USING REFERENCES FROM THE FILM
Throughout the discussion you can refer back to statements made in the film, using them to further your particular goals. Using the following quotes from the film, if you are trying to develop empathy you might ask such questions as What do you think these statements were trying to communicate? Why would x say…,Why might x be feeling that way? Does this reflect what other people in this situation might feel? Why do you think they might be feeling this way? If you are wanting to develop self-awareness you might ask Have you ever had this experience, felt this way? Or, How has your experience differed from this?, etc.
Mark: “Growing up I can’t remember hearing anything positive about Black people.”
Brian: (Speaking about going to college amidst diverse groups) “I couldn’t bridge both worlds if it comes to a choice I’m going with my people…”
Tammy: “My neighborhood is all white and I never really thought about that until I came here (to college).”
Lisa: “In ethnic studies classes I feel self conscious of my color, like I don’t belong …walking on eggshells…”
Judith: “I got into school because of affirmative action and I’m not ashamed to say that because no one else is doing my homework…”
Gordon: (Speaking about growing up Black) “You are brought up and shaped into a non-thinking, violent, unintellectual being… then they put you into a university… they know you’re going to fail.”
Brian: “One of my friends, he hates white people with a passion… I feel sorry for him because of the way society is, he’s lost a piece of himself… I’m worried that will happen to me.”
Freda: “Even if you can’t change someone’s mind you can introduce new ideas.”
Dane: “No way I can step back and change that (great grandparents fighting in the confederacy).”
Khanh: “White people…you were taught to love yourself.”
Judith: “I will not be less angry I’m not here to tell you pretty things, that it will be all right…”
Mark: “(You) can’t keep blaming me…don’t categorize all white people, or you’re just doing the same thing right back”
Duane: “If I go out and shoplift, white people around will say ‘oh, they all shoplift,’ and every Black person there will say ‘damn’…because what one Black person does has an effect on 22 million other African-Americans.”
Freda: (In response to White students not wanting to be held responsible for what their ancestors did) “I don’t want to be held responsible for what somebody before me did…but I need you to claim it…the fact is you still benefit from it to this day and those who were oppressed by it are still oppressed to this day.”
Tammy:”My family taught me an honest day’s work, an honest day’s pay.. but I’ve come to realize that for some cultures in our society that’s not true they have to work twice as hard and are being taught they can’t do something.”
Dane: “I don’t know if you know what it’s like having a strong bigot in your family, and it’s tough choosing what’s right and choosing your family.”
Brian: “My idea of action is your life has to become a have toyou have to interact 365 days a year you have to wake up and say this (racism) has got to end.”
