Ayanna Pressley, a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, once said, "We must recognize that problems like systemic racism, economic inequality, and the achievement gap are the result of man-made policies. » In Ava Duvernay's documentary 13th, she explores the idea that the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution is responsible for the mass incarceration of people of color. Duvernay's use of different rhetorical techniques contributes to a story of systemic racism that can be praised by people on both ends of the political spectrum. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime of which the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist in the United States or any other place subject to its jurisdiction.” The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits slavery unless the justice system convicts you of a crime. Unless you are incarcerated. The director uses words, stories, and images to prove a point made by Ayanna Pressley and many others. Through the use of accredited speakers, compelling evidence, and striking images, Ava Duvernay was able to effectively convey that systemic racism in the justice system stems from the 13th Amendment loophole. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Ethos is a form of persuasion that relies on the credibility of the speaker/presenter. Without credibility, the audience would struggle to connect and find a sense of trustworthiness in the ideas the director was trying to convey to them. Throughout the film, the director introduces an array of historical figures. Presidential speeches given by various sitting presidents like Barack Obama, who opens the film with a statistic about incarceration rates in the United States. To the many speeches given by historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr and Angela Davis. Duvernay introduced figures who have either been through the system or have immense knowledge of the injustice faced by people of color within the justice system. By presenting people/minorities who have experienced the injustice of the system, Duvernay was able to better create trust because they were easily recognizable to the general public. But what really contributed to the credibility of the director's film was the fact that it presented multiple points of view. During discussions of policy and legislation, the audience heard interviews with people who hold or have held political office, such as Newt Gingrich and Cory Booker. When the topic of lobbying came up, there was an interview with Michael Hough who was not only a senator at the time of the film, but also a member of the lobbying company/group ALEC. Duvernay introduced several civil rights activists like Malkia Cyril and Gina Clayton, founder of the justice group Essie. The director also had interviews with professors from renowned universities such as Kevin Gannon, who teaches at Grandview University in Idaho, and Jelani Cobb, writer and professor of journalism at Columbia University. Duvernay captures the perspectives of people from different areas of expertise to provide multiple perspectives to the audience. Ethos was used several times throughout the film to influence the credibility of the documentary by presenting not only facts but also credible sources. Since the people who brought up the facts were notable personalities, the facts themselves were morelikely to resonate with the public. audience. Duvernay, from the beginning of the film, presents the statistic given by President Obama according to which a quarter of the world's incarcerated population is in the United States. What made this specific piece of evidence compelling was the fact that it followed Obama's previous statement that the United States was home to only five percent of the world's population. Additionally, throughout the documentary, Duvernay constantly emphasizes that this is the United States. The Constitution, the document that governs every piece of legislation created, is a legal injustice against people of color. There is also a strong presence of legalese that helps create a connection between those in the audience who are more drawn to statistics and truths about injustice within the American justice system. Towards the end of the film, audiences learn the realities of incarceration rates between people of color and their white counterparts. Only “1 in 17 white men are likely to go to prison, and 1 in 3 black men are likely to end up in prison.” Through the use of compelling evidence throughout the film, the director was able to better educate the audience and better convey the purpose of the film. Finally, the most effective way for Duvernay to reach the public was to use images, videos and films which, in general, tend to provoke emotions in viewers. The emotions are so strong that they force the viewer to make a connection or remember a situation similar to those depicted in the film. An example could be seen at the very beginning of the documentary. While the various speakers talk about the “first [American] prison boom” after the Civil War, a montage begins. Images of black boys and men in prison uniforms performing seemingly arduous tasks. Excerpts from Birth Of A Nation that dehumanized black men. Portraying them as rapists and showing the romanticized views of the Ku Klux Klan leading to a reintroduction of the KKK into society. Duvernay used clips from Birth of A Nation to show how the actions taken in this film were an excellent representation of "art imitating life", as Jeloni Cobb, one of the film's speakers, puts it. By showing real, unfiltered footage, viewers were forced back to that era. Multiple unfiltered images of black men being lynched, with large groups of people gathered around. Clips of a black man with “KKK” carved into his skin by klan members. These images, along with newspaper headlines from the time that depicted no real remorse for the acts of terror, evoke feelings of anger and even confusion among the public. Another strong example of Duvernay's effective use of images and clips is seen towards the end of the film. . The viewer is taken back to the 2016 US presidential elections. As President Trump gives speeches at campaign rallies chanting “USA! USA!" with the participants, clips showing Americans, particularly white on black, spitting in their faces, shouting offensive remarks and manhandling are shown. Creating a juxtaposition between the feeling of nationalism and the "USA!" chants and discrimination seen in clips showing violence against black people by their white counterparts As President Trump continues to reminisce about the “good old days,” a montage of clips showing the similarities between discrimination in the Jim Crow era, segregation and today begins. In these clips we see black men being beaten by groups of white men and police during segregation.. 2016