“I don't even really see sit-ins and marches as passive. I see them as quite assertive. I see those as emotionally aggressive tactics. I see people putting their lives on the line and being bold and brave.”

American filmmaker

Ava DuVernay is an American filmmaker. She is known for directing films and television and for founding the independent distribution company ARRAY in 2011. Her work has earned two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award. DuVernay made her directorial debut with I Will Follow in 2010. Her second feature, Middle of Nowhere, won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, making her the first Black woman to receive that honor. She has also been nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.