Documentary Review: The Rape of Recy Taylor + Giveaway!

Over the past two years, the Lord has taken me on a journey. He has opened my eyes to just how far-reaching the gross mistreatment of African Americans has been here in the United States, mistreatment which, sadly, extends far beyond even just slavery (as awful as that was!). As heart-breaking as this discovery has been for me, I am nevertheless grateful for this journey because it has inspired me to consider what part I could play in rectifying and remedying the situation (for, whether we want to admit it or not, racism is still all too alive and well in America today!).

Because of this, when the opportunity arose for me to review the documentary, The Rape of Recy Taylor, I jumped at it the moment I read the synopsis:

Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. A common occurrence in the Jim Crow South, few women spoke up in fear for their lives. Not Recy Taylor, who instead bravely identified her rapists. The NAACP sent its rape investigator Rosa Parks to Alabama, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice. THE RAPE OF RECY TAYLOR exposes the legacy of physical abuse inflicted upon black women and reveals Rosa Parks’ intimate role in Recy Taylor’s story. An attempted rape against Parks was but one inspiration for her ongoing fight for justice for countless women like Taylor. Parks’ 1955 bus boycott was the result of decades of activist work, not the beginning. More and more women are now speaking up after their assault. THE RAPE OF RECY TAYLOR shines a light on the black women who spoke up when danger was greatest; it was their noble efforts to reclaim control of their bodies that paved the way for today’s generation of activists.

This was a powerful, though heartbreaking, documentary. I was riveted by this brave woman’s example, her strength and fortitude against all odds, and the way in which her act of defiance against the cultural norms of the day inspired positive change which continues to this day.

As a white woman, some may wonder what this documentary and its message have to do with me. Let me tell you – a lot! People like me are the very ones who perhaps need to hear this message the most. Those of us who would prefer to have our heads in the sand, deny the existence of white privilege, and who make the false claim that the 1940s and 1950s were the “good ol’ days”.

If you want to understand – from real, personal, first-hand accounts – the plight of the black woman in 1940s America, a plight which continues to this day in various forms and fashions, this documentary is a must-watch. If you want to be a part of the solution rather than a subconscious part of the problem, this documentary is a must-watch. For these reasons and more, I highly recommend that you take the time to watch the documentary, The Rape of Recy Taylor.

And, along those very lines, I have good news for you! Click here (or click the banner below!) to enter to win a free screener of the documentary in addition to a $50 Fandago gift card!

To watch the trailer, click here.