When film fuels harm

Exposure in early life to the social and racial hostility sparked by the 1915 film Birth of a Nation led to significant long-term health impacts on Black Americans. Individuals born in counties showing the movie experienced 6.5 months shorter lifespan during adulthood and old age. The effects were especially pronounced for Black people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those who remained in their birth counties. Exposure also correlated with lower education, reduced wages, and poorer health markers such as being underweight. This loss in longevity accounts for nearly 45 percent of the overall increase in life expectancy for cohorts born between 1900 and 1940.