Directors:
Brent Renaud
Chris Renaud
Cast:
Minnijean Brown-Trickey ………. Herself
Nancy Rousseau ………. Herself
Floyd Smith ………. Himself
Ellen ………. Herself
Brandon Love ………. Himself
Angela Jackson ………. Herself
Maya ………. Herself
Saundra Brooks ………. Herself
Shannah Ellender ………. Herself
Benny Johnson ………. Himself
Charles Williams ………. Himself
Ken Richardson ………. Himself
Mark Stodola ………. Himself
Cynthia Mahomes ………. Herself
Antron Pearson ………. Himself
Keith Richardson ………. Himself
Angelica ………. Herself
Spirit Trickey ………. Herself
The Show
Over 50 years ago, the schools in America were completed segregated. White and black kids went to their own schools. Racism was in full effect in America. That was all supposed to change on May 17, 1954, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its historic Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483. This decision declared all laws establishing segregated schools to be unconstitutional, and it called for the desegregation of all schools throughout the nation. In 1957, the capital of Arkansas, Little Rock, was one of the first cities in the South to comply with this ruling. Now 50 years later, two Little Rock natives provide a glimpse at the lives of contemporary Central High students in a documentary that asks the question, have things really changed in the last 50 years?
There was a wave of desegregation in the South during the 1960s. It began in Little Rock, Arkansas in September of 1957. Arkansas Governor, Orval Faubus, defied the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling and ordered the National Guard to prevent nine black teenagers from entering Little Rock Central High School, a previously all-white school. President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded by sending troops from the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army to protect the students as they entered the building.
Known as the “Little Rock Nine,” Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo Beals, were just teenagers who wanted equal education. They made their mark in history, but what exactly is their legacy? To help answer that question and mark the 50th anniversary of the forced integration of Central High School, Little Rock natives Brent and Craig Renaud shot a documentary that took a look at the Central High of today. Brent and Craig Renaud follow the lives of contemporary Central High students, teachers and administration, as well as community leaders, over the course of a year for this documentary. They visited classes, school meetings and assemblies, teenagers’ homes and community events.
In Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later, the overlying theme is emotion. The only member of the “Little Rock Nine” that we hear from today is Minnijean Brown-Trickey. She sets the tone for this documentary at the beginning when she walks near the campus of Little Rock Central High School and says “this is not supposed to be like this. It can’t be 50 years…I can’t feel this strong. It just doesn’t make sense.” She again then helps finish this documentary by talking to a modern-day class at Little Rock Central High School about her experiences 50 years ago.
In between the Minnijean Brown-Trickey bookends, we talk to today’s teachers, staff members and administration of Little Rock Central High School. As you might expect, all races are represented equally in this documentary and there is enough time to show the two different worlds that still exist in Little Rock, Arkansas today. Ultimately, what we learn is that Little Rock Central High is still segregated today.
The school is not racial segregated anymore, but there is still a great divide in equal education. What you have today are students on two different educational “tracks”. There are kids on the Advanced Placement (AP) track and then there are kids on the “Technical” track. AP students are given a chance to get an early start at college. There is also this imaginary line that separates the rich and the poor in Little Rock and the rest of America, and yes, that line often divides black and white as well. However, this documentary provides a fair and balanced look. There are examples given that show that race and income don’t go hand-in-hand. There are both black and white students who are on the AP track, and who are also poor. What it really boils down to is motivation. You get rewarded for how hard you work and the final message given is if you work hard you can overcome any obstacle that may be in the way of your goals.
HBO has always been known for its award-winning documentaries and this one is right along with all the others. There is still segregation today in American schools. The segregation today is not all about race, though. It really just divides kids who want to work hard and kids who don’t. This often leads to income segregation, and the kids who have more opportunities to succeed are often rich. However, poor kids can succeed as well, if they are willing to work hard. While there is not as much said about the “Little Rock Nine” in this documentary, their presence is felt throughout. While we have come a long way since 1957, Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later helps us see that we really do still have a long ways to go to truly be equal in America.
The Video:
The video is given in anamorphic widescreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.75:1, which is enhanced for 16:9 TVs. Transfer is decent with minimal distortion. This is a great documentary and the video is one of the best things about it. The footage is real, but it’s top-notch quality as it comes from HBO. They know how to film documentaries.
The Audio:
The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo or in Spanish. The profanity is kept to a minimum here, mainly because this documentary takes a look at today’s Central High rather than the Central High of 50 years ago. So really there is nothing but “PG-friendly” language here. You can really feel the emotion coming through the audio.
The Extras:
There are no extras at all. That’s a disappointment for sure, since it would have been nice to hear from some of the other members of the “Little Rock Nine”, who weren’t featured in the documentary. Then again, maybe the others didn’t want to be involved in this project.
Everyone should at least rent this documentary, if they haven’t seen it on HBO. A buy can’t really be recommended. It is definitely a great documentary, but there are no extras. So those who have watched it on HBO, might not want to buy it. However, everyone should see this so you may want to buy it to show to others.
Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later |
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