Prom Night In Mississippi Film Analysis

Racism will always exist. It exists everywhere. Continents. Countries. Cities. Communities. Even school playgrounds. Everywhere. Of course, many societies have evolved and are much more accepting of difference than they were sixty years ago, but there is always work to be done. The documentary Prom Night In Mississippi explores a community in Mississippi called Charleston, which segregates its prom for black and white students, until 2008, when the first integrated one was held. Morgan Freeman, who lives in Charleston, offered to pay for their prom as long as it was integrated. His first offer in 1997 was turned down, but in 2008, it was finally accepted. It is shocking to think that such blatant racism still exists in the twenty-first century, but, unfortunately, it does. From an anthropological perspective, the subject matter of the documentary is a perfect example of structuralism. As the rest of America evolved, breaking the unnecessary barriers of race, Charleston continued to maintain segregation. Interviews throughout the documentary reveal that it is not the students attending the high school who want their prom to be segregated, but their parents. The students see past race, while parents are unable to. One student

segregated proms, in the twenty-first century). The school acknowledges that it is time for a change when they accept Morgan Freeman’s offer to pay for their prom if it is integrated. This leads me to another example of structural functionalism, which demonstrates the way Charleston provides stability and balance for its community, at an institution of learning, like the high school. The school can set the tone for the entire society, so if they promote integration and say it is okay, Charleston will slowly begin to socially