Educational Media Reviews Online

No Justice, No Peace is aptly sub-titled, "Four Voice for Change." These voices are four college-age Cincinatti residents who, each in a different way, are engaged in action for social change with a view to making the world better. It is unclear from the film if these young people even know each other, but they all recognize the social inequities that underlie Cincinnati's local politics (such as the riots and social unrest that developed in the city after an African American man was shot by the police), or larger events such as the September 11, 2001 Twin Towers disaster (which they view as a symptom of bigger international issues).

The video features these young people in talking-head format, interspersed between footage of some of their activism: mobilizing large crowds, getting arrested for demonstrating, playing with inner-city children, and sharing the podium with city officials. Amanda Mays, who raises her fist and her voice in support of “No Justice, No Peace,” continues her parents’ pro-union politics, views the world from a mixed race heritage, and sometimes feels alone in her attempt to combat racism and change the world. Ora Wise sees globalization as a local issue, works in community development, and challenges her rabbi father's "selective compassion" by setting up a mock refugee camp and grieving for every life that is lost in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Robert Richardson, Jr. continues his father's involvement in the American Civil Rights movement, overcame negative tracking in his high school to become a student body president in college, stresses the importance of voting, and hopes to enter law school and a career in politics. Ruairi Rhodes grew up in a mixed race neighborhood where he saw how his white skin gave him opportunities not open to many of his black friends. He teaches in a Freedom School, with an Afro-centered curriculum modeled on the Civil Rights schools of Freedom Summer in 1964, and sees himself more as a community leader than an activist. He hopes to pursue a career in education.

Never strident or polemical, these "four voices for change" challenge any sense that all young people are apathetic and ignorant. The video shows how four young people at the beginning of the 21st Century view their world. For this reason, their experiences might acquaint their elders with an alternative worldview, while resonating with high school and college students. Teachers in many disciplines from social studies in high school to history, sociology and political science in college might find this well-produced and well-edited video useful for classroom discussion. Highly recommended.