If you follow NCCADP, you’ve probably heard about the Racist Roots film. That’s because we believe it’s the best tool out there for helping people understand why we must end the death penalty. It is racist to its core.
Racist Roots is a powerful short film created by the Center for Death Penalty Litigation that traces the links between slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, and the modern death penalty. In just 25 minutes, it covers centuries of history and makes an urgent call for people of conscience to work together to uproot the death penalty from our state’s criminal legal system.
Until now, the film has been shown only at private facilitated screenings. But this week, when CDPL held its public launch at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, all that changed. The film is now available on YouTube right here:
You can find a discussion guide and more resources on the Racist Roots website.
You may think that watching a video doesn’t make a difference in the world. But we’re here to tell you that it does. At more than two dozen screenings, we’ve seen this film’s power to educate and move people to action. It’s a key part of our work to organize a public movement to end the North Carolina death penalty. If it spreads far and wide, it will lead to change.
So please, if you haven’t already, watch the film. If you have seen it, share it with other people who need this information. Share it on social media. Consider organizing a facilitated screening for a group you’re a part of.
And if the film has you eager to help end the death penalty, join us in Raleigh on Dec. 10, from noon to 2 p.m., for a march and rally outside Gov. Cooper’s mansion. Find all the details here.
