Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Black History Month

Hello all,
So we're closing up on February which also happens to be Black History Month. We're also facing the possibility of electing the first black President this year. Some would say we've come a long way from the racism of yesterday. Some would argue we haven't come very far at all. But here's my question to you:

What piece(s) of media (book, movie, album, TV show, etc.) do you remember as being a key piece of material addressing racism in America. You can list as many things as you like. Just give me two paragraphs telling why it impacted you so much. I'll get the ball rolling. My favorites would be a documentary series called "Eyes on the Prize" and a book by Anne Moody called "Coming of Age in Mississippi".

30 comments:

elizabeth bowling said...

I would have to say that the book that affected me the most would have to be Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Before I had read this book I had never read about the personal lives of slaves although I had read many stories about slaves in general. It had a pretty big impact on me on an emotional level because I felt like I really understood how these people felt. Another part of history I guess you could say I learned from a book was about Rosa Parks. I remember being young and feeling so sad for this lady and I did not understand why the people were so mean to her because I had never even heard of racism, I would have to say that this would be my first experience learning about it. It definitely impacted me in a big way, I think in a positive way to help me understand that racism was a very bad thing even when I was very young.

NancyH said...

Alex Haley's "Roots" would have to be it for me as far as media goes. I was a little girl and probably should not have been watching that movie because there are terribly gruesome and saddening things that happen in it. I remember feeling so sad for the characters that I cried. I did not know that slavery had even taken place. Then to find out that the movie was based on fact really broke my heart. I was not raised in a non-racist home. We are not many generations away from the old days when we were all taught to hate each other. I really do not think we are teaching the up and coming generation not to hate either. With the war and all the crime, it is not easy to explain. I do not know the solution to the racism problem in America. I think it will always be a problem. I do not think a black president is the answer, and it makes me angry to hear people say they plan to vote for him because he is black. I think that is childish and plain stupid. Obama is an inexperienced windbag that either cannot or is too lazy to write his own material.

S.Mcelfish said...

One key piece of material addressing racism in American history would have to be South Park. All be it that the show plays mainly on shock value; the messages they creators express are as real as the social climate we live in today. The show not only questions racism in today's society, but it exams the bare issues with metaphors and other literary devices.

The program allows the public to see the issues from a different light. The creators try to expose the concepts so that the real problems can show through; however, they do not try to answer the social issues that exist in our society. South Park merely reflects the tones and moods of our present culture. Hence, South Park may not be in the history books, but socially, South Park has earned something.

Tessa Horn said...

The first movie that popped in my head was Mississippi Burning. Mississippi Burning takes place in the mid 60’s in the heart of the civil right movement. The film begins with three civil rights activists (two white and one black) traveling at night down a backcountry road. They encounter a car that contains members of the Ku Klux Klan. The car follows them and forces them off the road. The members then kill the activists without a provocation on the part of the activists. FBI agents are then put on the case and travel down to the small town in Mississippi. The two agents have different personalities and ideas of how to solve the case. The lead agent, Willem Dafoe, takes control of the case and calls for more manpower to work on the case despite Gene Hackman’s advice.

This fuels a rivalry between the small town people and the Bureau and strengthens the rivalry between the black community. Members of the KKK and community set fire to the houses and churches of the black people of the town and use physical violence to scare them into not talking to the FBI agents. The extra men brought in (Navy reserve officers) dredge and endlessly search the swamp until the abandoned car of the activists is recovered. The search is continued for the three missing bodies of the young men. While questioning the members of the Klan, the families are also interviewed. While one of the family interviews is taking place, Gene Hackman meets and develops feelings for one of the Klan member’s wives.

After watching this movie, I remember feeling a great sadness for the civil rights activists. Since watching Mississippi Buring at a very young age, I have learned a great deal about racism and how it has had a lasting effect on some.

Anonymous said...

I am going to have to agree with Elizabeth on the book that affected me most would have to be Uncle Tom's Cabin. This would mostly be because I act to act out the play in highschool, so it made more since than to just read it, I had to put myself into it.
This movie wouldnt really effect on the racism level but, Driving Mrs. Daisy was the first movie to come up when reading this topic. Mostly because I think when Hoke first started working for Mrs. Daisy she was real racist and didnt trust him, but as the movie went on Hoke became her best friend, and people thought highly of the friendship that they had.

