Ava DuVernay’s Distribution Company Acquires Documentary “For Our Children,” Now on Netflix – Demonstrating Hope and Strength in Community Amid Tragedy and Police Brutality
Last Friday Netflix launched the documentary “For Our Children,” originally titled “Black Mothers Love & Resist,” backed by Ava DuVernay’s distribution company, ARRAY. The film exhibits the union of two mothers whose lives were devastated as a result of police brutality, and the powerful network of hope and mutual aid they have created through their pain.
Written, directed and produced by Débora Souza Silva, “For Our Children” highlights the ongoing crisis of police violence in this country, centering on the mothers of those slain by law enforcement. Despite the increased national awareness around police brutality and the nation-wide BLM protests advocating for justice after the murder of George Floyd, police violence is higher than ever before. According to recent data from Mapping Police Violence, a non-profit research group, there were at least 1,200 people killed by law enforcement by the end of 2023, the most recorded deaths from police violence since experts first began calculating these statistics in 2013. Not even halfway through 2024, and there have already been over 400 deaths by officers this year. Even with the public attention toward these tragedies, every year racially-charged violence committed by police officers becomes worse and worse.
“For Our Children” hones in on two mothers, Wanda Johnson and Angela Williams, focusing on both of their ongoing battles for justice for their sons who were subjected to violence at the hands of police, while highlighting the community-driven efforts toward healing through solidarity. Johnson is the mother of Oscar Grant III, who was tragically shot and murdered by BART police officers in 2009 in Oakland, becoming the basis for the feature film “Fruitvale Station,” starring Michael B. Jordan. Williams’ son, Ulysses Wilkerson, was apprehended and beaten by Alabama police in 2017, when he was just 17 years old, leaving his face disfigured along with a slew of lasting injuries. Reverend Wanda Johnson started the Oscar Grant Foundation in 2009 just after her son was killed, and began inspiring and working alongside other mothers across the nation with young Black sons victimized by police violence. This network and organization, called Mothers of the Movement, aims to amplify the voices of those affected by police brutality, and has partnerships with Blueprint for Justice and other similar organizations with the goals of seeking justice and repairing the corrupted system of policing in America. The documentary follows Johnson as she connects with Williams and assembles a team of lawyers and community members in attempts to discover the truth of the events leading up to Ulysses’ encounter with police, aiming to shine light on the corruption within law enforcement. It is a heart wrenching but hope-filled exposition of the persisting police violence and brutality in the U.S., pointing to the power of community and healing through connection.
“For Our Children” is now available to stream on Netflix, so check it out if you can.
