Wiki for Dr. McClurkens Courses

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You should do a total of 2-3 comments/questions/observations this week. You do not need to post to all areas. – Dr. McClurken

DO NOT DELETE OTHER PEOPLE'S COMMENTS – Please be careful as you add your posts that you are not deleting anyone else's work. – Dr. McClurken

====== How does this movie work as a secondary source? What does the movie get right about history? ======

This film works as a good secondary source by depicting a common story that pulls on larger events that took place during the Montgomery bus boycotts. Although Odessa Cotter is a fictional character, her experiences reflected the trials and tribulations that black women in Montgomery went through. This movie pulls on the greater themes of the bus boycott and deposits them into a fictional character that still does an accurate representation of what life could have been like for a black woman on the ground in Montgomery. - Ewan H

The Long Walk Home is an excellent secondary source because it does a great job at providing an understanding of the racial dynamics and events around the Montgomery bus boycott. It got a lot of historical context right. For one, she worked as a house maid which was a common job that black women had in the 1950s. Second, the boycott and Rosa Parks were brought up. At the start of the film, Odessa's kids were reading the newspaper when it came out that a Black woman had been arrested for refusing to give up their seat to a white person on a bus. They also said, it wasn't the first time it happened either. This is actually true that several Black women refused to give up their bus seat to a white person both before and after Rosa Parks'. The movie also got down deep details about the time. For example, it showed Odessa's daughter walking into the bus to pay her fare then she had to walk out to go through the back entrance of the bus to sit in the back. (Hannah E.)

This film gets a lot right about 1950’s America, and we see both black and white perspectives of the bus boycott which truly took place. They got the details about how black people had to pay up front and then enter through the back right. Discussions of segregation and attitudes towards race relations, which often were manifest in incredibly racist dialogue, painted an unfortunately accurate picture of the American south in the 50’s. Although centered around a fictional family, we still get a realistic experience through these characters. - Owen

The Long Walk Home's portrayal of 1950's Alabama does a good job of representing the difficulties protesters who participated in the Montgomery bus boycott went through, such as Odessa and her fellow protesters being forced to walk to work (though in Odessa's case she was assisted by her white employer, which certainly was not the case for everyone). At the same time, it examines the place that women, both Black and white, occupied in the social hierarchy of the time, and the similarities and differences between their positions. Miriam places her identity as a housewife and mother first and foremost, as would be expected of women at the time, and this allows her to relate to Odessa. Though Odessa faces additional trials on account of her race, the two women do share that particular trait and the expectations 1950s Southern society would have placed upon them. - Claire C.

The movie The Long Walk Home accurately portrays key aspects of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, highlighting the determination of the Black community to resist segregation by organizing carpools and enduring long walks. The film captures the economic strain placed on bus companies by the boycott and the solidarity within the Black community that made the protest possible. Additionally, it realistically depicts the tense relationship between Black domestic workers and their white employers, as well as the personal risks some white individuals took to support the movement. - Sam B.

This film makes very effective use of the fictional characters they center their film around. It feels like a fairly accurate portrayal of the general experiences and struggles that women, Black women in particular, would have faced during the bus boycotts and this time period in general. Using a fictional character instead of a historical figure, in this circumstance, helped convey the idea that this movement was full of ordinary people, the kind who are generally not remembered individually by history as opposed to being a movement carried out by singular and influential figureheads. - Rickie

One thing that both the film and scholarly sources touch on was the amount of carpooling that took place over the course of that year. When learning about the boycotts in school, I was never taught this part of the boycott. What's interesting to me, and something that the film gets right, is that sometimes white women would offer to carpool African Americans who were participating in the boycott, which made their lives easier. The movie also touches on the fact that this practice was unfavorable. If a white woman was seen giving a black woman a ride, they were often ticketed for any excuse an officer could find. While the movie more so focuses on how Miriam faces opposition by her husband and other people she knows, rather than focusing as much on the ticketing, it still shows the outward feelings most white individuals had about this situation. - Emma Galvin 
 
====== Problems with historical accuracy? Errors in fact? ======

The Long Walk Home takes some liberties with historical accuracy, especially in its portrayal of personal relationships and the extent of white support for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Miriam Thompson, a white woman who risks social backlash to support her Black housekeeper, Odessa, represents a fictionalized ally figure. While some white residents sympathized with the boycott, the level of active support shown in the film was not common and overshadows the broader efforts of Black leaders and organizations like the Montgomery Improvement Association. Additionally, the film simplifies the boycott’s complexity, omitting some of the logistical challenges and legal battles faced by organizers. -Sam B.