Vixen1922 said...

Jessica Hunter

I really like Bamboozled, not becuase it adresses the issues of yesterday but more becuase it adressed the issues of today. African Americans are a large part fo the problem for Black America. We do things that make us look bad and blame it all on white people. I am not saying that racism is dead but when you dont respect yourself it is crazy for you to expect other people to respect you.

Black people sometimes make fun of themselves as a defense mechanism. We have learned to carry our feelings deep inside so others do not know how we really feel about racism. Its a very complicated movie, well not so much hard to understand as it is hard to understand the true meaning.

Lawrence said...

Jessica:
Here here! on Boondocks. As slapstick as it is, there are deeper issues addressed which can serve as learning tools for many. Now this will sound funny, but sometimes I wish Aaron would produce a "white" version, only because there are some jokes in his series that are so "inside" that I think people will laugh at the obvious parts which could actually sometimes be considered racist and not comprehend the deeper significance. For example: Uncle Rukus who despises everything black even though he could give a cast iron skillet a run for its money...

Regarding key media, I have to mention the PBS series African American Lives hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This Harvard professor has worked with a team of scientists and successfully accomplised what many thought to be impossible. Namely, tracing the lineage of African Americans back to a specific geographical origin in Africa and sometimes throughout the diaspora, and in many cases tracing through a unique DNA modeling technique the person's ancestry to a specific African tribe. Go here for more info:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/
While the show focused on tracing the ancestry of celebrities, there is now a "home kit" that can be purchased to do the same. Go here:
http://www.africanancestry.com/

Now for anyone who wants to "get their black on" for this month or any month for that matter, I humbly suggest the following authors which I have read, enjoyed, and learned much from. Key contributors are starred:

***Cheikh Anta Diop***
***Ivan Van Sertima***
***Yosef Ben Yochannan***
Anthony Browder
Jawanza Kunjufu
John G Jackson
***J A Rogers***
George G M James
Chancellor Williams
Carter G Woodson
*****John Henrik Clarke*****
Dr. Williams, thanks for letting an 'old head' contribute.

Lawrence Lockhart

Lawrence said...

Woops, misread. Jessica, you said Bamboozled, not Boondocks (my selective reading...). Yes, Spike Lee's parody on American media would actually make a great study for this class. The anguish of the writer's assistant (played by Jada Pinkett), the torment of the homeless-turned-TV stars (Savion Glover and whats-his-name). Yes, Bamboozled was a classic even though my wife thinks its just a dumb movie that misses on every count.
Lawrence

Gunner said...

The one book that I have read that relates to this was Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Until one really reads this book they really don't know what the slaves went through. People want to assume that they knew what went on but do not have a clue. I haven't really watched that much on rascism but I know that God made us all to be equal. I do remember when Mississippi Burning came out and everyone was talking about what an impact it made on them to see what really happened with dealing with the klu klux klan. It was a very sad movie and I think that it affected many.

Gunner said...

Hey I forgot to leave my name on the end of gunner's paragraphs. Heather f.

krc said...

I remember growing up and watching the movie "Roots" at a young age. This was well after the civil rights movement, but african americans were still not accepted by society as an equal. This movie really portrayed how african americans were treated during slavery. People knew that was wrong, but I don't think had a really good picture of what they went through until that movie came out.

As far as a book goes, I recently read a short story, but I can't remember the name of the story or the author. It was about a white boy and an african american boy where were best friends, then one day, the parents of the white boy took him to a lynching of his friend, the african american, because he was accused of some minor crime, such a stealing or something. Anyhow, wanting to have his father proud of him, the boy watched his friend being murdered. I think this is just so wrong. People should be treated equal, regardless of sex, race, nationality. To make a child witness this, is just unethical, in my opinion. After this incident, I believe the parents were teaching their son to hate another race, because before that they were best friends.

Kimberly Cook

Barbara said...

I feel that we as black have come a long way. Because when I was growing up can remember the town I lived in schools did not integrate until 1969. I was in the 6th grade, and things are better for my son now. Two movies that found to very interesting are “Glory Road” and “Ghosts of Mississippi.”

