The 13th and When They See Us has a specific agenda that falls in line with neoliberal notions of protecting the sanctity of Black and boyhood through the notions of an estranged masculinity. This is ultimately her work. I stater this last summer, and I’m stating it again.

This was never about abolition and primarily about reform.

The tagline is “WHAT IF ALL BOYS WERE CREATED EQUAL?”

But she casted a Black adult man, Jharrel Jerome (who portrayed a teenage boy) alongside a Black teenage girl, Storm Reed (who portrayed a teenage girl). In the film they kiss. There was no care of protecting a Black girl.

I say this to demonstrate her extremely masculinist agenda that centers Black men and boys while giving Black women and girls crumbs for the sake of representation.

Question: Do the films The 13th and When They See Us read as films that could aid as abolitionist propaganda or one that benefits reform? With supporters like Oprah is the narrative that the system is broken and needs to be REpaired or that it is working the way it’s intended to?