I attended Prince Eward County schools from 1985 to 1988. I was midway through 5th grade when I left NYC public schools. I remember being in NYC in a crowded class; more than 40 of us. I didn't have textbooks and my teachers did not know most of us. I remember my first day of school at Prince Edward like yesterday. I took a battery of placement exams and a speech test. From these test I received a great deal of remedial work and help from my teachers to get me up to speed. Long story short attending Prince Edward for 2.5 years saved my educational life. I really learned how to read, write and comprehend what I read. I stopped counting on my fingers and I found my voice. I thank Ms. Johns and the brave students from Prince Edward for standing up for me and my future. I thank all the students and their families who stood for me. I loved my teachers, they made the difference. I know racism will always exist, but its the single person who can make a big difference. Today I am a middle school teacher in NYC, in the footsteps of the teachers from Prince Edward that changed my life.

In this bastion of political correctness, this liberal enclave Seattle, Washington, where I live, it always amazes me to hear white people say that they think racism is no longer a problem in America today.
Can it be that people whom I would otherwise have considered to be intelligent, socially aware and compassionate, are actually unaware of the ongoing racism in this nation? Are liberal white people really that blind? Or are we embarrassed, ashamed, unsure how to go about implementing change in the hearts and minds of society?
As a white person strongly against racism, child of anti-racist liberal parents and grandparents, I have often wondered what can I do to effect change. The conclusions that I have reached are these. First and foremost, to tolerate is to condone and therefore I cannot tolerate racist comments or behavior in people. Second, speak out. To speak to thoser around me, to my friends and family, to my children, to anyone and everyone speak out!
And so, I would ask anyone unfamiliar with this important part of civil rights history, please take the time to watch this film which documents the struggles of black families who only wanted to see their children receive a decent education and the repurcussions of this seemingly simple and obvious desire.
Those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it

Around the 39 minute mark. racist continues. teach it. preach it. Racism exist and has existed and will continue to through time like it has, what we to do is try to remember but not obsess over it. Racism to this day is a even playing field stop crying about it. Not the only documented severe cause of racism in the history of the world. People are high thinking the civil rights movement was suppose to build a Utopia, there was and still are, large amounts of bigotry amongst the white man himself white on white hate... Religion, politics, social status based on income/location. Yes it was a major movement for African AMERICANS, but like some other people stated what about other countries and races... Pretty sure people in other countries would love to have what the African Americans had, that's not to be rude or condescending but it's probably true.... There's always someone worse off....

Georgia, shining example. Rich suburbs outside atlanta (do to a, gasp, middle class!). Hugely nice schools, hugely nice looking place, etc. It's because people are in the working class and everyone pays taxes, very little requiring welfare. They get more funding into their school district as opposed to other counties as, you know, they're the ones who are paying for it. It's nothing to do with race--> look at some of the poor white rural counties around there. Heck, that's half what this is describing but of the black towns. Honestly speaking, the town districts which do pay more taxes shoudl get nicer things. It's not like say, going back to georgia, say Cobb County deserves to pay any more taxes than they are; they're already allocating the majority of tax money elsewhere. In whole, this documentary sucks. It's so unbiased. It has nothing to do with race.

There's other countries like africa and latin america countries were there's not even schools for kids to study why they don't move to other states black people in here are american they can;t deny them education like mexicans that come here without papers without talking the language or africans that don't even have food I just don't understand I come from puerto rico territory of usa and we don't complaint as much as blacks in here my english isn't perfect but I still try to te get through look at mexicans they re not allow to be here and they have to do the jobs that americans even blacks don't want to do for even less the minimum wage so i still don't understand

Excellent historical footage. If you are interested in America's civil rights fights, this is a must see. However, where this film falls short is it doesn't show the progress people have made. Many groups of people have had it bad, been murdered for no reason, etc. Our country has focused on black citizens for several worthy reasons. But the time has come to move on. Things are nothing like they were. If you are waiting for a perfect society, get over it. There has never been a perfect society in history and we will not know one in our lifetime. This doesn't mean we can't find a way to enjoy life.
It would be very easy to jump on the bandwagon and say look how bad people used to have it and if they still don't have it that bad, feel sorry for them anyway because they had ancestors who did have it that bad. This might be a popular way to think, but it does nothing towards putting the past in the past and a part of history. It is time to say look where we have come from. We are not still living the past even tho we are not a perfect society. People are hurt everyday for many reasons. Not all reasons are because of the color of their skin. As an example, holocaust survivors are still treated poorly by some, but holocaust survivors talk about how bad it was as a thing of the past. You have to learn to move on to get over something.
This film did nothing towards teaching people how to move on. One man freed an entire county by stating all you had to do to change others is be the example you wanted to see. If you don't want racism, don't live like that is all there is for someone to find. There are so many places there is no racism at all. These places didn't rise above their own racist history by keeping racism alive. The next fight is not how to keep racism alive, but how to move on.

As a 40(ish!) American woman who happens to be white, i am moved to tears on varying levels and for a vast array of reasons.
Obviously my heart weeps for those who had to face such adversity, nevertheless the tears that flow there after are a result of all these everyday folks were able to overcome. By the films end i was left feeling empowered on the most basic level...... as a human being.
i must also admit that the documentary angered me greatly on several levels. Before this day i had never heard of such a aspect regarding MY American History. i have two children, 14y/o and 6y/o, and before this day, they too had never known such events of THEIR American History.
To Whom ever made this film, i humbly thank You for bringing to light this topic that was hidden in the umbra of MY American History for to long.
KUDOS!
Reverentially~
b.~