In 1997, actor morgan freeman, a resident of the small town of charleston, mississippi, offered to pay for the senior prom at charleston high school under one. On april 19, 2008, charleston high school, in charleston, mississippi, held its historic, firstever integrated senior prom, ending a long tradition of segregated, parentorganized white proms and black proms. More than 40 years later, he went back with a video camera and a. After briefly studying engineering science, he did congressional civil rights lobbying in washington, d. A week after a white prom was held in wilcox county, ga. Paul has also published two books, the beatles in rishikesh, through the. Prom night in mississippi documents the challenge to that tradition by students, with the help of morgan freeman. Moving beyond prejudices campaign to fight prejudice and bullying is spreading across north america.
Prom night in mississippitheatrical trailer youtube. The documentary follows a group of 2008 charleston high school high school seniors in charleston, mississippi as they prepare for their senior prom, the first racially integrated prom in charleston history. In hbo documentary of a mississippi school, history is. Proms serve as a strong indicator of the racial tension in post racial america. Theatrical trailer for the feature documentary prom night in mississippi. Prom night in mississippi to get screening, discussion at warch.
Twentyseven years later, charleston resident and academy. In 2008, the actor and charleston native offers to pay for the prom if its. For over forty years i thought about how race relations might have changed. Prom night in mississippi was made more than 40 years after. A separate hbo on demand feature entitled prom night in mississippi. This documentary is about charleston high schools first integrated prom in 2008. Prom night in mississippi heathers blogs from charleston high school.
Prom night in mississippi theatrical trailer youtube. This event is typically held near the end of the senior year the last year. It chronicles a small towns decision to racially integrate its high school senior prom. One year later revisits charleston high to provide updates on the featured students, some of whom are attending college or working locally, along with two who are preparing to go to iraq. In 1970, the town of charleston, mississippi, allowed black students into their white high school, but refused to integrate the senior prom. It is easier to look back on the accomplishments made in the past. The prom kills 10 chapters updated jul 07, 2018 02. The directorproducer, mr salzman, hopes that the featurelength documentary with morgan freeman, prom night in mississippi, will be shown at next year s sundance film festival.
Prom night in mississippi, will be shown at next years sundance film. I did too until i watched hbos documentary prom night in mississippi. Hes published two books on the band, the beatles in rishikesh and the. Prom night in mississippi on dvd prom night in mississippi. Twentyseven years later, charleston resident and academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman offered to finance the prom under the condition it be integrated. The filmmaker although a firsttime feature director, paul saltzman is a twotime emmy awardwinning film and television producerdirector with.
Twentyseven years later, charleston resident and academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman offered. January 26th, 2010 not yet rated 1 hr 30 min plot summary. More than 40 years later, he went back with a video camera and a vague plan to find out. In 1965, 21 year old paul saltzman, a canadian civil rights worker, was assaulted by a member of the kkk and arrested by the police in. Prom night in mississippi and the social sciences 2 abstract based in the small town of charleston, mississippi, prom night in mississippi is a film created and directed by paul saltzman. Academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman, who lives in the community, stimulated this. In 1998, actor morgan freeman offered to pay for a racially integrated prom in his hometown of charleston, mississippi, just up the road from winona. Prom night in mississippi chronicles the first racially integrated grad party. Prom night in mississippi is a 2009 canadianamerican documentary film written and directed. Only since 1970 after a 16year extension against integration on the. Whats most significant about prom night in mississippi is not that an interracial prom was organized, but that the historic events took place less than a year ago. It may be offered in semiformal black tie or informal suit for boys, with dresses for girls.
A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party of high school students. The resulting 89minute documentary, prom night in mississippi. My grandmother always told us that we were all put on this earth. Ten years later he offered again, and this time they agreed. One racially mixed couple, who in years past would not have been able to attend prom together. Prom night in mississippi, a forceful documentary to be shown monday on. Prom night in mississippi originally posted by jackboot these are camps, and the only way to address this problem is to bust these camps up, spread these people out, allow them to. The documentary prom night in mississippi documents the days leading up to the towns first integrated prom through conversations with students, faculty, and even freeman. Prom night is a 1980 canadian slasher film directed by paul lynch, written by william gray, and starring jamie lee curtis and leslie nielsen.
To purchase dvds of prom night in mississippi use this link. Supreme court orders the integration of all segregated schools in america, including all their events. Ultimately, prom night in mississippi captures a big moment in a small town, where. With highschool seniors of charleston, morgan freeman. The saturday april 27, 20 edition of the new york times includes a news story about a small, rural townabbeville.
Integration was instantaneous at some schools, happened a year or two later at others, and then, of course, there were determined stragglers. Prom night in mississippi chronicles the first racially integrated grad party in charleston, miss. A second documentary, prom night in mississippi, also resulted from saltzmans return to the deep south. Prom night in mississippi is a 2009 canadianamerican documentary film written and directed by paul saltzman. Twentyseven years later, charleston resident and academy award winning actor morgan freeman offered to finance the prom under the condition it be integrated. In 2008, actor morgan freeman offers to pay for a mississippi high schools first. Paul saltzman plans to release his film, prom night in mississippi, at the 2009 sundance film festival and in theaters later next year.
Morgan freeman talks about his prom night in mississippi. But towns like charleston, mississippi, the subject of paul saltzmans 2008 documentary prom night in mississippi, were a bit slow on the uptake. Prom night in mississippi facing history and ourselves. The only bad part was the dj playing music that only. The plot follows a group of high school seniors who are targeted. Events immortalized in history books always appear more impressive. In 1997, academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman offered to pay for the senior prom at charleston high school in mississippi under one condition. Prom night in mississippi is a documentary that shouldnt exist, since the issue it explores forthrightly and tenderlyintegrationbelongs in the distant past, not the uncertain present. Twentyseven years later, charleston resident and academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman. Prom night in mississippi traces the tumultuous events leading up to charlestons first integrated prom through intimate conversations. A high school in a smalltown in mississippi prepares for its first integrated senior prom.
Prom as a civil rights issue hayner public library. My friend katrina was in charge of all the planning, so everything came out really classy. Theatrical trailer for the awardwinning feature documentary prom night in mississippi. In one mississippi mark childress introduces us to a holden caulfield kind of kid, transplants him to a godforsaken locale in mississippi, and lets him fend for himself through a. As a documentary fan, i recently watched prom night in mississippi. I was reminded again this week of that practice as i watched the hbo documentary, prom night in mississippi, which tells the story of the small town of charleston, miss.
In 1997 the actor morgan freeman, a mississippi native, offered to subsidize the charleston prom if it was integrated, but he was turned down. Filmed on location in mississippi, prom night in mississippi was directed by canadian. The documentary follows a group of 2008 charleston high school high school seniors in. Then, one day in 1997 an actor morgan freeman a resident of charleston since 1991 approached the school and offered to pay for the prom, provided it to be racially integrated. In rural georgia, students step up to offer integrated. With a nudge and a check from local resident morgan freeman, the high school in charleston, miss. In 1997, academy award wining actor, and mississippi native, morgan freeman offered to pay for an integrated prom. Prom night in mississippi nr, 1 hr 30 min documentary. After watching the film, small groups will share their visual displays with the. Toronto filmmaker and former civil rights worker paul saltzmans doc prom night in mississippi.
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