There’s excitement sparking the air as young men and women dress up in their snazzy clothes and fuss with their hair. What’s the big deal? It’s prom! What’s special enough about this prom that cameras are documenting the event? It’s 2008, and it’s the first integrated prom in Charleston High School’s history. Prom Night in Mississippi, an HBO documentary which first aired on July 20, chronicles the historic event in Charleston, Mississippi, a town with a long tradition of hosting two proms: one for the white kids and one for the black kids. In 1997, actor Morgan Freeman made an offer to his hometown high school: have one integrated prom, and he’d pay for it. The school refused. When Freeman made the offer again, more than a decade later, the school decided to accept. But even with the school-backed integrated prom, some parents decided to hold a separate, whites-only prom.To help educators in exploring the issues with their students that spring from the prom, the school and the community, Teaching Tolerance has created a teaching guide with suggested activities and lesson plans for use with grades 7 and older. The six lessons in the guide include:
- Viewing and Exploring the Film
- Segregation, Then and Now
- Interrupting Racism and Bigotry
- Loving Across the Color Line
- Does Our School Need to Mix It Up Too?
- Sustaining Change
It can be difficult to for some to believe that such bigotry, discrimination and racism are still so prevalent today; this film serves as a great tool for encouraging critical thinking and discussion about these issues and for fostering a more compassionate and just society.
~ Marsha
Image courtesy of "Prom Night in Mississippi", copyright HBO.
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