Videos/DVD’s on Racism and Discrimination
Remember the Titans -- Uplifting drama set in 1971 about the desegregation of two powerhouse high school football teams that learn to overcome racism and go on to victory under the leadership of their African-American coach (Denzel Washington). Aside from occasionally faltering with emotional manipulation, director Boaz Yakin's heartwarming, fact-based saga shows the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, fear and societal prejudices.
Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored -- Growing up in rural Mississippi after World War II, a black youth is nourished by the love and support of an extended family and, despite all the injustices of a segregated society, never loses pride in his race or hope in the American dream of equality. Director Tim Reid gets fine performances from a seasoned cast (headed by Al Freeman, Jr.) in depicting a closely-knit black community taking care of its own in the face of social exclusion and economic exploitation just before the struggle for civil rights becomes a national issue in the 1960s.
Cry Freedom -- The story of Steve Biko (Denzel Washington), the black South African leader who died in 1977 from police mistreatment, is linked to that of Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), a local white editor who had to escape from his native land to reveal the truth of what had occurred. Director Richard Attenborough's large scale dramatization recreates an authentic sense of the enormity of South Africa's racist policy of apartheid and effectively conveys the need for social and political change in that tragic land.
Earth - The story is set in 1947 in Lahore, where Hindu, Sikh, Parsee, and Muslim share a peaceful co-existence. Events are seen from the point of view of eight-year-old Lenny, a girl from an affluent Parsee family. When a train of Muslims arrives at the local depot and all the passengers are found murdered, the various sects turn against each other, and the city is soon aflame.
Hoop Dreams - Follows two young boys trying to take their basketball game from the inner-city streets of Chicago to the NBA. Tackling issues of racism, politics, and the dangerous power of hope, the film stands out as a complex and astute examination of the African-American experience.
A Long Walk Home - When Rosa Parks sparks the great Bus Boycott in Birmingham, Miriam Thompson (Sissy Spacek), a well-to-do white woman, is upset to have to drive to the black section of town to pick up her maid Odessa Cotter (Whoopi Goldberg) and bring her to work. Outside of her own social circle, Miriam realizes for the first time just how privileged, sheltered and self-centered her life has been and eventually makes a life-changing decision to join the boycott.
To Kill a Mockingbird - Set a small Alabama town in the 1930s, the story focuses on scrupulously honest, highly respected lawyer Atticus Finch, magnificently embodied by Gregory Peck. Finch puts his career on the line when he agrees to represent a black man accused of rape. The trial and the events surrounding it are seen through the eyes of Finch's six-year-old daughter Scout.
Glory Road - A true-life story of a basketball team who broke down barriers while racking up victories is the basis for this sports drama. Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) became the coach at Texas Western University in 1962, determined to produce a winner. However, Haskins' team was comprised entirely of African-American athletes. In post-season play Haskins and the Texas Western team found themselves competing for the NCAA championship against the University of Kentucky's all-white team, lead by legendary coach Adolph Rupp (John Voight).
A Family Thing - In this family drama, a white Southerner discovers that his family history isn't what he thought it was — with the fact that he's half-black only one of his many surprises.
Malcolm X - An epic in the truest sense, it conveys the life and times of one of the most remarkable men of his era and makes clear why he continues to matter. The screenplay telescopes a tremendous amount of information into 3 hours and 25 minutes without seeming either overstuffed or excessively detailed. As the story spans the four decades of Malcolm's life, Denzel Washington captures with equal conviction and accuracy the sullen teenager, the hardened criminal, the fiery activist, and the mature martyr. Never afraid to present controversial opinions or take chances, Malcolm X is also a deeply moving story that puts a human face on an often misunderstood man.
Crisis at Central High - This film is a dramatization of the court-ordered integration of Little Rock, Arkansas' Central High School in 1957. With threats of violence mounting (and some carried out), it becomes necessary for the government to send in Federal troops to escort the nine black teenagers who have been chosen to break the color barrier. Covering events from the beginning of the scholastic year to the graduation exercises, the film is based on the journals of Central High teacher/administrator Elizabeth Hucksby, who is played by Joanne Woodward.
Paper Clips - This documentary chronicles a rural Tennessee middle school's unique class project: finding a meaningful way to honor Holocaust victims. Brought up in a heavily fundamentalist Christian environment, most of the students had never seen, let alone spoken with, a member of the Jewish faith; nonetheless, the children found a poignant method of honoring the slain. Using individual paper clips to represent each life lost in the Holocaust, the students were inundated with contributions from around the world. Eventually, they managed to procure an authentic German rail car, which would become a container to the millions of paper clips collected.
Sources:
Top Ten Movie List, US Conference of Catholic Bishops – www.usccb.org
All Movie Guide – www.allmovie.com
Education for Justice – www.educationforjustice.org
Marianist Social Justice Collaborative • www.msjc.net • 859-291-6197 • jimvogt2@yahoo.com