179. The Melanin Code; movie review

THE MELANIN CODE
Cert TBA
93 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

Being a white middle-class male in his 50s in a Western democracy means that I have pretty much everything I want, doesn't it?
And the chances are that I will not understand the discrimination against ethnic minorities, women, the young or the old.
The Melanin Code rams home the point that if we don't live in another person's clothes, we can't tell how well they fit - despite including contributions from white people.
It is a call for African Americans to work together to create a radical power base so that they are not consistently marginalised.
Its premise is that white supremacy has led to the subversion of people of colour and supports the need to strike back.
In particular, it addresses the headings of economics, education, entertainment, law, labour, politics, religion, sex and war.
Business owners, financial experts, religious figures, well-known activists, educators, politicians and even members of the police force identify problems and present solutions.
I watched it on the same day as I took in the final episode of The Last Dance, a riveting Netflix series about the basketball player Michael Jordan whose current wealth is estimated at $2.1bn.
Jordan isn't mentioned by name during The Melanin Code but those who do whites' bidding come under heavy criticism.
In Jordan's case, despite his earnings, he would be seen as the pawn of those who run basketball, including the Chicago Bulls' owner.
They are white men. Indeed. Marcus Small's documentary hones in on the fact that the vast majority of big business owners are white.
The demand from its contributors to African Americans is to band together for social, economic and political betterment of their community.
The Melanin Code explains how people of colour can organise to create generational wealth and gives clear examples of how there have been steps taken to divide them over 300 years to prevent this from happening.
As said, I a white middle-aged male so it wasn't aimed at me.
Nevertheless, I found it compelling even though it veered occasionally into understandable lecturing and hectoring.

Reasons to watch: A moving take on how black people should escape oppression
Reasons to avoid: It is occasionally akin to a party political broadcast

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Just one per cent of America's top 500 companies have black chief executive officers but African Americans make up 13% of the United States' population.

The final word. Marcus Small: "A lot of influencers out there who wouldn't touch the film because it's not theirs. We had social media working against us too." Anchor FM

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