"Glory Road" was inspired by a true story of Texas Western's Coach Don Haskins who led the first all-black starting line-up team to the 1966 NCAA national basketball championship title. Coach Haskins has a lot going against him: first, Texas Western has a poor basketball program, and second, he cannot recruit good white players to the team. Coach Haskins went on the recruiting trail to find the best talent in the land, black or white. Coach Haskins goes to Northern cities to recruit talented black players from the streets to play for his team. Seven blacks and 5 whites made up the legendary 1965-66 Texas Western Miners. The black players must adjust to his coaching, and not play street basketball. Coach Haskins doesn't see color when he evaluates the skill of all of his players, and chooses who plays in the game. The team were mocked and ridiculed for their showboating and flaunting of black players on the court. Yet, in the face of seeming insurmountable odds and with courage and determination, Coach Haskins and his Miner came together as a team united and changed basketball history, when he and his team won the National Championship game against powerhouse Kentucky.

“Ghosts of Mississippi” is a true story covering the final trial of the assassin of Medgar Evers, a black civil rights activist who killed in Jackson, Mississippi, June 12, 1963. It was later. It is later suspected Bryon De La Beckwith, a racist is the killer. It begins with the murder and the events surrounding the two initial trials which both ended in a hung jury. Evers widow has been trying to bring De La Beckwith to justice, and believes that she has what it takes to bring him to trail again. However, nearly thirty-one years would pass before justice would make its peace with Medgar Evers. Through perseverance and faith, his case would be resurrected, and Mississippi along with the world would take a significant step towards atonement as well as racial equality.

Heather Noble said...

There are actually 2 movies that come to mind immediately. Gone with the Wind and a TV mini series called Queen: The Story of an American Family.

Everyone knows Gone with the Wind and how African Americans are depicted in this movie because of the time period. Watching this movie and reading the book made me feel horrible for the way that these people were treated. I kept thinking "who gave us the right to enslave people for their skin color?". While this time in American history fascniates me it also makes me feel ashamed for how these people were treated.

The second may not be so well - known. Queen: The Story of an American Family. This tv mini series tells the story of a bi-racial girl who's father is the Master of the plantation and refuses to acknowledge her as his child. After slavery was abolished Queen faces many struggles as bi-racial female. In the end she marries a former slave and has one child.

While both of these shows were based on novels and depict a time in American history they are not considered historical events, nevertheless, they still depict the overall feeling of this time in history.

Vixen1922 said...

Lawrence:
I am a VERY avid watcher of Boondocks, and I do love it so very much...lol. Although I would have to disagree with you about the all white version, I get your point but my point is...DONT THEY ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH!! Sorry about the CAPS there lol.
Ah, maybe you should do a translation for your wife while she watches Bamboozled...then again, I cant get you out of the hospital so maybe you shouldnt. =)

Rebecca said...

The piece of media I remember as being a key piece of material addressing racism in America is the documentary series Glory Road. The movie is about a coach, Don Haskins,recruiting the best talent in the land, black or white. At this time it wasn't fashionable to play black athletes in division one NCAA basketball. Haskins selected seven blacks and five whites made up the legendary Texas Western Basketball team. They were mocked and ridiculed for playing black players. Prior to recruiting black athletes, Texas Western had a poor baskeball program and he could not recruit good players. Coach Haskins goes to Northern cities to recruit talented players from the street to play for his team. The black players had to adjust to his coaching and not play street basketball. Haskins decided to start five African American. Haskins didn't want his white players to play to make a point. It was a great game and changed the way black athletes were viewed by mainstream white media.

The book I remember as being a key piece of material addressing racism in America is "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Anne Moody. The book reflects the life of Anne Moody. The books talks about what it was like to grow up poor. She was the child of a poor share cropper working for a white farmer. Her dad leaves the family and her mother struggle to support them. Growing up in Mississippi in the 1940s abd 1950s was a difficult task for anyone who wasn't white. Not only did blacks face discrimination in their work and school violence was thrust upon them in the form of beating and murders. African Americans were seen as inferior to whites and they were victims of the worst kind of prejudice.

Leeanna McVay said...

One of the movies that first affected me about racism in America is "Remember the Titans." It made me realize what people of that time, both black and white, had to deal with during that time period. This is one of my favorite movies and it makes you think about how hard it must of been to deal with such a major change, especially at a high school age. It also demonstrates how America must realize that people are people and if we really want to be, we can be friends with whomever we choose, despite their color.

