There is a high school in Charleston, Mississippi that holds segregated proms every year. Yes, that's right, one white, one black. Crazy, but true. Well, that was until 2007 when Morgan Freeman returned to his hometown and offered to foot the bill for prom night if the kids attended a mixed prom. The documentary, Prom Night In Mississippi, exposes the opinions and backlash that occurred from Mr. Freeman's offer.
Intertwining the honest expressions of living with racism with the humorous banter of regular youth, the documentary mixed the complexity of a unique situation with the normal trials and tribulations of preparing for one of the "best nights of your life". Kids shouldn't be wondering if the white's and black's are going to get along on prom night or whether or not they share the same taste in music. Deciding what to wear or who your date's going to be should be the only thing that a teenager should worry about.
I anticipated a lot of negative emotions from choosing to see this doc. Mostly of anger and frustration. What a pleasant surprise to leave with a feeling of hope. Through video diaries and interviews with the students we discover that the majority of the them are not in fact racist. It is the hateful attitudes of the older generation that keeps the tradition of segregated proms alive. And although some students have brought into these negative teachings, what was uplifting was learning that some have broken out of the viscous cycle of racism.
