Not only are a disproportionate number of African-American men in U.S. prisons, but a disproportionate number of African-American men are also either now on death row (currently nearly 40% of the death row population) or have been executed. Of the latter, quite a few were later proven innocent, while many others awaiting execution have been found innocent after wasting years of their lives in isolation and despair. Black Death in Dixie points out that this is nowhere more true than in the state of Alabama, where justice officials are under public pressure to sentence the convicted with the ever-popular death penalty. In this half-hour-shy documentary, several black men—who appear to have been railroaded through the Alabama justice system toward guilty verdicts for murders they did not commit—speak out against a judicial process that seems indifferent to the truth. Their stories are examined against the broader canvas of historical Deep South racism in America, ranging from Jim Crow laws maintaining segregation, to the horror of lynchings as a spectator sport. An alarming documentary that packs a powerful sociopolitical punch, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Black Death in Dixie: Racism and the Death Penalty in the United States
(2007) 26 min. DVD or VHS: $89.95. Films Media Group. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-4213-9086-4 (dvd), 978-1-4213-9085-7 (vhs). Volume 24, Issue 2
Black Death in Dixie: Racism and the Death Penalty in the United States
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: