I Prayed have prayed
Father, we ask that You help us to walk in Your ways by acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with You. Micah 6:8
Reading Time: 2 minutes

As a documentary, “What Killed Michael Brown?” has everything going for it. Its subject is timely, about the pre-George Floyd killing of Michael Brown by a police officer that set off riots in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014.

It’s written and narrated by Shelby Steele, the prominent African-American scholar at the Hoover Institution, and directed by his filmmaker son, Eli Steele. Its subject—race relations—is a major fault line in this year’s presidential election, one reason the Steeles scheduled their film for release on Oct. 16. Our columnist Jason Riley wrote about the film on Wednesday.

One problem: “What Killed Michael Brown?” doesn’t fit the dominant narrative of white police officers killing young black men because of systemic racism. As a result, says the younger Mr. Steele, Amazon rejected it for its streaming service. “We were canceled, plain and simple.”

In an email, Amazon informed the Steeles that their film is “not eligible for publishing” because it “doesn’t meet Prime Video’s content quality expectations.”  . . .

On their website—whatkilledmichaelbrown.com—the Steeles offer other options for people looking to watch their documentary. But it’s sadly telling about elite political conformity that an intelligent film that gives voice to a variety of people, almost all black, who would otherwise not be heard is somehow deemed unfit for polite company. As Eli Steele puts it, “When Amazon rejected us they also silenced these voices and that is the great sin of a company that professes to be diverse and inclusive.”

We’re skeptical of the many calls in Washington to break up large tech giants such as Amazon since that might do more economic harm than good. But political pressure is building on the left, which dislikes Big Tech’s success and size; and on the right, which resents its leftward bias in suppressing cultural messages it doesn’t want people to hear. By canceling important dissenting voices like the Steeles on such a vital subject, Amazon is inviting a political backlash.

(Excerpt from Wall Street Journal. Article by The Editorial Board. Photo Credit: Unsplash.)

What do you think about Amazon canceling Shelby Steele?

Comments (2) Print

Comments

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Linda Fisher
October 19, 2020

Totally hypocrotical!

Luanne
October 19, 2020

Oh Abba! So many battles to fight, so many wars to be won. It overwhelms us, but praise be to you, our Lord and King! You are not overwhelmed, you are not worried, you have a plan! Overturn the enemies hold on our media and big tech companies! Open the eyes of your people and those blinded to your existence. Breathe your breath into us. Give us a second wind in these battles and help us to rely on you and not ourselves. Bring glory to your name! Bring forth laborers into the harvest. It is SO plentiful! In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

19

Partner with Us

Intercessors for America is the trusted resource for millions of people across the United States committed to praying for our nation. If you have benefited from IFA's resources and community, please consider joining us as a monthly support partner. As a 501(c)3 organization, it's through your support that all this possible.

Dave Kubal
IFA President
Become a Monthly Partner

Share

Click below to share this with others

Log in to Join the Conversation

Log in to your IFA account to start a discussion, comment, pray, and interact with our community.