Extra Credit: 2nd Convocation Activity, "Prom Night in Mississippi"

The film "Prom Night in Mississippi" presents a modern image of relations between African Americans and Caucasians. The documentary follows a high school in Mississippi where both a white prom and a black prom are held, due to a remnant from segregation. The process of creating an "integrated" prom is ultimately smooth. The only people who oppose it are a few of the white parents. For the most part, the generation gap between the seniors and their parents allow the students, both black and white, to get along well. Ultimately, "Prom Night in Mississippi" is a testimony to the common bonds that unite us.

Near the beginning of the film, actor Morgan Freeman, who sponsers the integration of the prom, remarks that he is doing this to encourage social interaction, not to force better relations. He replies that he is trying to teach them to live without racism. In his view, changing and teaching them will ultimately change how future generations will see others. For example, one white parent by the name of Glenn Sumner says that the only he does not associate with blacks is because his parents taught him not to. As Freeman suggests, ultimately, one generation must break the cycle. Yet this can be extremely difficult for adolescents to swim against stream of what they have been taught.

Nowhere is this better demonstrated in the film than in the case of interracial couples. In one scene of the film, the parents of both Scott and Heather are asked how their parents feel about the relationship. Both sets of parents tell how they originally did not support the relationship. The father of Scott admits that he was reluctant to let his son go over to Heather's house. Yet, he becomes more supporitive as he realizes that Heather's parents have the same aversion. Ironically, Scott's father realizes the realtionship is okay by identifying that someone else has the same feelings of distrust and hate. On the other hand, Heather's father, Glenn Sumner, refuses to acknowledge the relationship, as he does not bend in his values. Strangely, at the same time, Glenn does not accept being called racist. This shows that he truely knows the difference between right and wrong, but he refuses to change his self along those lines. Heather and Scott's relationship also demonstrates the common experinece of humanity. They are in love with one another because of each other's unique personality, and in spite of all issues relating to race. This is the ultimate spirit of what King was trying to work for.

Yet despite this couple's unity, there is some divison between others. Jessica, a white girl, gets into a fight with Al'lisha, a black girl. Jessica threatens and ultimately accuess Al'lisha of bringing a gun to school. Yet, it is clear that Ali'lisha is completly innocent. While they present their stories to the principal, he ultimately takes the side of the white girl. Even though the prom created better relations between whites and blacks, tension will always exsist. However, this tension will not neccesairly stem from racism, but rather from people being theirselves. For example, the adults worry about the security of the integrated prom. But it is at a separate white prom, not sponsered by the school but by white parents, where a fight errupts. Human nature will always create conflict. However, it should never be directed to a certain group. Society can not control the actions of individuals but they constrain acts by large sectors of society.

Much of Martin Luther King's vision is realized through the integrated prom. It creates and facilitates social interaction. The prom also demonstrates to the community that things can change even where it looks like it is least likely. People are people, for better or for worse. Yet to the one who listens, we should always strive to improve ourselves and others. For afterall, as shown through the past, the most strained relationships in society can be improved.