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Morgan Freeman's Prom night Mississippi LV film festival
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Morgan Freeman. AP
Friday was day two of the Las Vegas Film Festival.
Presented Friday was the world premiere of the Morgan Freeman documentary "Prom Night Mississippi."
On April 19, 2008, Charleston High School in Charleston, Mississippi, held it's historic first ever integrated Senior Prom, ending a long tradition of segregated parent-organized White Proms and Black Proms. Academy Awards Winning Actor (and one of my very favorite actors), Morgan Freeman, who lives in the community, stimulated this change by paying for the Prom. Some white parents still maintained their white prom (from the program)
Once one gets over the fact that there are still places where segregation is not only practiced but encouraged, one must wonder, as did Mr. Freeman...why. So a meeting was held with the school board and with the principle of the school and the offer was made to the board that if they would support an integrated prom, Mr. Freeman would pay for it.
The principal (the white principal) brought the idea to the senior class officers and it was decided to take a vote of the senior class. Mr. Freeman visited the school and presented his opportunity to them and asked why they were continuing to be segregated. Basically, the answer was, because it's been that way, their parents and school board always had it that way. Morgan Freeman's idea was that if the kids were left to their own devices, they would do fine with an integrated Prom, it didn't go that smooth, but it do go.
However, some white parents decided that their children would not be participating in an integrated celebration of the final dance for seniors. So they had their own "White" prom.
During this very well done documentary we meet kids from all mind sets. White kids that didn't want to be with blacks, vice versa, and everything in between. We also meet one of the only interracial couples from the school. They have to be very careful and not bring a lot of attention to their relationship.
The most frightening thing to me were the parents, and a few of the white kids. Most of which wouldn't participate in the documentary. The hate and fear are easily from some parents to some children, while other children rebel the other way and become friends with whom they please. Of course this particular person had to move out of her parents home and couldn't get a job in town due to who her "friends" were.
In the long run, the integrated Prom went well, a good time was had by all and Morgan Freeman was pleased that such a historic thing had been accomplished at Charleston High School.
I personally wonder if it had been just some regular Joe black man and not Mr. Freeman who made the offer and wanted to integrate proms. Would the kids of gone for it as easily. Would the board even of considered it. (actually in 2007 Freeman made the first offer which was completely ignored).
Sometimes movies can shine such a bright light that people have to take notice. This film was one of those.
Good Job.
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