12 Documentaries to Watch If You Want to Stay Woke

Ava DuVernay's 13th documentary is the kind of material that school textbooks should (but aren't) made of: a striking exploration of the relationship between slavery and the modern-day prison industrial complex. The documentary covers several stories about African American people, including those about Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin, and ties the pieces together in a way that illuminates how prejudices can drive political decision-making. It's hard to watch, but only because it's deeply truthful and heartbreakingly illuminating.

Watch it now on Netflix.