one of the first voices heard in this documentary; thus immediately establishing a level of ethos, or credibility, in the documentary. Alongside President Obama, 38 individual interviews and recaps were heard throughout this documentary, whether a professor at an Ivy League school or a respectable activist. Along with the 38 interviews, 20 clips and recordings were heard from former heads of states and highly influential figures. Many of the activists that were interviewed in the documentary spoke from personal experiences of things that had happened in the past. Angela Davis, an activist, spoke about personal experiences and discriminations she faced as she took her fight to court.

Ava DuVernay relied on pathos, the ability to tug on emotional strings, to convey her message. At the beginning of the documentary, the film Birth of a Nation was the highlight. It depicted African American males as malicious, animal-like creatures[PR1] . Birth of a Nation easily brought about a great deal of fear. African Americans became increasingly afraid of the uprising of the Klu Klux Klan, while many Caucasians became afraid of having African Americans freely roam in society. Pictures from lynchings, riots and other chaotic moments in history helped show the grueling truth of what African American’s have constantly endured regularly throughout history. Even songs that were played [PR2] impacted the emotional aspect of the documentary. Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), “They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote”. Donald Trump said, “I love the old days, you know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They’d be carried out on a stretcher folks”.[PR3]  Although a specific group nor demographic was stated by either person, you were able to get a glimpse of the same ideologies D.W. Griffith displayed.

Van Jones, “One out of four human beings with their hands on bars, shackled, in the world are locked up here, in the land of the free” (13th). Similarly, learning that on average one out of every three African American males were expected to be imprisoned at some point in their lifetime, while only one out of every seventeen Caucasian males were expected to be imprisoned (13th). To further demonstrate the severity of this statistic, we also learned that America is home to approximately 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of the prison population (13th). Since 1970 the prison population has increased more than 600% for America alone (13th). In 2010 SB1070 was passed, a bill that allowed any one that looked like an immigrant to be stopped and questioned. By doing so it allowed the CCA, Correction Corporations of America, to build and expand detention facilities in Arizona, allowing them to make more than 11 million dollars monthly.

Ava DuVernay was able to tell a story and fully convey a very powerful message. However, some may question her credibility due to the lack of opposing opinions. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and ALEC, two heavily attacked organizations, were vaguely represented. One ALEC representative interview was shown; however, due to editing, the vast majority of his interview seemed to be confusing and unclear. Some may argue that since documentaries are cut and edited, he may have had a strong argument as to why ALEC isn’t a bad organization.

In a brief one-hour and forty-minute film, the evolution of the African American’s position in society was displayed.  13th was able to portray the bitter reality African Americans are enduring daily. Ava DuVernay did an exceptional job in conveying a powerful message using ethos, pathos, and logos. She was successfully able to captivate an audience and persuade viewers why change must happen, thus truly placing a contextual meaning behind the Black Lives Matter movement.