FYI: Dangerous Minds is actually based on the memoirs of LouAnne Johnson and her work at Carlmont High School in Belmont, CA. Interesting book, btw. It wasn't an example of Hollywood showing a white savior infiltrating a minority culture but rather a telling of her story. Johnson is white and her students were African American and Hispanics, bused in from East Palo Alto. At the time of her memoirs Carlmont High School was predominately white, with most of the minority students coming from East Palo Alto. The school at that time was whiter than butcher's paper, today it is more ethnically diverse. Just a little fact, .
If I may say..
Having something be historical, to be clear, isn't necessarily something that can be divorced from a "White Savior" narrative - as many films are like that. What others often note is that rarely will Hollywood choose with equal persistence films about situations of adoption/intervention into bad situations from the perspective of minorities being those who actively go in and save things.
I think Dangerous Minds is an excellent read and it's one of my favorite movies (Michelle Phiefer at her best - and the famous "
Gangstas Paradise" song made by Coolio to go with the movie will always serve as a means of driving home the point of how bad the school was and the significance of what she did
There've been plenty of situations like that in many public school systems - and I'm thankful for others who are simply good teachers doing what they can.
One of my spiritual mothers had that, as a white elementary school teacher having a predominately black class that had a lot of issues - at a time when there was a lot of discrimination against blacks...and she even got bullied in Highschool when it came to protesting in the Civil Rights era - but she loved people and her kids will always remember her for her intervention. She also did the same in working at the same facility for AT-Risk kids/youths - helping black girls who connected with her more than others.
If they did a film on her life, I'd see it in a heartbeat
And that goes for all others I've seen with similar content
Nonetheless, where I'd have some concerns is how Hollywood has no problem coming across such stories - and yet they only do so from one way predominately. Rarely will you hear of Native American - or Asian, Hispanic or Black/Aboriginal teachers (or social workers) - going into bad schools of predominately white communities and saving the lives of troubled white teens....and yet it is not as if such has happened.
Rarely will you see true life films made in HollyWood about bad kids who were trained up how to act right by non-whites . And on the issue, concerning why it's an issue, it doesn't seem to be the case that many whites are cool with blacks adopting/helping their camp---as it gives the impression that what's underlying in thought is "I'm here to help you.....but never do I wish it to be known that you can help me--and have."
Even with the President---agree with him or not---it's interesting to see how many whites have made it out that Obama (as a Bi-Racial) would not have made it without their resources/knowledge..as if blacks did only contributed a little to his strengths/abilties....almost as if when he came to power, there was a "Paternalism" complex coming into place...and that is something that influences many. Have you ever heard of the movie
The Blind Side ?
Based on a true story
, it concerns a young black male who is without a family and gets picked up on the side of the road by an upper-class white family...taking him in/giving him an education and helping him out to become a professional football player. Seeing how the mother's background is a bit racist on her side of town, its remarkable to see how she went all out to make certain the man knew he was family.
More factors besides that...but that's the "Sparknotes" version. Again, the entire story is actually a true story....and I loved it alot. Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher was a high school legend, college star and a 2009 No. 1 draft pick. But his life would never have played out that way had not one special family taken him under their wing. But as a Black Hispanic, at times, one couldn't help but feel like it was another Hollywood film that seemed to not show the examples of where blacks and other minorities have done the same.
And most of the examples I've seen in the media of blacks rescuing whites have never seemed to be good---most of which are comedies......lilke "Me, Myself and Irene" with Jim Carey or another with Steve Martin where he didn't realize he was in a black family.
The only one I know of is called "The Secret Life of Bees" with Queen Latifah.....
It does seem that the movie "The Blindside" does indeed bring out questions such as "Wouldn't it be refreshing to see a black family take in a downtrodden white boy?" or "What role do whites play in the progress of blacks...and to what extent is it appropiate?"....as many have indeed saved been a blessing to countless blacks adopted/given a chance...
It is indeed a trip to see the issue in action....especially as it relates to images seen in the media of how it always seems to be the whites rescuing the blacks from certain death.
Again, "The Blind Side" I thought was an EXCELLENT film---As it greatly got the point across that what's happening within the Black Community is not something that others can say is just "Our problem"--and growing up fatherless myself but later going to a multi-cultural church, I could definately relate since I've had white friends/father figures who've adopted me and helped to raise me.............and we're all in this together. For more info, wrote about it on my blog in the article known as
"Fatherless: Who’s Your Daddy (or more specifically, whose responibility is it to be your daddy?!!)" (
)---and also over at one of my dear brothers in the Lord's site...as seen in "The Black Woman: Backbone of the African American Family?" ( )... See More
Nonetheless, I couldn't help but think of how it would be if a film came out showing a privelaged black family rescuing a white baby---or a black family in the working poor/middle class rescuing a white baby that was going to be aborted by a middle/upper class white family (as they deal with abortions as well and can often cover it up). Most likely, people would then have a bit of a double-standard...
My ex-girlfriend actually brought up the issue as to how she was a bit bothered with how it seems the media often portrays blacks as needing the help of whites all the time as if we're helpless....but the moment we try to help in reverse, many may get bothered...or even MAD..almost as if there's a hidden social order that must be kept. W.E.B. Dubious called it the double Consciousness which is seeing ourselves through the eyes of others whether good or bad. And in so doing we conform or transform to meet that criterion.... See More
Going through African-American Literature class years ago, I remember reading a novel by W.E.B Debois called "The Souls of Black Folks" that addressed the reality of how there are 2 Americans and that Blacks are caught in between living in 2 worlds.....while also living life within their world & knowing that what mattered was doing their own thang. That's one of the reasons why I SO loved the New Negro Movement ( )/Harlem Renaissance ( )--as they actively sought to challenge white paternalism/ stereotypes and rejected imitating the styles of Europeans and white Americans, rather instead celebrating black dignity and creativity as they sought to assert their freedom to express themselves on their own terms......and did not go easily with the mindset that they needed white help to be successful----counter to what's often seen in many portrayals today. For some excellent books on the issue:
