Trigger warning: Yance Ford’s “Power,” a powerful follow-up to his “Strong Island,” debuts on Netflix on May 17. Pulling no punches, the documentary delves into America’s troubled history of policing, exposing the disturbing roots of police power and its enduring impact on communities. “Power” is a deeply unsettling yet essential exploration of a broken system, raising critical questions about accountability and the path toward a more just future.
We have mistakenly bestowed extraordinary power on the police over our individual lives. They decide who is suspicious; who “fits the description”; and how to respond to perceived threats, often with the constant threat of violence. Thousands of these interactions play out in our cities and towns every day, shaping ideas of criminality and social order as defined by the police. Police make the abstract power of the state real.
Think about that for a long, hard moment. Where do Americans have freedom when an organized force of armed individuals can decide your fate in less than a second?
In 2020, the world watched in horror as a police officer committed murder on television. Did the murders by police stop right then and there? No, they did not.
“Power” takes us on a much-needed history lesson. Offering a deeply disturbing look at archival footage of violence (and murder) by police, it will leave viewers breathless. If you care about the safety of our communities, you must watch it.
Policing as we know it began with the slave patrols of the 1700s and the first publicly funded police departments of the 1800s. The documentary traces the movements for equality through the uprisings of the 1960s and 2020s.
Ford’s voice is gentle, guiding us through this deeply affecting topic. Using footage that details modern American policing, his documentary highlights the forced patrols and oppression of Native Americans, African American slaves, and poor workers of all races in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Historical scrutiny is necessary.
Ford is an intelligent storyteller, using essays, interviews, archival footage, and historical materials to illustrate contemporary realities and examine urgent questions about unchecked authority. For people of color, our view of who is policed, who is protected, who gets to decide, and why is painfully clear and can be documented and presented as fact.
“Power” does not suggest a specific course of action to change gross inequalities. Instead, the film presents the facts in a clear and non-emotional manner, and Ford provides a platform for universities and other experts to weigh in.The truth of the brutality is right in our faces, then and now.
Ford’s first documentary, “Strong Island,” also delved into dark subject matter. There, he explored the murder of his brother, showing his ability to handle brutal truths. Some critics might argue that the distance in “Power” removes some intimacy, but the power of the truth transcends any distance.
I believe everyone should see “Power.” Police officers have an impact on every single person in the United States. Every person should understand what’s happening and begin to figure out how peace-loving people and communities can move toward meaningful changes.
“Power” is a Netflix release. Producers: Swetha Vohra, Jess Devaney, Yance Ford, and Netsanet Negussie. Executive producers: Nya Rous, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, and Liz Garbus. Director: Yance Ford. Camera: Julia Liu. Editor: Ian Olds. Music: Robert Aiki and Aubrey Lowe. Featuring: Charlie Adams, Baher Azmy, Paul Butler, Julian Go, Elizabeth Hinton, Redditt Hudson, Christy Lopez, Wesley Lowery, Stuard Schrader, Micol Seigel, Nikhil Pal Singh, Keeanga-Yamahatta Taylor, and George Yancy.
19th century – The origins of Community Oriented Policing can be traced back to 1829, when British statesman Robert Peel (known as “the founder of modern policing”) launched the “Principles of Democratic Policing” (see box). These principles introduced the possibility of crime prevention without heavy intrusion into people’s lives. That should clear up how your Netflix Story, is just that, A Story! Use your brains people. Don’t believe everything you see, do your own research!!!!!!!!