A society founded on a social contract, according to Trevor Noah, is established when a group of individuals agree to share a similar set of ideas, guidelines, and principles. The primary objective of this social contract is to enable society to function as it allows people to live in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political behavior. Noah proceeds to explain that this contract can only hold true if people follow it. According to the principle of social contract, to be considered a full citizen, one must follow all of the rules, laws, and ethics imposed by the governing authority. Unfortunately, African Americans and people of color who adhere to this social contract are not being honored by the very society that has compelled them to sign it. Noah uses Gorge Floyd’s death to emphasize this point, as the very authority—police officers—who were supposed to serve and protect instead of persecuted and murdered,  thereby violating the social contract.

James Baldwin, an American novelist, scriptwriter, poet, and activist, created “I Am Not Your Negro,” a 2016 documentary film and social commentary that uncovers the history of racism in America through Baldwin’s memories of three major civil rights leaders: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his personal observations of American history. Each of the three famous activists Balwin focuses on in his film shared a common goal: obtaining equality, even though their methods of achieving this objective differed. Evers had an impact on the Civil Rights Movement by organizing voter registration drives, protests, and economic boycotts. Malcolm X believed that in order for Blacks to promote equality and protect themselves from white aggression, violence was required, or “by any means necessary,” as he put it. Lastly, King, most famous for his “I Have a Dream” speech, made in 1963, in which he articulated of his dream of a United States free of segregation and racism, believing in achieving equal rights peacefully in contrast to Malcom. Of course, the central reason Baldwin chose to incorporate these influential activists in his documentary is to emphasize the idea that despite their differences, their common objective was equality for all. Overall, I thought this was an impactful film which truly exposes the racially injustice system of America.