1959 Discussion Film on Racism, Prejudice & Discrimination
  • 16 years ago
Filmed in Lawrence, Kansas, using local actors, What about Prejudice is another in Centron Corporation’s "Discussion Problems in Group Living" series which presented difficult social questions for audience discussion. More artful than your average "after school special" educational video, the main character Bruce Jones is never shown from the waist up in order to keep his race a mystery to the viewer. This allows Bruce to represent all minorities in the United States who suffered from racial, religious, or any other kind of prejudice. As the film follows Bruce throughout his day, it captures what the majority group of kids - a bunch of well-dressed WASPS - think about him. He is suspected of doing everything from causing fights to stealing sweaters (today minorities are still frequently wrongfully accused of a crime), and the kids say things like, “I don't know why they let people like him go to our school anyway," and, “He’s not like us and he never will be.” At the prom, however, the kids get the news that Bruce has pulled two of their compatriots out of a fiery car wreck and gotten himself severely burned. Some of the kids rush to the hospital to support Bruce, ashamed of their past behavior. As they sit in the waiting room, voiceovers capture their thoughts, such as “You hear about other people's prejudice, but you never feel guilty until you realize it's you! You’re the one who's prejudiced!" At the end, Bruce has won acceptance into the group, but at a terrible cost. What about Prejudice is a precursor to the Civil Rights Movement and a valuable visual discussion about racial discrimination, prejudice stereotypes, and racial tensions.