Mississippi Burning

Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible for multi-generational conflicts to exist. Then, I remember watching the movie Mississippi Burning. I remember the scene that hit me like a sledge hammer when I first saw it, so many years ago.

Here’s the trailer.

The movie is a work of fiction inspired by true events that took place in the year 1964. Directed by Alan Parker, it includes great performances by Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, and Stephen Tobolowsky.

In the scene I remember, a mother teaches her young kids to hate African American people.

Hate is a learned behavior.

We may feel threatened by someone. We may be afraid of a specific bully. But we don’t feel hatred toward anyone without context. We don’t feel hatred toward an entire group of people without experiencing many individual incidents that sour our hearts over time.

Prejudice is a learned behavior.

We learn it from our parents, other family members, our teachers, and our friends. Bit by bit, we learn to categorize people into groups. It’s “us” against “them”.

Mississippi Burning shows us exactly how one generation can teach another to stay mired in perpetual conflict.