Another movie that affected me was to watch Roots. I did not watch this movie until recently and it really shows what it was like to be a slave and how people were treated just because of the color of their skin.

Deanna Wilson said...

There are two things that made me really start thinking about racism. They both happened at a young age.

The first would be the first music video I ever saw on MTV. It was the Madonna video "Like a Prayer". I was probably 8 when this video came out and probably too young to be watching it! All I remember is that Madonna was in a crave/underground and she was kissing a black man through the jail bars. He was being held captive and it was obviously that she was going to be in trouble if people knew she was involved with him. I remember wondering "what the big deal was?" This was the first time I had ever seen an interracial couple.

Like many have mentioned, the second thing I remember is Roots. I was young when I watched this movie. I remember always seeing the commercials for it on TV, but I did get to finally watch it. It really made me think about how things really were back then and how much people really had to endure.

I believe we have made strides since these times, but we still have a little ways to go.

c.mcnair said...

Racism, what we think it means and what it really means, how we define it and how it defines us, inevitable ideologies now confront a nation and a world that longs for a better way. We see the effects of racism by estranged cultures unwilling to share values. In a sense, we become the product of hatred if we do not embrace diversity.

I found the movie American History X to be an eye-opening glimpse into a world of disparity. The story focuses on a family fueled by racism because of a murdered father, killed in the line of duty by a minority. Throughout the story, the oldest son has flashbacks to his own active hatred, tendencies that had landed him in the slammer. During the time he spends locked up, he becomes acutely aware of what constitutes other people groups, not merely racism. After learning a whole new meaning for “slammer”, it helps him finally conclude that good and bad tendencies exist in all races, that now he must finish the circle and reverse the ignorance that had driven him thus far. Consequently, he seeks to affirm the same understanding to his younger brother.

Caleb McNair

Lawrence said...

By the way, virtually any movie by Spike Lee with the exception of She's Gotta Have It and Girl 6 will have a healthy dose of light being shed on current racial issues. Let's see, there's School Daze which dealt with the not-often spoken of intraracism where darker skinned blacks are pitted against lighter skinned blacks, there's Do The Right Thing "Radio Rahim!!", there's Malcolm X "That's too much power for one black man to have", and of course there's Jungle Fever which dealt with so many different scenarios and emotions fueled by racism it's hard to count. Actually, I highly suggest Jungle Fever which dealt with interracial relationships BM/WW, WM/BW, oh and the part where the young white lady tells her girlfriends she has a boyfriend and they're all excited for her and then when she says he's black their faces go SO sour as they say in a heavy New Yorker Italian accent "a black guy??? You're doin' it with a black guy????? Ewww..." I tell you, it's just funny. Oh, and the black guy played by Wesley Snipes has a father who is supposed to be a devout Christian even though he all but disavows his own son because of his interracial relationship. Yeah, Jungle Fever is a good one - I'm heading to Blockbuster...
Lawrence

Mari said...

Black History Month

Each week, my family and I could hardly wait to watch the television show, “Good Times”. Good Times was a television show that addressed many issues of a black family living in the ghetto. The show had comedy, happiness, sadness, grief and all the elements of a good series. We lived in the projects and we were very poor and this show addressed a lot of the issues I was going through. Even though they were in the projects there was always love and respect in their household. The family always stuck together and even though there was more pain than joy, somehow they made it out of the ghetto. They didn’t let the ghetto change them into something they were not.

Nelson Mandela’s book, “In my Own Words” will take you through a journey to the Motherland. Mr. Mandela faced many challenges in his life and wanted freedom for the people of South Africa. Before becoming president, the South African government tried to destroy this man; however, his strength kept him strong. He was in solitary confinement for over thirty years. This book has many inspiration speeches by Mr. Mandela on such subjects as freedom, education, and the spirit. This is one of my favorite books and one day I want to meet and speak with Mr. Mandela because he endured so much for so many.

Rosie said...

I would say The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. The main character in the book think that she is ugly because she is black. During this time in the 40's you had Shirley Temple white, blond hair and blue eys, baby dolls that were white and had blue eyes, but they were all cherished. So the character wished for blue eyes and if she had that then no one would see her ugliness which was being black. You can still see some of this today if you look at movies and video's most of the African American dancers and actresses with leading parts are light complexioned.

