Media & Messaging
How has the media contributed to public fear by portraying Black men as dangerous or criminal in the documentary 13th?
In 13th, the media is shown to have portrayed Black men as violent criminals, reinforcing fear and justifying mass incarceration.
Who is Ava DuVernay?
She directed 13th and is known for using film to explore racial injustice, including her work on Selma and When They See Us.
What is the 13th Amendment?
This amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery except as a punishment for crime.
What is the War on Drugs?
This 1971 federal initiative, declared by President Nixon, aimed to combat drug use but disproportionately targeted Black and Brown communities.
What Country has the highest incarceration rate in the world based on 2016 Statistics?
The United States
What harmful term was used in the 1990s to describe young Black males as inherently violent and incapable of reform?
The term “superpredator,” popularized in the 1990s, described young Black males as violent and beyond rehabilitation.
Who is Michelle Alexander?
This author of The New Jim Crow appears in the film to explain how mass incarceration functions as a racial caste system.
What is 1865?
The 13th Amendment was ratified in this year, just months after the Civil War ended.
What is the 1994 Crime Bill?
This 1994 law, co-authored by then-Senator Joe Biden and signed by President Clinton, added 100,000 police officers and expanded the use of prisons and the death penalty.
What was the approximate U.S. prison population in 2014?
2.3 million.
What film, released in 1915, portrayed Black people as dangerous and glorified the KKK, influencing racist narratives in American culture?
"The Birth of a Nation"
Which U.S. president launched the War on Drugs in 1971, leading to increased incarceration rates in minority communities?
President Richard Nixon declared the "War on Drugs" in 1971, a move that led to the increased policing and incarceration of Black communities.
What is “except as a punishment for crime”?
This clause in the 13th Amendment is often called a “loophole” that allowed slavery to continue in the form of forced prison labor.
What are mandatory minimum sentences?
This type of sentencing policy, often tied to drug offenses, removed judges’ discretion and led to extremely long prison terms for nonviolent crimes.
What government initiative, started in the 1970s, led to a massive increase in incarceration, especially among people of color?
The War on Drugs.
How did the 1988 Willie Horton ad use race-based fear to influence public support for stricter criminal justice policies?
Political ads like the 1988 Willie Horton ad used racially charged imagery to stir fear and gain support for “tough-on-crime” policies.
Which president intensified the War on Drugs in the 1980s and signed laws that created sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine?
President Ronald Reagan escalated the War on Drugs in the 1980s, enforcing harsh sentencing laws and fueling mass incarceration.
What is mass incarceration?
Ava DuVernay’s documentary argues that the 13th Amendment directly connects slavery to this modern-day issue.
What is ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council)?
This organization, featured in 13th, writes legislation that benefits private prison companies and lobbies for tough-on-crime laws.
What federal law expanded prisons and encouraged tough-on-crime sentencing in the 1990s?
The 1994 Crime Bill.
(Also accepted: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act)
Which organization featured in 13th used media and political influence to pass legislation that benefited the prison industry?
ALEC – the American Legislative Exchange Council
Which president used a controversial 1988 campaign ad about Willie Horton to promote tough-on-crime policies and win voter support?
President George H. W. Bush used the 1988 Willie Horton ad to push fear-based crime messaging during his presidential campaign.
What are Black Codes?
What is the Three-Strikes Law?
This “tough-on-crime” policy requires a person convicted of three felonies to receive a significantly harsher sentence, often life in prison.
What issue causes Black Americans to be incarcerated at over five times the rate of white Americans?
Racial bias in the criminal justice system.