Examples Of Racism In Mississippi Burning

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The online dictionary defines civil rights as the rights of citizen to political and social freedom and equality. Therefore, when African Americans civil rights are violated, citizens of Mississippi begin to compete amongst each other in this case the Negroes against the whites. In the film ‘Mississippi Burning’ the African Americans civil rights are violated, despite the civil rights movement of the time. The movie highlights discrimination, racial violence, fear, corruption and hatred. The director Alan Parker uses many techniques such as dialogue, camera angles and shots to highlight the evil of racism. It illustrates the civil rights battle that the nation of America was facing at the time, highlighting the pain and suffering of the African …show more content…

Martin Luther King mentions in his speech; “I have a Dream” that the coloured Americans live on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. This statement by King, also corresponds to the form of discrimination that occurred in the film “Mississippi Burning” towards the African Americans during the 1960’s. His speech is based on his belief that in another one hundred years’ time the Negro will be left in the midst of despair, oppression, poverty and whilst living amongst those with prosperity, for that reason King believed circumstances for African Americans would never change. King was speaking for all those that were harmed, abused, violated and discriminated against when segregation was established as the best form of freedom. Therefore, this statement in King’s speech was about creating freedom, so that the African Americans could gain the right to live on the land that they once owned. In contrast, the film ‘Mississippi Burning’ highlights discrimination when the director Alan Parker revealed at the beginning of the film, drinking taps displayed as for white and for coloured. This is a form of discrimination as the tap that the white people drink out of was obviously refrigerated and clean, whereas the coloured drinking tap was rusty, leaking dirty water and not refrigerated. This is a form …show more content…

The speech is based on having a dream, that one day the world will be a better place for African Americans and they will be respected and treated equally. The speech is powerful to a wider audience because it uses specific language features to express in detail his values and beliefs on the civil rights movements. King articulates to the African Americans that they should be able to live freely, within a place of limited discrimination and be who they are and not be treated disrespectfully. He mentions that they are isolated from the world around them, and that they are beaten for the colour of their skin. The speech portrays a powerful message, aimed at the racial and injustice time that all African Americans had to go through. In comparison to the film, where it is displayed as powerful because the message aims towards the audience, and the images shown to reveal the full story on the violation of rights during 1964 and the brutal effects it caused on the African Americans lives. Therefore, both the speech and film portray a powerful message through the language and dialogue features, aimed at the civil rights

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