A diversity film showing and question and answer session occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. in Gibble Auditorium.

Dr. Susan Traverso, provost and senior vice president and professor of history, had arranged this viewing, hoping to further enlighten students of the history of America. She hoped the attendees would further their knowledge on the violence of the 1950s and 60s that is greatly forgotten. The civil rights era is not a proud time in history. It seems almost impossible to have so much prejudice against someone just based on the color of their skin. The film selected to best portray the many injustices associated with Civil Rights was “Mississippi Burning.” The film is set in the 1960s when there was a major struggle for civil rights. Many college students spent time in the south protesting and risking their lives to fight for what was right.

This 1988 drama depicts two FBI agents as they investigate a missing person’s case in Mississippi. Two white boys and one black boy where followed after being held in prison for protesting. The seven-man team chased them by car into the woods and killed them. FBI agents Rupert Anderson played by Gene Hackman and Alan Ward played by Willem Dafoe are initially sent down to Mississippi on their own to investigate. Upon their arrival there is a generally negative reaction to the involvement of the FBI from the locals. African Americans refuse to be part of the interview process because they fear trouble from the local authorities.

As the film progresses, Ward and Anderson are seen to have very different styles when it comes to solving crime. Every time there is a threat to further endangerment Ward calls in hundreds of agents as back up to work on the case. Anderson has a background in small town law because he used to be a sheriff as well. After many dead end interviews, Ward finally allows Anderson to conduct the investigation his way. The two soon find the sheriff and deputy are involved with a group that kills African Americans. The real proof comes from Anderson’s interview with the deputy’s wife. After seeing countless men and women abused, she breaks down and reveals where the three missing bodies have been discarded.

In the end, the seven men responsible are discovered, the sheriff and deputy included. With the knowledge and involvement of the murder of the three men, each were sentenced to various amounts of time in prison. Beyond being able to portray the drama and emotion of this time, the film was widely recognized with extensive awards in 1989.
It captured an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Actor (Gene Hackman) and Best Director. It won many other awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, the film was highly successful.

In a brief guided discussion after the film, students shared their initial reactions. First-year Madeline Hermann said she was “embarrassed” by the film. Allowing this kind of discrimination solely based upon skin color should not have been tolerated. There was agreement that there has been significant progress in justice equality. “Mississippi Burning” is a clear portrayal of how much more equal and accepting people are today. It shows how now it is unthinkable to let this kind of violence get so out of hand.

One student said many moments bought her to tears. Furthermore, she agreed that if she had the opportunity during this time she would have traveled south. With the risk of death in mind, more students thought that it is just as important to raise awareness on a local level. There was even speculation on how smaller forms of prejudice exist in our world today, for example, in small towns against those who choose to express their gender identity in nontraditional forms.

For those who have yet to see this film, it is very engaging, despite its length. Traverso has spent many years studying American history and said this movie “illustrates through Hollywood the violence against African Americans and their struggle for freedom.” Even if some of the details had to be played up to make the storyline, the history still speaks for itself. There are times in history we need to understand, no matter how painful, to prevent them from occurring again.