Prom Night in Mississippi

Himself (Freeman, Morgan):
One of the things that surprised me most was that they have separate proms and separate homecoming queens- one white, one black. How stupid can that be?

Himself (Freeman, Morgan):
You're not talking to the kids. You're not trying to change them. You're trying to change the people who teach them.

Herself (Chasidy):
It might be the fear your white daughter conceiving with a black man. That might be the fear. You're afraid of presenting, coming out white and you have a mixed baby.

Herself (Jessica):
I can't get jobs in some places in town because the the racism is so bad here, because I have black friends. And I get judged by it every day.

Himself (Anonymous):
There's people around here that will disown their kids if they try to mix things up like that. A lot of parents, not just one or two.

Himself (student's parent):
[commenting on his daughter's black boyfriend] She's never been on a date with him. That's my choice. It's not hers, because I have a little control still. I'm still the parent.

Himself (Jeremy):
They can't think of a reason to hate us, because you take away our color, we all the same.

Herself (Jessica):
Mississippi has to get over the racism, the country-redneck-hate stank here. As far as I'm concerned, they can kiss my ass.

Herself (female student):
That's the American dream, anyway. To be better than the last generation. I don't know why they're afraid of change. I don't understand.

Himself (Freeman, Morgan):
[sharing his conversation he had with the high school students] We don't want separate proms. Then who does? Parents. School board.

Herself (Jessica):
[about her friendship with a black student] I started hanging out with Calvin; and my parents threatened me and threatened me and threatened me.

Herself (Al' Lisha):
She was white and I'm black. In this school, the white always win.

Herself (Hardy, Cescily):
[a white female student's comment] I don't hang our with a lot of white people, because a lot of them are retarded.

Herself (Jessica):
God put us on Earth not to be racist. That's a ticket to hell, if you ask me.

Herself (Jessica):
[about a female student against an integrated prom] I feel sorry for her, because she was raised the way I was. But she's sticking to actually being racist.

Herself (Kendall, Sheila):
[a student's mother supporting an integrated prom] My grandmother always told us that we were all put on this Earth different. And when we all start integrating, there's not going to be any individuality. And we're all going to be the same. And if that's how God wanted us, he would have made us all the same to start with.

Himself (Padgett, Jeff):
[lawyer for several white parents insisting and organizing a white-only prom] Really what it's about is having a party for all the kids, who happen to be white. And it's just a little prom for them.

Himself (Padgett, Jeff):
[lawyer explaining why several white parents, organizing the white prom, refuse to be interviewed] I have spoken to my clients and they do not wish to speak to you at this time for fear of being categorized as racists, or bigots, or hypocrites.

Himself (student's father):
Blacks have always taught black to hate whites. And the whites have always taught their kids to hate blacks. My daddy did it. My granddaddy did it. So, I'm gonna learn to do it.

Herself (McNair, Natashia):
[a teacher commenting on an overblown student quarrel] To me, it was a slap in the face, because the white kids can say whatever they like. But the black kids are supposed to keep their mouth shut and say nothing at all.

Himself (Anonymous):
[white student wishing to remain anonymous] The white parents of the white prom won't talk to you, because they're racists. Really, it's what it comes down to. They're racist people. And they don't want the whole world to know they're racist.