“When you are a have and a have-not, you see the world in two completely different ways”. In Trevor Noah’s clip about George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper, he discusses his thoughts on society and its detrimental role against Black Americans. Noah concludes that society is fundamentally a contract signed among individuals and is only as strong as the people who are maintaining it.  

Using the example of Amy Cooper and her weaponization of the word African American in attempting to get an innocent man arrested, clearly revealed the discrimination that Black people in America face on the daily. Furthermore, the reaction from the public proved that this clear display of privilege was recognized in society but put on the back burner. Next, the murder of George Floyd proved the power that the officer knew he possessed over the Black man in being able to kill him so calmly 

Using these examples, Noah proved that in the case of Black Americans, the contract that they sign with society, whether in the case of George Floyd who was killed by someone whose job is to serve and protect, or Ahmad Aubrey, is not honored for multiple reasons. There is no contract if the law and the people don’t uphold it, and the case of Floyd and other instances of police brutality showed that.  

In order for a society to work and for people to abide by the contract, people in power need to be held accountable for the actions they commit. Just like we expect parents to set examples for their kids, it should be the same for law enforcement. However, the message that law enforcement is sending in these three cases and millions more are that they are exempt from the law. Noah urges the audience to think about what kind of message that sends to the rest of society, specifically those in a position of power that may abuse it, and those with no power, such as Black Americans, who will likely suffer from that.  

In the film I am not your Negro, James Baldwin explores racism through stories of Medgar Evans, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X.  The film, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, drew its inspiration from Baldwin’s manuscript about the civil rights leaders who were killed within five years of each other. Baldwin throughout the film demonstrated the anti-Black sentiment engrained not only in America’s social and political life, but also cultural in instances of the portrayal of Black people in movies and TV shows.  

Watching the film, I was both emotional and passionate because I in some way could relate to the injustices he mentioned that Black people faced and continue to face every day in America. One part of the film that truly resonated with me was his argument on racial representation in the media. Baldwin commented on how subtle racial inequality was ingrained in films from the birth of the media industry and how they were perceived differently from the two different audiences (Black and White). This resonated with me because I remember growing up and not seeing much representation in films and TV shows, and when there was, it was a negative stereotype. Tropes such as the angry Black woman, the Black best friend, and more are just some ways that Hollywood has been able to perpetuate these negative stereotypes subtle enough for only the targets to notice.  

America has a long way to go battling the issue of racial equality as a society. Systemic racism, such as in the cases of Amy Cooper, the killing of Ahmad Aubrey, and George Floyd are just a few examples as to how the system has failed the societal contract of equality for so long. Baldwin and Noah are two out of the millions of Blacks across America who know that this issue is deeper than empathy and recognition, but needs actions, and consequences against those who take advantage of the system. People argue that there is no better time to be Black in America than today. Even if that may be true, there is still a long way to go before there is equal opportunity for all.