User Reviews

Everyone should see this documentary! Too bad it's so hard to find.

Amazon's initial suppression of this deep and intelligent documentary speaks to the anxiety that surrounds any discussion of race in the modern age. Shelby Steele - who saw segregation and the civil rights movement with his own eyes - provides a detailed context for the poverty afflicting many African-American communities today. This should not be controversial, but in an era when any deviation from the "systemic racism" assertion is treated with book-burning horror, I guess it counts as brave. Ironically, Steele explains that there is indeed a systemic problem, and one which disproportionately affects black people. It's just not the problem the world thinks it is.

Original and well made piece. At times I found myself feeling this film is pushing me towards the 'wrong opinion'. That's to say it feels forbidden to think independently on this matter in this moment in time. I assume most people understand the feeling I'm describing. But Shelby Steele has what seems a robust case, certainly deserving of daylight. The case being that we're misdiagnosing a problem and that Black people are infantalised so that white people can receive absolution; and nothing much ever changes.

....rare truth. The quality of truth is not strained, but goodness knows it gives us a scare now and then. The measured voice in this extraordinary documentary projects hope against the despairing bonfire that is today's progressive grievance industry. Thanks to the Steele family for producing this film.

In this engrossing film, Shelby Steele sets out like a gumshoe detective to reconstruct the world in which Michael Brown found himself that day of August 2014, as a young member of the black underclass in Ferguson, Missouri. Beginning with the poor black urban communities of the 1940s, Steele traces their transformation through the programs of post-1960s Liberalism, and all its good intentions which culminated in Michael Brown's public housing project and the neighborhood which influenced many of the fateful choices he made. Steele approaches his subject from many angles, drawing from a variety of witnesses, community leaders, social historians, newsreels, and the accounts of beleaguered residents of Ferguson--black and white--who have survived in the chaotic aftermath of Michael Brown's death. Steele allows the people who were there to tell the story in their own words. Ultimately, this Film is a lesson on history, human nature and power politics. Steele offers no easy solutions, but a wise and rational way forward for a nation which remains engulfed in the flames of conflict over race.

It's hard to find the right words. Raw, riveting authenticity desperately needed buy a truth starved nation.

This goes well beyond the case it references, fails to pick a side of the established camps, and asks more of the viewer.... to transcend the question of colour and instead choose character.

You're left wondering why hasnt this been asked before, or perhaps just more eloquently, as it is here

Beautifully narrated, measured and calm.

Very good in parts. Nothing about it is bad and some of the stories and facts in the documentary are really well done and even something all Americans need to see. I do recommend this documentary to all Americans or even some Europeans like myself.

The reason I'm not giving it an 8 is because it has several issues. First one is a major issue we constantly see in personal projects where one guy writes and directs a movie or documentary. It's way too long. It's hard to cut scenes you wrote, filmed, and edited. When all scenes are personal you just tend to leave everything in as you feel that everything is great. Not so. This documentary is about Michael Brown, Black people in USA, Steel himself and his family, poor criminal Black people, White politicians, shootings, rioting, public housing failures, and more. Basically, it's about 4 things: the Michael Brown shooting, public housing failures, Steel's family history, and personal interviews with Christian Blacks. The first part is really great! Great work for sure. The public housing part is great and very intellectual, great stuff again. The last 2 parts are kinda all over the place. At most times everything works. At other times we just move so far away from the title of the documentary that it gets boring and a bit pointless. The last 15 minutes are pointless overall. And it's for sure 25 minutes too long. It's a shame because with some editing you can easily make a great documentary out of this. Cut 25 minutes, that's it. Focus on the shooting and then explain it and get out. Don't linger around forever. Make another documentary if you have a need to interview this many people. And don't end it with a really boring interview!

Secondly, it's a bit iffy on the science. He does rebut many of the destructive political ideas Democrats have created for Black people. But he exaggerates the negative effects from them. Democrat laws moving the Black father out of the home may have been a terrible idea, but it doesn't explain 100% of the race differences he observes. He has a very narrow focus on environment only and primarily bad modern laws. He's ignoring 95% of psychology studies on poverty, crime, and genes. Humans are not 100% created by our environment. But in his mind we seemingly are.

