3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets Educational Materials
On Black Friday 2012, four African-American teenagers stopped at a gas station to buy gum and cigarettes. One of them, Jordan Davis, argued with Michael Dunn, a white man parked beside them, over the volume of music playing in their car. The altercation turned to tragedy when Dunn fired 10 bullets at the unarmed boys, killing Davis almost instantly. The seamlessly constructed, riveting documentary film 3 1⁄2 Minutes, Ten Bullets explores the danger and subjectivity of Florida’s Stand Your Ground self-defense laws by weaving Dunn’s trial with a chorus of citizen and pundit opinions, and with Jordan Davis’ parents’ wrenching experiences in and out of the courtroom.
As conversations about Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and other victims of senseless violence play out on the national stage, 3 1⁄2 Minutes, Ten Bullets dives deep into the aftermath of Jordan Davis’ murder. This intimate story of unnecessary loss in the face of insidious racism promotes seeing one another as human beings, with the hope that compassion will lessen the inevitability of racial bias, disparity and violence.
These resources are for people seeking to use the documentary 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets as a catalyst for discussion and action to address the role that race plays in our society, generally, and, particularly, the experience and treatment of black men and boys.
