Director Ava DuVernay And A Late Show Host Stephen Colbert Discuss Law Enforcement Accountability Project

On Thursday writer, producer, director Ava DuVernay was the guest on A Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The host and filmmaker talked about the legacy of Congressman John Lewis, his influence during the production of SELMA, and personal advice from the lawmaker where he told her to “do everything!”. They also spoke about the criminalization of black people and the myth that they need to be controlled through mechanisms of social control that is prominent in the justice system, which is shown in her film 13TH.

Winner of the Emmy, BAFTA and Peabody Awards, Academy award nominee, DuVernay also talked about her new program LEAP: Law Enforcement Accountability Project, which came about by the murder of George Floyd and how it funds artists who raise awareness about officers who have committed crimes against black people. In addition Colbert and DuVernay also discussed the mainstream press’s lack of coverage about law enforcement units in Army-style camouflage with no identification other than a simple “Police” label on their outfits going into Portland and other U.S. cities. Read more about it here: https://fortune.com/2020/07/22/trump-federal-troops-portland-law-us-cities-chicago-nyc-baltimore-philadelphia-detroit/

Learn more about LEAP and how to contribute at LEAPACTION.org

Duvernay’s film “13th” is streaming for free right now on YouTube.

Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay’s examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country’s history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America. This piercing, Oscar-nominated film won Best Documentary at the Emmys, the BAFTAs and the NAACP Image Awards.

DuVernay also helmed the film WHEN THEY SEE US, the infamous case of The Central Park Five, that was released worldwide on Netflix in May 2019.