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Spies Of The Mississippi Film Analysis

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Recommended: The civil Rights movement in the U.S.A

On Tuesday, October 6th, “The William & Stephanie Clohesy Documentary Film Series” brought American film director, Dawn Porter, to discuss her documentary Spies of the Mississippi to UNI students. This paper not only discusses the documentary, but also goes through each step of the critical process to make an informed judgment about it. Description Spies of the Mississippi is based in the mid-1900s during the civil rights era in the southernmost state of Mississippi. It was a time when races were segregated and equality was desired by the black community. Change was not only wanted, but was fought for through various organizations, such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Not only did they face adversity publicly, but they were also combatting challenges they weren’t even aware of. This documentary, that aired on PBS in 2014, unveiled this powerful secret. The state of Mississippi had developed a spy business known as the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission. This state funded program infiltrated the civil rights coalition, leaking its most sensitive documents, and eavesdropped on its most private meetings. Not only were whites being paid to join this spy business, but black individuals were as well. …show more content…

Many of the individuals who were interviewed shared a lot of the same stories in regards to the Sovereignty Commission, acts of brutality against the black community, and the people in which they were connected with. The pictures and videos from the past also shared many commonalities with other films I have seen in regards to the Civil Rights Movement and gaining equality among races. One film that came to mind while watching Spies of the Mississippi, was the 1996 movie, A Time to Kill. This popular film portrays the hardships of the colored community, the organizations against them (K.K.K), and the penalties whites paid when defending or helping the opposite

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