As an educational resource on systemic racism in the united States, Netflix launched the Strong Island documentary for free on YouTube on the 10th of June. Initially released on Netflix in 2017, Strong Island follow director Yance Ford’s investigation of the 1992 murder of his brother, William Ford Jr. However, the heart wrenching journey is not only to continue the killing of an unarmed 24-year-old Black man at the hands of a 19-year-old white mechanic, but the story of the Ford family and how it deals with the subject of racism in the united states.
Strong Island it is a deep and personal documentary, interspersed with films and photos of the family, detailing how a seemingly close family could fall apart in the midst of tragedy. As a transsexual, Black filmmaker, the Ford feels like he checks”, a lot of boxes for other people“and because of this, it is hoped that he can “help some people maybe go back and see what was in front of their faces all the time.” Currently, you can see the documentary in its entirety on YouTube.
