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#WhileBlack

Play trailer 1:58 Poster for #WhileBlack 2026 1h 24m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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#WhileBlack follows citizen journalists like Diamond Reynolds and Darnella Frazier, whose cell phone videos from Minneapolis changed the conversation around policing and accountability overnight. Millions watched their footage, but almost no one saw what came next. Once the videos went viral, Diamond, Darnella, and others went into hiding to escape online trolls, media attention, and police surveillance, while Silicon Valley benefited from the explosion in user engagement their videos generated. The film pulls back the curtain on what it actually costs to document the truth in real time, and what happens when everyday people become the record-keepers of history. As Minneapolis once again finds itself at the center of national debate over footage, surveillance, and state power, #WhileBlack feels especially urgent, asking who really benefits from citizen journalism today, and who is left to carry the burden when a moment meant to inform the public becomes profit-generating content for the internet.

Cast & Crew

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Sidney Fussell

Director

Jennifer Holness

Director

Ann Shin

Producer

Mariam Bastani

Producer

Sidney Fussell

Producer

Ann Shin

Executive Producer
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#WhileBlack

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#WhileBlack

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Movie Info

Synopsis #WhileBlack follows citizen journalists like Diamond Reynolds and Darnella Frazier, whose cell phone videos from Minneapolis changed the conversation around policing and accountability overnight. Millions watched their footage, but almost no one saw what came next. Once the videos went viral, Diamond, Darnella, and others went into hiding to escape online trolls, media attention, and police surveillance, while Silicon Valley benefited from the explosion in user engagement their videos generated. The film pulls back the curtain on what it actually costs to document the truth in real time, and what happens when everyday people become the record-keepers of history. As Minneapolis once again finds itself at the center of national debate over footage, surveillance, and state power, #WhileBlack feels especially urgent, asking who really benefits from citizen journalism today, and who is left to carry the burden when a moment meant to inform the public becomes profit-generating content for the internet.
Director
Sidney Fussell, Jennifer Holness
Producer
Ann Shin, Mariam Bastani, Sidney Fussell
Production Co
Fathom Film Group
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 24m