In a new video, “Racism Is Real,” Brave New Films uses a split screen to compare a day in the life of a black man to a day in the life of a white man in America. The two actors go about the same activities: applying for jobs, buying cars, driving, attempting to buy a house. Each storyline has a different result. The black man doesn’t get an interview while the white man does; he is charged more for his car and gets pulled over while the white man does not; and he is not shown a house that a realtor happily shows the white man.
To support the divergent scenarios, the video uses statistics from studies by the University of Chicago, the New York Times, the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations. Where viewers may be accustomed to hearing about issues of race in a piecemeal fashion — how race affects employment, housing opportunities or interactions with law enforcement — the video attempts to create a cohesive view of all the ways a person’s race might change the course of a single day.
According to its website, Brave New Films hopes to use media as a tool to inspire action on social issues: “From exposing the private prison crisis to helping middle class and poor workers to understanding where your tax dollars are going, our groundbreaking social media campaigns have revolutionized activism.”
The March on Washington: Power to the People
Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesLena Horne at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesJoan Baez sings during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesOdetta sings during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesActress and activist Ruby Dee, who with her husband, Ossie Davis, served as "master and mistress" of ceremonies at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Overalled couple with New York delegation, reminiscent of famous Grant Wood painting, join crowd which packed mall before Lincoln Memorial.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesScene from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.Paul Schutzer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
