Defining US

Two years after the death of George Floyd, hate crimes still ravage the USA as racism, hatred and inequity impact every aspect of American life as we know it. Nowhere is that more apparent than in our schools where racism and all of the ills of society play out every day. Our classrooms are a microcosm of our community and have now become the most disputed battleground in this generation’s American culture wars. We rarely hear the voices of marginalized youth most impacted by the current national debate on if and how racism should be discussed in schools. Defining US takes us inside the nation’s largest schools and shows us the importance of conversations about the social issues that impact our individual and national identity. Through the personal stories of students, we see the hope, help, inspiration, despair, second chances, last chances, imprisonment, redemption, and many other contradictions and conflicts impacting students and teachers on the front lines of the divisive struggle over race and other social justice issues. This breakthrough documentary shines a light on what educators are teaching our children and what they can teach us in chaotic and changing times.