World Without Black People: A Letter from the Director

Mustering up courage and overcoming any sense of anxiety, we went up to random strangers on the street to ask them one question. But this wasn’t just any question. This was a question people called “provocative”, or “crazy”, or “omg I don’t know how to answer this”.

But they did. And we were surprised how openly they shared. We heard some of the most heartfelt and raw stories.

We met men and women of all ethnicities embracing each other in solidarity. We met parents teaching their children what it means to stand up for love and justice. We met a gentleman who participated in the civil rights movement and is still going strong at the age of 81.

We believe this is one of our most important films about one of the most important movements of our generation.

Making this film has changed my life. Growing up I hung out primarily with Asians. Whenever families gathered for potlucks, they were all Asian. My best friends were Asian. Maybe I was just more comfortable within my own ethnicity. Sure I knew people from other ethnicities, but did I really know them that well? You could say my world did not really have black people. It was only when I got to medical school, 23 years into my life, that I became close friends with African Americans and other ethnicities. But even still, I had not really sought to understand what it was like to be a black person living in this society. Through making this film, I reflected and confronted my own racist thoughts.

One of the people I saw on the streets was a guy in a hoodie who just walked out of a McDonalds. I hesitated for a second, and later in talking with my friend I realized it was because subconsciously I had stereotyped him as a thug. But as you can tell from his answers, he turned out to be a very socially conscious guy who after the interview invited me to a community organizing gathering.

I believe we become better people – more understanding and less judgmental – when we get to know somebody different from us. That’s why we want to encourage you to do the same.

JP Love,
Eric I. Lu

| #WeCanDoBetterBy CAMPAIGN |

“Get to know somebody that doesn’t look like you, worship next to somebody who doesn’t look like you, share a meal with somebody who doesn’t look like you and come with no expectations…then you’ll see who we are.” If you are watching this video, this is your call to action. We want you to join us in our #WeCanDoBetterBy Campaign:

1.) TWEET US – In 140 characters or less, tell us what you can do to break down racial stereotypes and inspire others to do the same. Finish the sentence: #WeCanDoBetterBy….., and don’t forget to tag @JubileeProject. You can use this link: http://ctt.ec/QCqsU

2.) WATCH VIDEOS – We put together a short playlist of some of our favorite videos about race / racism. They have facts and practical advice on how we can do better. Check them out: http://bit.ly/1xn8j78

3.) TAKE ACTION – Meet up with a friend who is a different race than you and have a conversation about personal experiences of racism. Keep an open mind and loving heart. Break away from stereotypes of what it means to be a certain race. You never know what you’ll learn.

| CREDITS |
Created, Directed, and Edited by Eric I. Lu
Produced and Edited by Elaine Zhou
Edited and Shot by Jean Rheem
Additional Sound and Camera by Dru Chen, Albert Chen, Jackie Hsieh, and June-Ho Kim
Music thanks to Marmoset Music (https://www.marmosetmusic.com)
Special Thanks to Jason Y. Lee

Special thanks to everybody to shared their stories with us.

| JUBILEE PROJECT |
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