Prom Night in Mississippi

Last night we watched on HBO the outstanding documentary, Prom Night in Mississippi. Both my husband and I were in tears during this film.

I cringe when I see CNN promoting another Black in America documentary. Prom Night in Mississippi is black in America. Prom Night in Mississippi is white in America. Apparently Latinos have not migrated to Clarksdale, Miss., yet. No other demographic lives there.

The movie is shocking to me, as it reflected life in my small home town forty years ago. The high school prom was canceled. Reasons were never given, but it was because the school board feared blacks and whites partying together. I cannot believe that in some parts of America, things have not changed since the 60s and early 70s when forced integration occurred. In 2008 Mississippi, separate proms were planned for white kids and black kids. Morgan Freeman and the students changed all that.

I have admired Morgan Freeman as an actor. I could listen him to read the phone book (if it still exists). I knew that he was a humanitarian in his small community where he once lived. Now he is my hero. He changed the community by having one senior prom.