I Am Not Your Negro explores the history of racism in America specifically during the Civil Rights Movement and is based off James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript, Remember This House. Baldwin consistently discusses the roles of civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. and includes his personal experience in the film.

I first saw the film not too long ago in a small theater near the iSchool, and the film had an everlasting impact on me still to this day.

Visually, I thought that the film was particularly interesting and detailed because of its use of contemporary and old video footage. The moment that stuck the most to me was a scene between a group of African American protesters in the late 50s being charged at by police and the instant clash between peace and violence. The next scene showed the clash between protesters and police today.

This scene specifically was impacting because it showed how the fight for civil rights is still being fought. Although civil rights have improved tremendously, police brutality, everlasting racism, and stereotypes set back much of what James Baldwin and other civil rights leaders fought for.

The film is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, which adds a warm and interesting tone to the movie. The movie is organized based on Baldwin’s accounts in his participation during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. He had strong ties to Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

He specifically wrote in depth about his experience and opinion about Malcolm X, which I found very interesting. He described X as an activist who was publicly seen as unpeaceful. Many would say this is true, but his accounts and experiences combated this belief, and as the film continued he showed that eventually X began to believe in peaceful protest and peaceful activism and eventually partnered with M.L.K.

I particularly enjoyed the film because it is written in a level of depth that is not very common. Baldwin includes rare personal accounts he had with Martin Luther king Jr., which adds a whole new understanding to the complex history behind civil rights.

With Baldwin’s first-hand experiences and knowledge contributing to the Civil Rights Movement, I Am Not Your Negro is an excellent film both visually and informatively. Baldwin’s accounts of the Civil Right’s Movement  informs the audience at a whole new level.