Am I Racist?

Rated PG-13 • Theaters

A couple of years ago The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh created a documentary with the provocative title What Is a Woman? in which he dismantled the claims of the transgender movement. Now he applies his humorous brand of gonzo journalism to another of the political left’s social concerns in Am I Racist?

Walsh poses as someone on a journey of discovery, hoping to find how he, a white man, can absolve himself of guilt and end systemic racism. He reads books, gets a dubious “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” certification, and interviews DEI facilitators. He even hosts his own workshop.

Am I Racist? has some truly amusing scenes (though the documentary includes foul language, uttered mostly by people dedicated to the cause). Walsh deadpans convincingly as he converses with proponents of anti-racism. He has a knack for asking seemingly ingenuous questions that often make his interlocutors sound like the real racists. It’s a shame he didn’t rely on this tactic more. The documentary often veers into absurdity with Walsh indulging in socially awkward behavior that creates cringe-­inducing situations only tangentially related to race.

Walsh talks to plenty of regular folks who don’t seem to think racism is as big a problem as these DEI facilitators think it is, but this documentary is unlikely to change anyone’s mind. People invested in the idea of systemic racism will take the average American’s lack of interest as evidence for systemic racism.

Even so, Walsh clearly shows the financial incentive the DEI industry has for keeping racism alive and well. Every time he speaks with a new proponent of the anti-racist ideology, he includes how many thousands of dollars their dubious advice costs.