The Rape Of Recy Taylor

Out 3 september / CERT 15 / 91 mins

Activists often talk about intersectionality, the idea that being part of more than one marginalised group exponentially magnifies the discrimination a person may suffer, and it’s a concept given tragic immediacy in this fiery documentary. Recy taylor was a young black woman abducted and gang raped by white men in 1944 Alabama, and gender and race meant that justice was denied to her, despite the efforts of the NAACP and the young Rosa Parks. Director Nancy Buirski systematically describes all the lines of attack attempted to shut taylor up, chilling tactics still used today against outspoken women. the result works as a companion piece to Ava Duvernay’s 13th: that described the criminalisation of black manhood, while this highlights the exploitation of black women. It’s not always as sure-footed as Duvernay’s film, but its passion is undeniable, and taylor’s voice rings powerfully across the years.