The limited series, Amend: The Fight for America, aired in February 2021. Hosted by Will Smith, he begins with a simple, but prominent question: What do you think of when you think of America?
After the tumultuous year of 2020, where the country saw countless Black Lives Matter protests and the outcry for equal rights, the show hit a chord with me.
But the fight for equal rights is not new.
Amend focuses on the importance of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution which outlines citizens’ rights. It essentially gave African Americans rights in the United States.
But the amendment has directly and indirectly effected all of the equal rights we fight for today too.
From the minute the 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868, it’s effected the discussions of racial equality, women’s rights and even LGBTQ people’s right to marry.
The 14th Amendment has also been prominent in many landmark cases. To name a few: Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade and Reed v. Reed.
The series utilizes a huge cast list to keep viewers engaged with the content. While the actors appears as themselves, they share their thoughts about citizenship and their experiences in the U.S.
Some of the actors read historical documents, letters or descriptions as historical figures.
The mixture of honesty that the actors provide, plus the historical excerpts, provide for a unique viewing experience.
The art that is featured in the show is not only beautiful, but thought provoking and raw. It is powerful, and I have to say, I cried more than a view times while watching it.
It’s definitely a series I recommend to anyone who loves history and entertainment. More importantly, the series provides young, especially white, activists with a way to connect to the content.
If you are looking for an anti-racism education series, look no further.
