I saw this movie when it first aired back in 1974, at age 13. Having grown up in an all white, Chicago suburb, all I knew about American's of African descent came from my history classes in grade school, classes which taught me that, many years ago, these peoples' forebears were slaves in America, that Lincoln had set them free, and that now they are free and equal. So I always wondered why they constantly seemed to be protesting, rioting, and committing crimes, as reported daily on the news? What do they have to so angry about now?
This movie really opened my eyes for the first time and gave me a clue as to why these Americans were, and often still are, very angry. I never knew that any of the deplorable treatment of these Americans had gone on after slavery ended, and I was even more horrified to learn that this kind of treatment had continued into my lifetime, which began in 1961, and beyond.
Such treatment as white's having a water fountain from which to drink, while black's were only provided with a pipe sticking out of the ground, if even that; the forcing of black women to give up their seats on buses to white men; black's not being allowed in white diners, white hotels, etc.; all of this was going on in America during my short lifetime, and I never knew it.
The only thing that I ever cared about was that the Vietnam War would end before I was eighteen, so the protests against the war I could understand. Black protests for equal rights I couldn't understand, because as I stated, I thought they had equal rights.
Well, this movie made me understand for the first time reality of equality did not exist in America. Since first seeing this movie, I have always felt that this movie should be mandatory viewing in every grade school history class in America.
This movie really opened my eyes for the first time and gave me a clue as to why these Americans were, and often still are, very angry. I never knew that any of the deplorable treatment of these Americans had gone on after slavery ended, and I was even more horrified to learn that this kind of treatment had continued into my lifetime, which began in 1961, and beyond.
Such treatment as white's having a water fountain from which to drink, while black's were only provided with a pipe sticking out of the ground, if even that; the forcing of black women to give up their seats on buses to white men; black's not being allowed in white diners, white hotels, etc.; all of this was going on in America during my short lifetime, and I never knew it.
The only thing that I ever cared about was that the Vietnam War would end before I was eighteen, so the protests against the war I could understand. Black protests for equal rights I couldn't understand, because as I stated, I thought they had equal rights.
Well, this movie made me understand for the first time reality of equality did not exist in America. Since first seeing this movie, I have always felt that this movie should be mandatory viewing in every grade school history class in America.