Sunday, August 30, 2009

rescuing

I'm not sure what makes Hollywood writers, directors, and producers think that it's still okay to invest millions of dollars in reinforcing the idea that all Black children need a chance at living just like white people in order to "make it". Whether it's dancing, spelling, or even eating in a restaurant, there seems to be a code behind the silver screen: let's show the Black children what they're missing.

Nevermind that the investigation of a missing 5-year-old is left out of most media outlets for weeks and we can still predict academic performance by race, ethnicity, and zip code. It takes more than a rescue to interrupt generations of oppression, not just a glimpse into how the other side lives... okay, okay, this is getting a little beyond lightweight.

In this coming feature, we see the height of The Great Rescue. Not only does "Big Mike" get lessons in interacting with small children, he gets to feel sheets, play football in full uniform, and hug white people in public.



Aspire, children! Aspire!

What are your favorite rescue stories?

4 comments:

  1. My favorie white-woman-rescues-poor urban youth of color story is a toss up between Dangerous Minds and Freedom Writers. These movies are almost like instructional videos as to how we can REALLY save our Black and Brown children. The dedication that Michelle Pfifer and Hilary Swank show to these lost urban youth is remarkable. I applaud Sandra Bullock for joining the team. Well done.

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  2. wow. big mike might as well be a frickin' alien from another planet!

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  3. I just found this post and have been trying to find a definitive list of these movies, in vain probably because I've only see Dangerous Minds.
    So:
    Dangerous Minds
    Freedom Writers
    The Blind Side
    Radio
    Finding Forrester
    Save the Last Dance
    The Soloist?

    TFA made a big deal of Freedom Writers when it came out, and sent classloads of high school students to see it with their teachers. I enjoy that there don't seem to be any of these movies made about elementary age students, or am I missing one?

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