In the riveting documentary, White Like Me, examines the enduring meaning of racism through the prism of white privilege. Based on the book of the same name by anti-racism advocate Tim Wise, the film examines the many advantages enjoyed by white people throughout American history and the extent to which they defined a culture of racism that continues to this day.
The shameful days of blatant segregation live happily in the rearview mirror of the country’s history. But even with strides in the field of racial equality, remnants of discrimination still reverberate in nearly every corner of society. The film argues that the promise of a post-racial society has not been fulfilled, and that entrenched traditions of white privilege are largely to blame.
“For more than two decades, I have worked to better understand myself and raise awareness among others of how dangerous and harmful it is when white people like me turn a blind eye to racial inequality and our own privilege,” Wise said in the video. This quest for understanding begins with an examination of the laws, policies, and institutions that have shaped American identity over time, including the Naturalization Act of 1790 and early programs to provide Social Security and veterans benefits.
Whether their approach was blatant or insidious, the documentary asserts that each of these cases pandered to some degree of racism in its inception and provided the basis for individual attitudes and government policies to continue to play out.
White Like Me goes on to explore education, housing, the prison system, the government-led war on drugs, and other aspects of American society in which racism still plays a large role. Along the way, the film also explores the notion of anti-racism in the age of affirmative action and the belief that America transcends issues of race after electing its first president of color. White Like Me treats these potentially inflammatory issues with sensitivity and candor, backing its claims with a wealth of insightful facts and figures.
Director Scott Morris
