In his short documentary film about racism, The Shadow of Hate (1995) (Guggenheim), Charles Guggenheim remarks on the origins of race and how history and its people have been affected by it. In this documentary film, the racial minorities in American have been referred to as “them,” the ones who are different, the ones who are unknown. The documentary shows how intolerant America is against these unknown. The documentary also explains why these who are different, who are unknown as labeled as “them.” The documentary makes it apparent that America has always been uncertain about “them,” and this makes strikes fear in their hearts. Ultimately, this documentary suggests that society can belittle the races in order to advance their own economic, political, and/or social motives.
The Shadow of Hate (1995) can be regarded as an account of the overwhelming prejudice that has taken place in the United States, a troubling relic that has been embedded in the country for centuries. The documentary reveals how obsessed and preoccupied ‘whites’ have been to remain “superior” to minor racial groups like the Japanese-Americans, Native Americans, and Quakers, and how significantly this has affected “them.” Current tensions that are causing conflicts between American cities and communities are also highlighted in this documentary film. This documentary film reminds viewers of events, such as the Wounded Knee Massacre, the trial and lynching of Leo Frank, and the Japanese American internment during the Second World War by using archival film footage, eyewitness interviews, and historical photographs.
This documentary film sheds light on the dark corners of the history of America by telling the story of the struggles of those who have constantly been in risk of being persecuted for their racial identity. The story of prejudice and racial discrimination is as old as the country itself. Throughout the history of the U.S., Americans have pointed their fingers at those who do not act, look or think like they do. For almost three centuries, America has constantly struggled to live up to its ideals of equality, justice and liberty for everyone, but it has not been as successful as many of us assume it to be. This documentary gives viewers a new perspective on how different races have been treated throughout the history of the U.S.
One of the alarming facts that this documentary film reveals is that Thomas Jefferson, who is one of America’s Found Father’s, owned black slaves. The documentary reveals that although in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote that “[a]ll men are created equal,” he actually did not live up to his own words because he actually believed the blacks were “inferior to the whites.” The greatest impact that The Shadow of Hate (1995) had on me was that it has informed of me of the racial problems that have existed in American and still exist. This documentary has made me realize that American has caused much troubled to many races, and this prejudice and racism is still taking place today.
Prejudice based on race has quite a reputation in the United States. However, I do not believe that any race is superior or inferior to another. I believe in treating everyone as equals, no matter how different they may be, and I would not mind befriend a person, regardless of his or her race. I believe that adding legal enforcement is the only way of ending discrimination and prejudice. The only way Americans can stop being prejudiced is if they stop being opinionated on others based on their race. So, doing this seems to be an ideal way of making people realize that today there are many diverse races living in America, who are technically Americans, a part of the country.
Works Cited
Guggenheim, Charles, dir. The Shadow of Hate. 1995. Film. 23 Apr 2013.
