Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2019 September 3

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

September 3

Jim Crow Show from 1980s

Hey guys what's up. Back in the 1980s there was this TV movie, like one of those "After School Specials" that was watched by nearly every junior high in my area. It starts in the Jim Crow South right after a black man was tarred and feathered for looking at a white lady in the eye. There is a really mean white businessman who also runs the local Klan and the story revolves around a little black girl going to school in this environment. Halfway through the film the girl's mother gets fired by the white businessman as a teacher because she was teaching about the slave trade. Later on the white man pushes the little girl into the street and the black girl's uncle wants to hurt him, but is stopped by other blacks in the neighborhood. At the end of the film, it was either the sons or nephews of the white businessman who were robbing stores and then framing local black kids for doing it. This TV movie was itself based on a very popular book which was mandatory reading for all 7th and 8th graders back then. Its been thirty years and I cant find the name of this film anywhere! Does anyone know?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.245.177.11 (talk) 20:50, 3 September 2019 (UTC)

To answer your first question, nothing's up. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 01:27, 4 September 2019 (UTC)

Sounds like a terrible oversimplification to "All blacks good, all whites bad". Not exactly exploring the full range of guiltiness, like in Uncle Tom's Cabin. SinisterLefty (talk) 02:04, 4 September 2019 (UTC)

So, do you guys know the name of it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.245.177.11 (talk) 14:05, 5 September 2019 (UTC)

An adaptation of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry? Lfh (talk) 12:34, 6 September 2019 (UTC)

Which would likely be this. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.202.210.239 (talk) 07:00, 7 September 2019 (UTC)

You guys are the best. That was it! I even found the movie too online. I had no idea Morgan Freeman play the uncle. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.245.177.11 (talk) 13:58, 9 September 2019 (UTC)

Resolved

SinisterLefty (talk) 03:16, 10 September 2019 (UTC)