Our take
Although Who We Are is essentially a professionally recorded masterclass interspersed with additional interviews, it only emphasizes Jeffery Robinson’s skill as an orator and his compassion as a teacher. In a clear and levelheaded manner, he lays out how even the historical documents that formed the blueprint of the United States are exclusionary in key ways. Robinson does this not to condemn his country, but to challenge the way we view traditions as sacred, and to see how modern-day white nationalism is upheld by these institutions, intentionally or not. The new interviews that accompany Robinson’s talk take these lessons on the road, reminding us of those who are directly affected by these centuries-old decisions.
The story
Jeffery Robinson's talk on the history of U.S. anti-Black racism, with archival footage and interviews.
Elsewhere
"Who We Are should be made required viewing in every American school as we find ourselves perched, once again, at a pivotal tipping point."
— Matt Fagerholm
"An engaging and essential essay film that makes its points clearly, backed by evidence, for those open-minded enough to consider their education incomplete."
— Peter Debruge
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Emil Hofileña is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. He also writes as a theater critic, with work published in Rogue and Out of Print, among others. He’s probably crying over a movie or an episode as we speak.
