SALE: Crash Course

Crash Course: Reflections on the Film Crash for Critical Dialogues About Race, Power and Privilege

by Michael Benitez Jr.

Campuses across the country are widely using the film Crash as a way to talk with students about racism. Given this, Speak Out felt an obligation to interact with this dialogue by asserting a critical look at the film through different lenses and from varied perspectives.

The result is Crash Course: Reflections on the Film Crash for Critical Dialogues About Race, Power and Privilege, an 84-page collection of essays by some of the country’s most prominent anti-racism writers, scholars and activists.

Edited by Michael Benitez Jr. and Felicia Gustin, the anthology provides a context and framework for those using the film in educational settings. As Victor Lee Lewis writes in his essay: “Crash fails to render a coherent and liberating analysis of racism, privilege or power. Yet, if thoughtfully handled, it can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning. We owe it to ourselves to consider how to make the best use of it.”