“I Am Not Your Negro,” the 2016 Oscar-nominated documentary about race relations in America, will be shown by Vashon Film Society at 8:30 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, and Thursday at the Vashon Theatre.

Using an unfinished 1979 manuscript by legendary black writer James Baldwin as his primary source material, director and filmmaker Raoul Peck combined Baldwin’s notes, published essays and articles to weave together a powerful examination of race in America, connecting Baldwin’s experiences in the civil rights movement to present day #BlackLivesMatter.

Baldwin was writing the manuscript, “Remember This House,” at the time of his death in 1979. It was to be a memoir recounting his personal interactions with his three friends and slain civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

The film delves into the deep connections between the lives and assassinations of Baldwin’s friends, while also issuing a prophetic warning about the ongoing effects of racism. Samuel L. Jackson narrates Baldwin’s words that illuminate the resentment, anger and insensitivity blacks endure on a regular basis, while also citing the inspiration and dedication of his three courageous and influential friends.

Peck chose video clips from the civil rights era up to present day, including footage of the Rodney King beating; protests in Ferguson, Missouri; and shots of young black men in prison, to illustrate Baldwin’s words.

Baldwin was an American essayist, playwright, poet, novelist and social critic. His essays examine the racial, sexual and class distinctions in mid-20th century America. His literary work and activism landed Baldwin on the cover of Time magazine in 1963.

“There is not another writer,” the magazine said, “who expresses with such poignancy and abrasiveness the dark realities of the racial ferment in North and South.”

General admission is $9 and $8 for seniors, military and youth. Tickets are sold at the box office. For more information, call Vashon Film Society at 567-4768.

— Juli Goetz Morser