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![This is [Not] Who We Are Race Documentary](https://videolibrarian.com/downloads/8945/download/This%20is%20%5BNot%5D%20Who%20We%20Are%20Race%20Documentary.jpg?cb=effd3e4370949b3ff70ef5f62afaa247&w={width}&h={height} "This is [Not] Who We Are Race Documentary")
"The happiest place in America is Boulder, Colorado"
— No Black Person Ever
This is [Not] Who We Are is an exposé centered on the reality of black existence within the confines of Boulder, Colorado. The film begins with police bodycam footage of the infamous assault and arrest of Zayd Atkinson. His crime? Existing while black in Boulder. Using history, law, and testimonials to aid in this fascinating case study of racism in the ‘Happiest City in America,’ filmmakers Beret E Strong and Katrina Miller guide the viewer through the historic roots of Boulder’s continuing racism.
This is [Not] Who We Are is an ambitious project. By talking to black leaders and community members within Boulder, this documentary seeks to begin a conversation between well-meaning white Coloradans (and Americans by extension) who may not realize how their social isolation breeds racist realities for people of color. The goal of This is [Not] Who We Are is to show “another side of Boulder,” and it does this skillfully.
Many black residents bravely lend their voice to this documentary, explaining the everyday instances of racism that they deal with as recognizably black people within the community from bizarre moments of casual racism to full-blown hate crimes. Archival footage and historians lend further credibility to the historic nature of this issue: Even without legal regulations, redlining and other infamous Jim Crow-era policies played a role in the construction of a segregated society within Boulder.
Despite the ambition behind this project, it can come across as a little dry at times. Utilizing dramatic readings and other 90s-style documentary techniques will grate on some viewer’s attention. This shortcoming is one of few, however. This is [Not] Who We Are is an excellent educational resource for anyone studying the realities of racism in America. Anyone teaching the basics of anti-black racism or the foundations of the Black Lives Matter movement will want to use this documentary in the classroom. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
This is [Not] Who We Are belongs on American History, Race, and Social Issue documentary shelves.
What type of college instructor could use this title?
Anyone teaching about American racism or the foundations of the Black Lives Matter movement will find this documentary extremely useful in the classroom.