A powerful, fly-on-the-wall documentary shot over a couple of years in one African American teen girl’s life in the slums of St. Louis, For Ahkeem underscores the many obstacles that black children face in the so-called school-to-prison (or school-to-grave) pipeline. With recent deregulation taking place in the U.S. Department of Education--stoking fears that more black kids will be (as statistics show) suspended or expelled for minor discipline problems--filmmakers Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest’s documentary is particularly timely and valuable. The focus is on 17-year-old Daje Shelton, an ambitious but unruly girl. When a judge gives her no choice but to enroll in a school for at-risk kids, Daje (nicknamed Boonie) takes her classroom work and college prospects seriously. But eventually she proves to be disruptive to other students, jeopardizing her hard-won victories, which then threatens her with a dismal future. Complicating matters is Boonie’s unexpected pregnancy, a criminal boyfriend, and rioting in St. Louis County following the police killing of Michael Brown. The arrival of baby Ahkeem leaves Boonie wondering what steps forward are available to fulfill herself and assure opportunities for an African American boy in a society where they are marginalized. The real heartbreak lies in the fact that there is nothing unique about Boonie’s story and her diminishing choices. A powerful documentary, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
For Ahkeem
(2017) 90 min. DVD: $59.95 ($350 w/PPR from edu.passionriver.com). Passion River (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 3
For Ahkeem
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