In an age where the bold truths are sacrificed for the popular narratives, this documentary poses insightful, compassionate and critical questions...which must be honestly considered before effective solutions will ever successfully prosper. Thank you, Mr. Steele...well done, Sir!!!

Shaky narrative. Using far right talking points such as "liberalism is more insidious than slavery". Zero inputs from people the director keeps on blaming. Something Dinesh D'Souja might have made.

Shelby Steele has pulled back the curtain on the charlatans who define race relations in childishly simplistic terms for their own benefit. He reveals a far more nuanced reality where presumably well-intentioned policies dating from President Johnson's Great Society have decimated the African American family unit and neighborhoods, while public schools in poor neighborhoods have deteriorated to the point where many young African Americans in these areas are not connected to America and its possibilities in a meaningful way. The antebellum slave owners would be astonished at how efficient "help" can be in subjugating a targeted group. Systemic racism indeed. At some point, and despite the phony narrative being peddled by the grievance industry, Americans of all skin colors will realize what Mr. Steele is saying is true. That's the day that all black lives will begin to matter and the country will begin to heal.

A must see! A lot of food for thought! Steele makes a sharp breakdown of the causation of current issues regarding racial division in America and the flaws of the victimization rhetoric.

Mindless, mentally lazy suburban white liberals should take note of this wonderful and transparent documentary that exposes the lies of BLM and the damaging narrative that millions are walking in lockstep to like zombies. Watch, learn, listen. Steele explains why the narrative is a lie and how the black community can rise up out of poverty under the veil of freedoms this amazing country provides to every single person living here. He gives a great historical account on the progression of events that have brought us here and how we as a society can start to live together again without demonizing each other.

Shelby Steele never fails to capture my attention; with his incredible insight, passion, and eloquence. He is an emotional & intellectual wordsmith. This film speaks to what's below the surface of things, if you wish to know?! The film speaks to the drive within all humans to have "agency" in their lives, and touches on what that means to us as Americans. I felt emotional throughout the film, and strongly advise everyone to share it with people they care about.

Shelby steel, the well known black conservative figure, narrates and pens this documentary directed by his son. Despite his eloquence and some jabs at honesty - it's a compilation of all conservative talking points that you can expect from a board of fox news hosts. Inane, shallow 'insights', narrated in a smooth and empathetic voice - it's kind of obvious who it's target audience was.

It's what you'd expect what someone who represents less than 15% of a community (around 7%-13% of black identify as conservatives) tries to explain the issues plaguing the entire group.

I won't call it dishonest, but extremely biased and one sided.

Brown's own stupidity and behavior killed him. Facts over feelings.

Really enjoyed this thoughtful fact-based look at the Michael Brown story and all that came of it. White liberals need to just stop, and back away from black people. White liberals (i.e. Democrats) today are just as much a barrier to black freedom and progress as white slavers and Jim Crow supporters (also Democrats) were in the past.

Sometimes someone comes along and simply rocks the agreed upon narrative. Steele does it with a calm and confident demeanor, smooth jazz playing in the background. The Michael Brown story is not so much the plot as a symptom of a much larger tragedy that's playing out in real time in the American black community. It feels so important that everyone see this documentary and process what is being presented. Yet it lacks critical reviews for some strange reason, perhaps because giving a negative review would be difficult yet the only acceptable recourse due to the fact that it's preaching an unacceptable message. Don't let that keep you from watching this remarkable video.

Wow...this should have been shown on national TV....but no, that would go against the narrative of the MSM. Why doesn't MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN show this? Instead, they showed the lies of this case that THEY pushed, and people like Sharpton...such as "his hands were up and the cop just shot him"...and "he was on the ground and the cop shot him 4 or 5 more times". Hands up dont shoot. Those were proven lies in this Doc.

Thank you Steele for bringing truth to this case...because no one else did.