The chatter of 24 students died down to a murmur as the lights dimmed; the movie had started. On Thursday, April 9 at 4:30 p.m., students and staff gathered in the MLK Room to watch “Do the Right Thing,” a movie written, directed and produced by Spike Lee in 1989, about a neighborhood in Brooklyn. Following the viewing, there was a whole-group discussion where participants shared their thoughts on the movie and its themes of racism, police brutality and tensions between ethnic groups.
The viewing was run by Race Reels, a club that organizes monthly viewings of movies centered around racism and facilitates discussion, and Brookline for Racial Justice and Equity (BRJE), an organization that works on racial justice and informs younger minds on political topics in Brookline.
Junior Charlene Jocelyn, a BRJE intern, wanted to watch “Do the Right Thing” because of Spike Lee’s reputation and the themes surrounding race.
“I haven’t actually watched ‘Do the Right Thing’ until now, but I know that Spike Lee is notorious for producing movies that are based on race and history,” Jocelyn said. “He’s also very artistic. So I just heard only good things about it. It’s a classic. I loved it so much.”
Junior Iliyana Velez said that she enjoyed the movie and all of Lee’s filmmaking choices that touched upon important themes surrounding racism, especially the musical elements, which included the song “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy.
“I thought the movie was really powerful. It was my first time watching it. I would definitely watch it again. Even from just watching it at a surface level for the first time, I felt like it was very symbolic,” Velez said. “The recurring themes of MLK and Malcolm X were really moving for me and definitely the recurring theme with music as well, “Fight the Power,” I felt like that was really straightforward.”
Senior Aviv Schwab-Jacobson, a Race Reels leader, said the club was created to provide students with an accessible outlet to discuss racism in an environment where everyone is equal. She said that the movie was a success because it focuses on issues that continue to be prevalent.
“I think it’s one of the best [Race Reels movies] because it so thoughtfully and intricately portrays these themes of racism in America, especially considering police brutality and how that still shows up so much today and has maybe even been on the rise,” Schwab-Jacobson said.
Velez said the event provided an opportunity to find others committed to learning more about racial justice.
“I decided to come because I thought [the movie] had a really nice message,” Velez said. “Also I think that it’s just really nice to be able to find a community with people who share the same motivations and values in bettering the community and the system, especially the racial system.”
Schwab-Jacobson said that the discussion aspect of Race Reels events is integral to promoting learning and racial justice.
“The goal is always to have people just start thinking, even if you don’t want to share what you’re thinking, and just to open people’s minds,” Schwab-Jacobson said. “So I feel like we had a great conversation and we touched on a bunch of different things, which really showed the variety of things that stuck out to people.”
Velez said that events like Race Reels are important, as they provide a chance to learn more about topics that need visibility. She said that the reasons Race Reels is valuable are similar to other school-wide experiences, such as the Day of Dialogue and MLK Day Assembly.
“All of these communities can come together with things that they share values on, to share their morals, express even their own personal stories and to further spread awareness,” Velez said. “Because even though this movie was made 35 years ago, it is still very much a recurring real-life issue today and if we never talk about it then it’s not going to get better.”