====== How does the film’s overall interpretation(s) deviate from scholarly historical sources? ======

This film does a very good job of portraying the basic facts accurate to the situation. At the time, a majority of the jobs Black women held were secretarial or housework jobs, this was portrayed accurately in the movie. However, something the movie didn't quite hit the mark on was the involvement of white women in the boycott. In one of the sources, it discusses the mutual boycott between the white women and their black maids. There was a form of alliance between the two groups, which wasn't necessarily expressed in the movie (at the beginning). Towards the end, that mutual respect was achieved, and I felt that it was done very well, but I felt that it downplayed the relationship a little. - Caty

====== How does this movie work as a primary source about the time in which it was made? ======

This film works well as a primary source since the 1990s, during which the Long Walk Home was made, was a time when racial inequalities were still prominent.  The 1990's saw an increased focus on racial inequities. The film showcased an underrepresented voice along the side of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., providing insight into what types of stories and viewpoints were becoming accepted in mainstream media at that time. Another thing is the growing women's rights movement. The 1990s saw more progress in women's rights. You can definitely see this when Mariam was struggling against her husband's wishes; if the movie was produced in the 1950s, the scenario would be different. (Hannah E.) 
 
The Long Walk Home serves as a primary source about the time in which it was made, late 1980s to 1990, in ways that echo other films we’ve discussed from around that same time period. This movie definitely represents the societal push for more diverse stories told on-screen. As my classmates have pointed out, this movie does make some great strides in historical accuracy and approaching sensitive topics with care, which does show how the people (generally speaking) of this era looked back upon the Civil Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s. However, it’s not perfect and the movie, at times, used the struggles of African Americans with segregation and racism as a tool for the white protagonist’s character arc. I think this shows that, despite good intentions, Hollywood and the general American audience had a lot of room to grow. --Allie

====== The "So What" Question ======

I think that a movie like this is important to analyze and reflect upon with more stories like this being told in recent times. In an era where black history is highlighted more and more, a story like this can provide an early moment in the history of retelling pivotal civil rights events. Especially an example that does a good job sticking to accuracy and avoids some common tropes of movies like this (like the white savior). - Ewan H

This film provides the public a narrative surrounding the civil rights movement that is important for future generations to see and understand, so that we can recognize how things used to be, how far we’ve come and so that we don’t allow our society to become violently divided on the basis of race ever again. - Owen

This film, being a fairly accurate and straightforward retelling of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, is valuable viewing for anyone wanting to understand more of the atmosphere of that particular moment in history (dramatized, of course, but that will be the case for any movie, no matter how accurate). Though a white woman, Miriam, is a necessary character for her exemplification of the contrast between Black and white womens' positions in 50s American society, she is not centered over the Black characters or their struggles, and the result is an even and measured portrayal that is also an enjoyable watch. - Claire C.

Many people learned about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott in school, so this movie has a broader appeal and is likely to draw in a decent audience. It takes a narrative that is generally considered to be interesting and even one of American success and sheds light on the human nature of the event, a nature that is often overlooked when considering broader historical narratives and patterns. This is both an engaging film that also carries with it an impactful message. - Rickie

In school, when learning about the Bus Boycotts, we usually learned about Rosa Parks and her first encounter that got her imprisoned. We then learned that a boycott was put into effect and then a year later the boycott ended due to bus segregation being ruled unconstitutional. We never really learned about what happened between point A and point B. While this movie isn’t 100% accurate, it highlights more of the Bus Boycott than I ever learned and it also gives a white person's perspective of the whole event, which is also something I was never taught growing up. Assuming most people around my age grew up with similar knowledge of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, this movie is a great way to introduce that subject and teach more about an important event in American history that isn’t talked about in much depth. - Emma Galvin

Everyone learns about Rosa Parks in US history class (this one is no different). However, this movie shows something that mainstream history does not - the everyday lived experience of Black individuals during that time. We learn about the big names, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and even James Farmer, but people like Odessa and even Miriam to some degree aren't talked about. The everyday instances of racism, the lived experiences, and the struggles that black people went through during not just the Civil Rights movement but the time before and after that are expressed in this movie. It's important to acknowledge that, to feel upset by it, to know that it happened so it never happens again. Though there are areas of improvement in this film, I still think it does an excellent job showing what other movies don't. - Caty

I think a big impact of this movie is the focus on ordinary people. So many times we see a movie about social change that uses large organizations, the government, etc. as ways to enact change. While neither of those examples are bad, a film like “The Long Walk Home” can remind people of the importance of local community and grassroots campaigns; in this case, pertaining to the Montgomery bus boycotts. This time of year has felt more political than normal, due to Presidential election (of course), and watching a movie like this reminded me (and others) that there are ways for everyday citizens to work together for a common purpose.   --Allie

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