Journal Article

The Color of Justice: Unpacking Racial Bias in the Legal System in If Beale Street Could Talk

Djakaria, Salmin, Rema, I Nyoman, Suprihatien, Suprihatien, Putra, I Ketut Sudharma, Sumarsono, Irwan, Jayanti, I Gusti Ngurah, Pratita, Ina Ika, Refisrul, Refisrul, Armini, I Gusti Ayu, Lestari, Chatarini Septi Ngudi

2025

Overview

The study dives into racial bias in the legal system, and it draws insights from Barry Jenkins's If Beale Street Could Talk to emphasize how widespread oppression affects the lives of African Americans. It also looks at how racial expressions in films reveal the flaws in the legal process. While past research has often focused on the romance and the characters' perseverance, this study fills in the gaps by zeroing in on the scenes that tackle racial injustice. Doing so provides a fresh perspective on how race and the law intersect. The real value of this study is that it simplifies how widespread racism is woven into cultural stories, which adds more depth to the ongoing conversation about media representation. The analysis takes a qualitative approach focusing on conversations and selected scenes, all supported by Intersectionality theory. The primary data comes from specific scenes in the film. The study shows that Jenkins uses racial expression, both in speech and body language, to critique racial bias in the legal system, emphasizing the structural barriers that contribute to injustice. This study adds to the growing use of Intersectionality in analyzing media, helping us understand how film can push back against dominant narratives and advocate for racial equality. The unique part of this study is its sharp focus on racial expressions in key scenes, which expands the conversation about race, law, and storytelling in cinema.

• Publisher: Academy Publication Co., Ltd
• Subject: African American Community / African Americans / Art Expression / Bias / Black people / Child Rearing / Cognitive Processes / Comparative Analysis / Comparative Education / Conversation / Creative Activities / Desktop Publishing / Emotional Response / Empathy / Family (Sociological Unit) / Gender / Housing / Imprisonment / Inequality / Injustice / Intersectionality / Jenkins, Barry / Justice / Kinesics / Law / Legal system / Literature Reviews / Mass media images / Minority Groups / Motion pictures / Narratives / Nonverbal communication / Novels / Oppression / Perseveration / Psychological Patterns / Race / Racial bias / Racial differences / Racial discrimination / Racial inequality / Racial justice / Racial profiling / Racism / Social Behavior / Social change / Social justice / Social Problems / Speech / Story Telling / Storytelling / Systemic racism / Translation / White supremacy / Women