Profiled 2016
Distributed by Women Make Movies, 115 W. 29th Street, Suite 1200,New York, NY, 10001; 212-925-0606
Directed by Kathleen Foster
DVD, color, 52 min
High School - General Adult
Law Enforcement, Civil Rights, Race Relations
Date Entered: 06/26/2018
Reviewed by James Gordon, University at Buffalo LibrariesDuring a recent 20 year period, almost 300 unarmed people died at the hands of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). This documentary brings into focus the long-standing problem of police brutality. Deaths of people of color are disproportionately high, leading to the conclusion that racial profiling is a major factor in these deaths.
Profiled focuses on the police shooting of Kimani Gray as an example of the problem of police profiling young black men and boys. Witnesses directly contradict the official police version of events. This movie gives the resulting community reaction and activism a voice.
Black Lives Matters is a theme that permeates the DVD, which ends with a plea to the NYPD to “Stop killing our loved ones.” Profiled is appropriate for criminal justice training and classes, police department sensitivity training, and for those interested in the cause of social justice.