In preparation for Ball State's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration next week, the Multicultural Center will present a film series Thursday highlighting one of the key court cases that laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights movement.
The 1990 film, titled "The Road to Brown," will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Student Center Forum Room. All members of the Ball State and Muncie communities are invited to attend.
Derick Virgil, director of the Multicultural Center, will provide a brief introduction before the audience views the 56-minute documentary. Virgil said the film will provide a concise history on how the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education court case decision helped blacks to win full legal equality under the U. S. Constitution.
Virgil said the court case decision has special significance this year as May 2004 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education verdict.
"The ruling helped open doors for all facilities to be more equitable for all members of (today's) society," Virgil said.
The Brown v. Board case began when a third-grader named Linda Brown walked one mile each day to get to her black elementary school, even though a white elementary was only seven blocks away, according to the "African American History" project provided at watson.org. Her father, the late Rev. Oliver Brown, decided to ask the NAACP for help in challenging segregation in public schools, the site said.
Virgil said this spawned the Brown v. Board decision, which paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement as it overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson "separate but equal" philosophy and integrated school systems in the South.
Melody Fisher, assistant director of the Multicultural Center, said she is glad "The Road to Brown" will educate the Ball State community about one of the most significant events in U.S. history.
Students who view the film will better understand the struggles blacks faced only 50 years ago, Fisher said.
"It is important specifically for the Ball State campus to show how far African Americans have come and how much further we must go," she said.
Fisher said the film showing was planned as a precursor to next week's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration activities.
Both Linda Brown Thompson and her sister Cheryl Brown Henderson will be speaking at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Emens Auditorium. The Multicultural Center will also host a Brown Bag discussion at noon on Jan. 23 concerning the sisters' visit.
Virgil said he encourages the Ball State and Muncie communities to attend the "Road to Brown" film event so as to have a foundation about the Brown v. Board of Education case before the Brown sisters visit campus. He said the film will provide the community with a greater appreciation of the racial integration so many people today take for granted.
"Brown v. Board of Education was not a victory just for black people," Virgil said. "It was a victory for all people. It is important that people of all races understand (black) history so we wont repeat the inequities of our past."
Virgil said he appreciates the active role Ball State is playing this year in promoting multicultural education on campus.
Hosting events such as "The Road to Brown" film will benefit the Ball State and Muncie communities both now and in the future, he said.
"Only those who recognize our history will be able to make a difference in the future," Virgil said. "Ball State's (multicultural events) say a lot about our stance in terms of creating a diverse and thereby rich cultural experience for students."
Morenike Aderiye, president of Ball State's Black Student Association, said she is looking forward to seeing the film and hopes students take the time to attend the event.
As the film highlights one of the most important court cases in American history, it will give all students a renewed appreciation of the multicultural world, Aderiye said.
"The film will increase awareness of multicultural events by discussing issues that not only affect minority students but will empower all individuals," she said.
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