The People Speak

The People Speak

The People Speak is a US documentary film released in the year 2009. It incorporates a musical and dramatic performance of letters, diaries, and speeches of average American citizens. In essence, the film produced by Matt Diamon and Chris Moore gives an avenue and voice to the individuals that insisted on justice and equality throughout the history. While these people were outspoken on the importance of social change, their dedication to change shaped today’s society both in the United States and other democratic nations globally. For example, the 2008 Democratic National Convention organizers screened clips from The People Speak to reflect on the major strides that the black community has made over the years. The following month, Canadian aboriginals and rights activists watched the film at the Toronto International Festival.

Not only is the film striking but also exhilarating and thrilling to watch. Each passionate reading precedes a carefully scripted outline to reveal the core values of the American society and the struggles of females and minority groups for fair treatment. Many analysts hail the clip as a well-formatted history lesson for migrant families and American patriots. Celebrated actors perform their roles concisely so that the audience can get the genuine historical text verbatim, hence there is no spin. After watching this film, I understood the early US history such as the end of slavery, multiple genocides of natives, and the Jim Crow movement, In addition, the film highlights the people that build human right movements and trade unions that ensure freedom of the press and justice for all. Additionally, The People Speak explains the establishment of an 8-hour work day and the liberation of LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender). Ideally, the film inspires and educate international students and those striving for social justice in the united states by expressing historic deeds of visionaries, dissenters, and rebels.

Today, not many people (especially children and migrants) know that the white majority are descendants of migrant explorers. On the other hand, the ancestors of most modern African-Americans were slaves that worked in plantations. However, over the past two centuries, America has transformed from agriculture-dependent country to an industrialized global power.

The movie teaches me that America is an ongoing project rather than a reality inscribed in stone. It presents the non-stagnant America through stories of national heroes and legends that define US democracy through their powerful actions and words. As expected, The People Speak traces the experiences and stories of ordinary Americans in their own thoughts, thus laying emphasis on democracy as explained in the constitution and Declaration of Independence. Indeed, the American success and track record in human rights is not a mere sport but a bloody struggle of multi-ethnic groups of people to push the nation towards peace and prosperity. Strikingly, musical compositions and performances by John Legend and Bruce Springsteen reiterate the iconic protest hymns that marked the transition to a full democracy and rule of law.

I was unaware that during the 17^th September of each year, all US citizens commemorate the founding fathers, and the fundamental documents containing rights and liberties. From the beginning of The People Speak to its end, there are moving examples that affirm people’s fight for implementation of Western values to benefit the future generations. The 90-minute movie contains slave testimonies and worker narratives. Besides, there are the moving proclamations of civil rights protesters to stress the importance of upholding rights and constitutional freedoms. Howard Zinn’s History of the American People and Their Voices forms a basis of this film performance, thus providing the learner with a first-hand perspective on US people and the materialization of events over time (Fishkin, 2014). Therefore, watching and listening to these people’s voices for one and a half hours earns me new insights into significant turning points in the country’s history and how ordinary people like me have successfully agitated for transformation. Undeniably, such emotional but triumphant stories are gripping and capture a learner’s attention. Armed with the knowledge, I am inspired to learn more about America’s past because it reminds me that voluntary participation in civil resistance is part of US culture as apple pie.

Numerous scenes and excerpts from the film are resonant in the modern America. For example, the modern economic hardships reflect the writings of characters affected by 1930s Great Depression. Further, bailouts and banks anger Ms. Tomei, whereas, in another scene, a speaker narrates a story of an activist that encouraged people to rally against mass evictions at the peak of Great Depression. Today, many people rebel against mainstream government policies that infringe people’s rights to own property. In future, such movement can probably result in strikes protests and a protest for economic justice.

The government is in dire need of citizen’s support to pass the important progressive bills and policies. However, an ignorant and negligent population can vote in ill-informed congressmen and representatives. In particular, the latest statistics indicate that the young population lack interest in politics and do not participate in choosing their political leaders. Resultantly, the old population makes the decision for the young generation. It is unrealistic, given that the chosen leaders will not enact laws that reflect the needs of the majority. In other instances, the far right policies threaten to derail the progress that the American society has made so far. People seem to forget the cost of political instability and disagreement among the communities. In fact, pessimistic political analysts argue that America is on the verge of civil unrest due to pressure from dysfunctional state agencies, ineffective legal system, and non-strict migrant laws. If this situation persists, the economic hardship and civil protests that persisted between 1930 and 1960 may recur.

In an established democracy like the United States, a little knowledge on the government makes it harder for people to hold political leaders accountable for their deeds and performance. Increasingly, people hardly evaluate the political information they have despite the advanced literacy levels. Malicious politicians and law enforcement agents exploit this vulnerability, thus sinking the country deeper into economic, legal, and political crisis. For example, a small group of political elites is responsible for making decisions that suit their needs without involving the public. Moreover, the laws that govern political parties make it difficult for third and fourth party candidates to participate in the general election. The impact of this move is far reaching since the voters have lesser avenues to advance their agendas and to restore law and order in a tense political climate. Given that the American society is ethnically diverse and is composed of multiple cultures, the rise of far-right and extremist views against the minorities is stoppable through the enactment of moderate laws to protect the rights of ordinary people.

References

Fishkin, J. S. (2014). The Voice of the People: Public Opinion and Democracy. New Haven: Yale university press.