I recently watched the Netflix documentary "Stamped from the Beginning" by Roger Ross Williams, based on the book with the same name by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. It follows the origin of racist ideas and how they developed into shaping society over time. The documentary uses animations and interviews with experts, such as Dr. Angela Davis, to make complex topics easier to understand — very easy, but only hard when one refuses to see it as a problem.
It highlights how racist beliefs were created to justify inequality, showing the deep impact on culture and policies. Watching it opens your eyes to the roots of systemic racism and why these ideas persist today. I believe this is very important for everyone to watch, not just to learn history but to reflect on how it affects our present and to make a change.
It starts with the very question, "What is wrong with Black people?". A question made to compel centuries of noxious stereotypes and ideas constructed to maintain systems of power. By the end, it becomes clear that the question itself reflects the real problem — that is, how racism has framed society to blame the oppressed instead of confronting the oppressor.
