I had the opportunity to watch “ I Am Not Your Negro” at the Cornell Cinema, and I thought it was an extremely moving film. It was about how African Americans in America had to struggle for their civil rights in the past. Baldwin talks about his anger towards the white community because of what they did to suppress his people. The film brings up Martin Luther King’s and Malcolm X’s fight for equality. However, they were murdered for speaking up about what they believed in. Baldwin also narrated the experience of Dorothy Counts, a 15 year who was harassed by her peers for going to a predominantly white school. He also described how the media demonizes African Americans using the example of Sidney Poitier. However, even though Baldwin had to endure all of the injustices due to his skin color, he still hopes that people would reflect on their actions for a more fruitful future ahead.

As the film is ending, it showed snapshots of how the black community is still being targeted and discriminated today. An example would be the police brutality that is happening all over the country. Even statistics show that African Americans are more likely to be stopped and frisked, or pulled over by a police officer. Although slavery has long been outlawed and deemed an inhumane practice, the discrimination towards blacks did not disappear with it. It is evident that there is still some hostility towards African Americans today even if people are not as open about it.