The Rape of Recy Taylor

Deeply moving and horrifying in a way that only true stories can be, this documentary explores a little-remembered chapter in the ongoing battle for justice for African-Americans. Through vintage film footage, historical photos, and interviews with those familiar with Taylor's life and struggle (including her younger brother and sister, who vividly recall the events of the night Taylor was raped), viewers quickly understand the courage and strength it took for Taylor to speak up and to keep fighting in an era when, as civil rights activist Esther Cooper Jackson tells us, "Women were attacked, raped, disappeared. One had to be careful about what time of day you walked, particularly in a rural area."

The real bummer? Savvy viewers will note that even in the #MeToo era, when sexual assault and power dynamics are being examined more closely, women in general -- and black women in particular -- still don't get fair treatment by society or law enforcement. Still, hearing Taylor's story in her own words (director Nancy Buirski was able to interview Taylor for her film before Taylor died in 2017) and in the words of others with important things to say about race, racism, and crime, is a compelling, if upsetting, experience -- though ultimately an uplifting one. As Taylor says, "I can't help but tell the truth, what was done to me." She did. And through her truth, other women found it easier to find, if not the justice they deserved, at least a more fitting justice than Taylor got. Recy Taylor emerges as the hero of her story, even if she wasn't considered one until far too late.