Prom Night in Mississippi Reflection
Prom Night in Mississippi is a documentary film about Academy Award-winning actor, Morgan Freeman who offers to pay for the senior prom at Charleston High School in Mississippi under the condition that, prom had to be racially integrated. In this film, we view the struggles that are faced and overcome to have a successful integrated prom in 2008. My personal views, emotional connection, previous thoughts, reaction, and what I learned from watching this documentary will be discussed as well as a character I can relate to.
Aside from the fact that Prom Night in Mississippi was an exceptional documentary, the film left many lingering questions and made me think more in depth about the issue of racism. I always …show more content…
I felt emotionally connected to this film and the students of Charleston High School as much of their student body wanted to have an integrated prom, the only problem was that “You’re not talking to the kids. You’re not trying to change them. You’re trying to change the people who teach them” (Freeman, Morgan) The parents of these students is what was stopping them from standing up and getting what they want. I understand how they don’t want to disappoint their parents which is why they don’t speak up. However, I can also imagine how hurt the students probably would have felt as the same people who go to school with them everyday, sit beside them in class and use the exact same pencil and paper, can’t spend one of the most memorable nights of their life with each other. By just analysing the title of the documentary, before I watched it, I thought that this film was going to be the rites of passage of the traditions for prom in Mississippi. I would have never guessed or expected that this film was actually going to be a documentary about racism. My reaction to this film was very surprised and shock, just like Morgan Freeman when he says “One of the things that surprised me most was that they have seperate …show more content…
I feel like me and Billy Joe have the same views especially when he says “I don’t look at if their black or white, just what’s inside of them”. This is a common rule that I personally follow as well. I strongly believe that the colour of one’s skin is not what defines them, rather their personality on the inside is what really does that. Billy Joe appears on camera behind a shadow, in fear of being disowned by his racist parents if they knew his true feelings. I can see that Billy Joe likes to please his parents and make them happy even if it is not what makes him happy. I can also relate to him here because I also go by my parent’s rules and wishes even if I don’t want to follow them. Thus, I can see myself in Billy Joe and being afraid of sharing my own opinion and thoughts especially on
Prom Night in Mississippi is a documentary film about Academy Award-winning actor, Morgan Freeman who offers to pay for the senior prom at Charleston High School in Mississippi under the condition that, prom had to be racially integrated. In this film, we view the struggles that are faced and overcome to have a successful integrated prom in 2008. My personal views, emotional connection, previous thoughts, reaction, and what I learned from watching this documentary will be discussed as well as a character I can relate to.
Aside from the fact that Prom Night in Mississippi was an exceptional documentary, the film left many lingering questions and made me think more in depth about the issue of racism. I always …show more content…
I felt emotionally connected to this film and the students of Charleston High School as much of their student body wanted to have an integrated prom, the only problem was that “You’re not talking to the kids. You’re not trying to change them. You’re trying to change the people who teach them” (Freeman, Morgan) The parents of these students is what was stopping them from standing up and getting what they want. I understand how they don’t want to disappoint their parents which is why they don’t speak up. However, I can also imagine how hurt the students probably would have felt as the same people who go to school with them everyday, sit beside them in class and use the exact same pencil and paper, can’t spend one of the most memorable nights of their life with each other. By just analysing the title of the documentary, before I watched it, I thought that this film was going to be the rites of passage of the traditions for prom in Mississippi. I would have never guessed or expected that this film was actually going to be a documentary about racism. My reaction to this film was very surprised and shock, just like Morgan Freeman when he says “One of the things that surprised me most was that they have seperate …show more content…
I feel like me and Billy Joe have the same views especially when he says “I don’t look at if their black or white, just what’s inside of them”. This is a common rule that I personally follow as well. I strongly believe that the colour of one’s skin is not what defines them, rather their personality on the inside is what really does that. Billy Joe appears on camera behind a shadow, in fear of being disowned by his racist parents if they knew his true feelings. I can see that Billy Joe likes to please his parents and make them happy even if it is not what makes him happy. I can also relate to him here because I also go by my parent’s rules and wishes even if I don’t want to follow them. Thus, I can see myself in Billy Joe and being afraid of sharing my own opinion and thoughts especially on