In a divided America, Van Jones attempts to pass a landmark criminal justice bill – and finds himself under fire from all sides.
The First Step Documentary follows Van Jones on his journey to make a criminal justice bill happen. For those people that were incarcerated for low crimes and high sentencing can be released earlier as well a better system for the criminal justice side of things. Plus, you follow his route on how both sides of the coin go against him through his actions and words in his social media and/or interviews.
This documentary goes into detail on the life of Van Jones while trying to get this bill for criminal justice to be signed and make what I would say history when any bill passes through thanks to a lot of hard-working people and communities. From seeing his interviews you see the good the bad and the worst of how can a person tries to make a change and no matter what he does there is always something negative to show the world.
We get to see here the long process that any type of bill goes through within politics, Media, Communities as well Influencers. Throughout the film, we get to meet many people from different states that want to present their hard work in their states and present what they have done to make their communities grow and make a change as well as show awareness that the criminal justice system is not fair. We see how these communities have joined together from every race, and ethnicity, and for who they voted let it be Trump or the other party.
Seeing how people even though they come from different places and have different mindsets but they all have the same general goal to be able to do good and to make a change for the people in their state is what can make a difference in this world. This film goes from presenting these people to showing you how each one has their own story when they came back from prison or why they started their community to help others. We go from the nitty gritty to their personal stories and why they keep moving forward.
The First Step as well gives us a taste of how one has to convince other politicians to be on their side to get a vote and how some judge people on their looks and their background. In one instance of the film Van Jones tries to speak with a politician after an interview, he presented someone that while incarcerated got his degree and fought for his education to make a change but as soon as he mentioned that he was in jail the politician judged him without even giving him a chance. You can see how judgemental some people can be only because you made a mistake and you just want to move forward.
This film is amazing to show as well that some influencers even though we as human beings tend to judge them by their actions we don’t see that as well they are people that are concerned about what is going on in the world as well showing us that they have their mindset and they to want to be part of the change. Not all of them are just here for the shoutout or the exposure. Kim Kardashian was sitting next to Van Jones to show her concern about the bill for criminal justice she give her statement that a change can be done.
Van Jones the controversial journalist made the bill be signed by Donald Trump and more than 10,000 people got to be released or get an earlier sentence till this day people doubt him and don’t understand his action to move forward. This documentary is great to show young people that if you fight you will see change and as well that many people might be on your side others might not but one keeps at it a great documentary.
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