Twentieth Century Fox, 2013

I recommend this movie because you leave angry if you are of African descent. It’s a tough film, one that stirs up frustrations and can help explain systemic racism in the United States. You get a sense of how much this is part of the history of the United States…and Canada. It is one thing to know that slavery existed, it is another to see it built into a system in such a realistic and shocking illustration.

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Duke Classics Publisher, 2012

This book is the autobiography of Booker T. Washington, an important figure in American history. It is about his journey from slavery, which ended when he was eight years old, to his role as an educator. The book celebrates hard work and empowerment through education and political and community involvement.

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Éditions Hurtubise, 2019

I recommend this book because it was written in Québec and talks about sports and an important figure in North American sports history. Anyone who loves baseball knows Jackie Robinson. His time in Montréal was a determining factor in his professional career. While some people praise the openness of Montrealers at the time, this book partly debunks the idea that the city had little or no problem with discrimination against Black people. It is a subject that may be taboo, but is still a reality.

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Entertainment One, 2015

The film is extraordinary in its treatment of racial tensions in American universities. Humour and irony, coupled with severe social criticism are very present and are brought to life by the main character, a young university student who is both rebellious and filled with doubt. The book, by the same author as the film, also uses humour to raise awareness of daily issues related to racism.

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