[Oe List ...] Recommended film

[jlepps at pc.jaring.my]

Thanks Elizabeth for your correction of mis-perceptions arising from 
the Shelbyville video.

I'm also from a small Southern town that went through some 
difficulties in coming to terms with diversity, so I appreciate your 
sensitivities. But we understood the film to show Shelbyville in an 
admirable light, as sort of a role model for towns going through 
transition. I thought both Brian and Stephen played quite positive 
roles in the film, and am sorry that they found it offensive. We were 
especially impressed with the refugees' English language teacher's 
role in helping the Somalis become accepted in the town.

In any case, to paraphrase a comment from the film, diversity is not 
going away.

John

At 09:49 AM 5/26/2011, you wrote:

>Dear Colleagues,
>
>Please, if you choose to watch this film, I'd appreciate it if you 
>would first read the attached links:
>
><http://www.t-g.com/blogs/brianmosely/entry/41599/>http://www.t-g.com/blogs/brianmosely/entry/41599/
>
>http://www.t-g.com/story/1729821.html
>
>so you may understand the editing and bias behind the film.  The 
>reporter that is featured in the film shares what was edited out and 
>how he and the town were misrepresented to support a point of view 
>that was decided well before arriving in Shelbyville.
>
>Having grown up in Shelbyville and traveling back there monthly to 
>visit my mother these last 11 years has kept me reasonably connected 
>to the town and I must object to much of how the town was portrayed.
>
>Beverly, described as a church caterer, is given a lead role in the 
>film and depicted as a representative spokesperson for the entire 
>African American community of Shelbyville.  Her vague 
>generalizations do not conform to the facts as I know them.  The 
>filmmaker made no attempt to substantiate the charges Beverly 
>made.  The rumored FBI concern about a terrorist attack is 
>attributed to "the buzz".  Her nonspecific references to the 
>prevalence of lynchings in Shelbyville ignores the fact that the 
>last documented lynching in Shelbyville was in 1912. In 1934 there 
>was a race riot during the course of which the courthouse was 
>burned.  Two white rioters were killed by law enforcement during 
>their attempts to seize an African-American prisoner. There were no 
>riots since and integration was comparatively smooth as opposed to 
>many other places.  I'm not naive enough to say there weren't rough 
>spots I'm not aware of but not to the extremes alluded to in the 
>film. It is unfortunate that Beverly's comments were presented as 
>virtually the sole authoritative source on race relations in 
>Shelbyville. There are many intelligent and thoughtful African 
>American citizens who could have contributed balance and 
>perspective, including Mayor Eugene Ray. Presenting their views 
>would have substantially reduced the sense of "racial tension" that 
>was obviously an important part of the filmmaker's agenda, and 
>diminished support for the State Department's characterization of 
>Shelbyville as: "a town long defined by its history of racial 
>tension between African American and white residents dating back to 
>the end of the Civil War. " 
>(<http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/164171.htm>http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/164171.htm) 
>
>
>I find the bias of the movie disturbing.  The town has put enormous 
>resources into educating and assimilating a very large number of 
>Hispanic and Somali refugees.  And by the way Rev Stephen Caine is 
>the minister of my home church and neighbor. I will find out more 
>tomorrow when I am there whether his comments were edited to fit a 
>preconceived point of view.
>
>And what was the basis of all this?  That Somalis felt someone was 
>mean to them.  There was no act brought up as a basis for their unhappiness.
>
>Please be thoughtful and discerning when looking at this and 
>remember how once we/ICA felt the bias of a reporter with an angle 
>to promote.  And don't buy into the "all small Southern towns are . 
>. ." stereotypes.  It is much more complex.
>
>And if you want to use something to discuss diversity please 
>consider using the Shelbyville Times Gazette reporter's series 
>instead of this one-sided film.  It might not have the distribution 
>of the film but might be a more balanced description of the situation.
>
>Elizabeth
>
>On May 25, 2011, at 5:40 PM, 
><mailto:jlepps at pc.jaring.my>jlepps at pc.jaring.my wrote:
>
>Colleagues:
>
>Last night we saw a fantastic film on Public Television -- "Welcome 
>to Shelbyville," the story of a small town in Tennessee undergoing 
>major change. It's a documentary of how attitudes of black and white 
>residents shifted with the influx of first Hispanics, and more 
>recently Somalis. It's a great story of a community coming to terms 
>with diversity, and would be an excellent program with a group 
>followed by a focused discussion. It's also playing in some theaters 
>in Colorado.
>
>You can see it online at 
><http://video.rmpbs.org/video/1944965828/>http://video.rmpbs.org/video/1944965828/
>
>John
>
>
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