The movie would have to be Mississippi Burning. I remember the harsh times of blacks not being able to vote, separate bathrooms and water fountains for blacks and whites, my parents being called nigga boy and gal, by white teenagers younger then us.

Nancy a black President is not the answer, but neither is a white one. Have you ever taken a history class? Anyone that has taken a history class and listened know that slavery existed.
Do any of the candidates or president write their own speeches?

Vixen1922 said...

NANCYH - "Obama is an inexperienced windbag that either cannot or is too lazy to write his own material."

Ok, so he uses one or two lines from his FRIEND that he had permission to use and now he is a windbag? Would you prefer a use of orignal words that are LIES told by your precious president George B? Would that make you feel better? IMHO, there is no need to reinvent the wheel, especially when you have permission from the original speaker. A word of advice Nancy...don't believe everything you hear on television, form your own Opinion!! BTW, Hillary is STILL a mouthpiece for Bill, just saying what he already said...but I guess that is OK since he is white...so it wouldnt be childish. >.>

R. Wickersham said...

I had a difficult time coming up with any piece of media that I have read, watched or listened to, that I truly thought had an impact on this issue. This is a subject that saturates Mississippi, as the nation makes this state the butt of all it's racial jokes. I hate the rehashing and continual resurgence of this topic and thusly avoid movies, books and articles that deal with it. Naturally, no one can avoid ALL media that addresses, harps on, or preaches about this, so I have some things I have seen and read that deal with the topic, though I seriously doubt their impact on anything. I like the show “Boondocks” and think that it is worthy of mention, as it is a new and modern look at racism within the black community. It ridicules some of the obvious issues with black America and actually focuses on the internal problem rather than blaming everything on white people.

Since everyone thinks that racism means white people treating black people poorly, I also will mention a book that I once read excerpts from: “Racism, Dissent, and Asian Americans from 1850 to the Present: A Documentary History” by Philip S. Foner and Daniel Rosenberg. I took a few articles from this book for use on a paper about American Life during World War II. I don’t remember much about it. I just want to make the point that racism happens in every direction and in every culture. “White” people, as we are commonly referred to, are actually from numerous diverse cultures and histories. Irish Americans were some of the most discriminated against people in the history of this nation, but we don’t get our own month. (St Patrick’s Day doesn’t count!) What about the Japanese Americans? How often have African Americans been rounded up and put into concentration camps in this country in the last century? Do you see Japanese American Activist groups blaming their current state on our actions during the forties? We bombed their country into oblivion and, in a span of less than fifty years, they are one of the most advance nations the world has ever seen.

Let’s not pull any punches here. Racism will never be extinct. Only when every ethnicity from every corner quits screaming about how they are being treated poorly will we begin on the road to true equality. I can tell you that I have been on nearly every continent on this Earth and experienced many levels of racism against me and seen some pretty serious racism against others. I don’t pick up the banner and start marching around screaming for some compensation because I already know how that affects those who commit the act. It only entrenches their dislike of me and what I am. If you truly think that our country lags behind anyone on this issue, I entreat you to visit the United Arab Emirates and watch how they treat the third country nationals that work in that country. The Southeast Asians that come to the UAE to work are treated so poorly you would think it was slavery and sometimes it is. The citizens of this country need to take a hard look around us and realize that we are indeed light years ahead of any other nation on this planet. (Yes, that includes Europe!)

So why don't we dispense with Black History month and make a racial equality month instead? That way we are fair to all and focus on the true issue rather than re-living every incident that focuses on a specific type of racism. It all sucks, why divide things further?

Toni said...

The book that affeced me the most regarding racism would have to be John Grisham's book A Time to kill. It takes place in the late 1970's in a small southern town and is about two white redneck hoodlooms raping a young black girl. It was a very enlightening book. It showed how far we have come and yet how far we still have yet to go. But also, that racism is on both sides-black and white.

The end of the book has the white attorney taking his family to eat and celebrate with his black client. Most of us wouldn't think anything about that now, some seem to still have a problem with it.

God is color blind. He didn't make black and white, but people and we should see through his eyes.

Lauren said...

My favorite book of all time addresses the issue of racism in America. That book is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The story made me realize that racism can destroy someone's life. Tom Robinson could not recieve a fair trial because he was black. Evidence clearly showed that the white man was guilty, but there wasn't a white man on the jury that would convict another white man.
This book showed me that racism is true hatred. How can some people believe they are so above another that they would see a man of different color die for something he didn't do? I also realized that the family who raises a child will determine how that child feels about race. Just as Atticus taught Jim and Scout to not judge others.

