More than one person felt that a film shown March 22 at Blakely Hall in the Issaquah Highlands as part of Meaningful Movies of Issaquah was especially poignant in the U.S. in a time when hate crimes and racial discrimination are at the forefront of political discussions.

About 15 people turned out to see the 2016 film “13th,” a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay and distributed by Netflix. Named for the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which outlawed slavery, the film argues that although the days of slavery and segregation are over, African-Amerians are still discriminated against by another system — American prisons.

Organized by Issaquah residents Tamra Lee and Jack Vogelberg, Meaningful Movies of Issaquah — part of the larger Meaningful Movies Project, which shows films in cities throughout the western U.S. — shows films on a monthly basis at Blakely Hall and at the Historic Issaquah Train Depot, alternating between the two locations each month. The movies tackle current issues, such as mental illness, social justice for Native Americans and the role of money in political campaigns.

“We’re looking at what’s going on with Black Lives Matter. As an organization, we want to educate our community, we want people to understand one another,” Lee said.

“The movie documents the history of incarceration of African-Americans from abolition of slavery right up to the present day,” said Barb de Michelle, director of the Issaquah Schools Foundation’s Healthy Youth Initiative, who attended the showing at Blakely Hall. “It does a thorough job of showing that slavery has never really gone away – first in ‘work camps’ right after abolition through today’s for-profit prisons that pay convicts a dollar a day for their labor.”

According to the film, one in 17 white men go to prison in their lifetimes, while a third of African-American men will end up behind bars at some point. Though African-American males represent not even 7 percent of the U.S. population as a whole, over 40 percent of people in jail are black men.

“We thought, ‘People need to understand this so they can understand their neighbors, people in the community,” Lee said. “Through this organization, we want to bring awareness to people and bring people together.”

The film states that most prison inmates accept a plea bargain instead of going to trial. When they are released, they find it hard to get employment, schooling, housing and food stamps if they have a felony on their record. In some states, those with a felony conviction are banned from ever voting again; the film says that this essentially sends African-Americans back to the days of slavery.

“The film documented a case in New York where a young man of 16 was accused of a crime — with no evidence — who lingered in prison for three years because he would not plead guilty,” de Michelle described. “He was beaten many times by both guards and inmates. At the end of three years he was released without charge, but the experience was so horrific that he hung himself a year later.”

The film also explores what it sees as the creation of a prison industry that depends on human inmates to make a profit, and a criminal justice system that favors the wealthy, as poorer people cannot afford to pay bail.

“Social justice and environmental issues align with our mission around diversity and stewardship,” said Christy Garrard, executive director of the Issaquah Highlands Council.

She went on to say, speaking from her personal perspective and not on behalf of the council, that “information is powerful and 13th is a powerful film on the topic of race and its relation to the incarceration epidemic in our country, compared to other countries around the globe.”

Garrard was raised in the South, and said that she has personally seen that racism is still alive.

“I have encouraged my family and friends to see this film … I have family that work in the corrections industry. I see both sides,” Garrard said. “Both sides, in my personal opinion, should see this film.”

“It was a very powerful film,” de Michelle agreed. She added, “I’m hoping it can be shown again.”

The next ‘Meaningful Movie’ to be shown will be “Racing Extinction,” playing at 6:30 p.m. on April 28 at the Historic Train Depot.