Defining US (2022)

Two years after the death of George Floyd, hate crimes still ravage the USA as racism, hatred and inequity impact every aspect of American life as we know it. Nowhere is that more apparent than in our schools where racism and all of the ills of society play out every day. Our classrooms are a microcosm of our community and have now become the most disputed battleground in this generation's American culture wars. We rarely hear the voices of marginalized youth most impacted by the current national debate on if and how racism should be discussed in schools. Defining US takes us inside the nation's largest schools and shows us the importance of conversations about the social issues that impact our individual and national identity. Through the personal stories of students, we see the hope, help, inspiration, despair, second chances, last chances, imprisonment, redemption, and many other contradictions and conflicts impacting students and teachers on the front lines of the divisive struggle over race and other social justice issues. Through these stories, producers build a larger cohesive story arc that shows how acknowledging, embracing, and affirming every student's identity and unique life circumstance is the first step in helping them understand their pain, realize their potential, find their purpose, and embrace their power to succeed and lead in a complex world. "Education is a key point in changing the way you look at your life, your world," says Darion Allen, a student in Los Angeles Unified School District, "then you have a mini revolution going on in your mind and that's something that nobody can take away from you." This breakthrough documentary shines a light on what educators are teaching our children and what they can teach us in chaotic and changing times.