NancyH said...

Jessica...
Maybe you should talk to someone about your problem with white people!
W is not my precious, thanks, but no thanks!
No, I don't wish your precious Obama would tell more lies, nope, I sure don't. I wish he would shut up and sit down, the last thing this country needs is someone like him making false hope speeches when he's not going to do a thing but talk and brainwash folks that can't see anything but black.
Have a Nice Day!

Anonymous said...

I think growing up in south Mississippi, I knew the situation with racism in America. I knew the history in the south and America from a young age. Therefore, it is hard to say that a particular piece of media stood out as a key piece. I remember watching tv shows, mini series addressing it. I remember reading books, but not one particular one. I remember watching Roots when I was in fourth grade and also around the same time watching a show on the underground railroad, both in the library at school. I think one movie that has stood out, I didn't watch till I was older. Remember the Titans, what stood out about this movie was the audience reaction. Here I am in Hattiesburg, MS, watching this movie in a movie theater and the crowd is very much mixed, black and white. Sing alongs broke out during the movie at various points and people were reacting to everything, either cheering and clapping or whatever response was appropriate. This was the greatest movie experience I have ever had, also one of the most moving life experiences I have had.

Lawrence said...

Nancyh,
We're in a new blog week now, but I felt compelled to admit you possess amazing insight. Yes, for you to take the media clips and debates and conclude beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mr. Barack Obama is not going to follow through on his campaign promises is nothing less than amazing. How can you know this for sure? Does this apply to everything he has planned or just certain things? If only certain things, how did you determine which ones would be accomplished and which would be left out?

Now, you and I both know I'm being sarcastic. We also both know that each person is entitled to form an opinion of the candidates based on what we are presented through media. What is funny is your statement sounds like an echo from his opponents rather than an analysis based on his actual record in the political field. Do you have any idea of the things he has accomplished as a Senator?

It makes me think of George W. when he was campaining. Nothing he said appealed to me - it sounded right wing, conservative, and totally like "daddy's" program. I called myself deriving some comfort in the fact the man's oratorical skills were on par with former VP Quayle - surely this guy couldn't get things done. Well, here we are in his final year and by golly he's done nearly everything the old Republican guard wanted, everything the hardcore warhawks wanted, and certainly everything "big oil" wanted. This guy who bumbled over words my 11-year-old can enunciate clearly got the job done. So why in the name of everything good would you assume based on information you've obtained through media that Barack is little more than a brainwasher? Tremendous leap of negative faith there my friend... Though I am a Barack supporter (duh?!) I believe every candidate seriously in the running has tremendous potential and I even find myself listening to McCain from time to time. But I do not view any of them as being windbags with empty hopes and promises - just differing views on how to solve the problems that plague our country.
Lawrence

Roslyn W. said...

I would have to say that the movies "Mississippi Burning" and "The Great Debaters" are too major films that had an impact on my life. Mississipi Burning is a movie that truly made me realize how blessed I am today. People today still down realize what their grandmother, grandfather or even their own mother and father had to endure during those times as black people. Black people were used for only slaves and sex symbols to help the white people to become wealthy and survive to feed their families. Today, blacks are no longer behind the scenes, we are everywhere that we wouldn't have dreamed. I am so glad that we have overcome the obstacles that were put before us because trouble don't last always praise GOD.

The Great Debaters is a good inspirational film for black people to watch. Those smart, intelligent black kids lead by Denzel Washington were not afraid to stand up and debate against the white kids. Eventhough they knew how white people felt about the blacks and the consequences of being black, they were still motived and dedicated to show the whites that they were as smart as them and ready to attend college. This movie made a positive impact on me because they stood up for what they believed in. The great part was that none of the black debaters lost their lives in the process.

EThompson said...

There are several movies that come to mind when I think of what has influenced me the most. Roots, The Great Debaters, The Movie about the life of Ray Charles, various movies about the lives of our many brave civil rights workers who have gone on before us. But I also feel and have always felt that the life we live as an african american and all the things that we experience on a day to day bases can also tell its own story about racism today, which is still very much alive in the hearts of many americans. I feel that we have come a long way but we still have a very long way to go.