Part I: Awakenings, Eyes on the Prize is a documentary that depicts the Civil Rights
movement. This social and political campaign fought against segregation, social and political
inequality, and discrimination from 1954 to 1968. The documentary focuses on issues that led to
the Civil Rights movements, monumental moments during the movement, and the role of the
community during the movement. Its primary purpose is to inform and educate viewers about the
Civil Rights Movement, challenge their perceptions, and provoke thought and discussion. It also
serves as a means of advocacy and activism. Although the Civil Rights Movement started almost
50 years ago and the Civil Rights Act was passed, African Americans have yet to reach true
social and political equality, and they are still subject to discrimination. The documentary
highlights the progress African Americans have made toward achieving equality, however true
equality in all aspects of life is still a long way off.
The film begins by highlighting the discrimination and racism most African Americans
faced despite the abolition of slavery. Although African Americans were freed by law, the social
system and Jim Crow laws made it so that they were still socially enslaved. African Americans
were only offered low-paying, unskilled labor jobs, went to separate, poorer schools, and lived in
separate, poorer neighborhoods. Segregation and Jim Crow laws kept African Americans down
and unable to pursue the American dream, even though they were no longer enslaved and had
been granted citizenship. Segregation and Jim Crow laws had a deep psychological impact on
African Americans. In an interview, a black man stated that he used to believe that white men
were superior because it appeared that he had everything, and that if God can justify him having
everything, then God intended for white men to be the best. This goes to show the vast
psychological impact segregation and Jim Crow had on African Americans. They began to
believe the things racist white men thought about them and even resorted to believing that God
intended for white men to be on top of everything while black men remained at the bottom with
nothing. The fight for Civil Rights was not only for African Americans to be granted equal rights
and the end of segregation, but it was also a fight for African Americans to gain their humanity
so they could see themselves as equals to white men, even though society told them they were
not. During the fight for Civil Rights, acts of intimidation were ever-present to scare African
Americans from protesting and fighting for equality. The Ku Klux Klan was a major
organization that intimidated African Americans. They were known for lynching and lighting
African Americans on fire. During the bus boycott, the KKK would walk around the streets in
their hoods to scare people into riding the buses. Members of the boycott did not succumb to the
intimidation, resulting in the end of segregated buses and the end of the bus boycott. The
documentary highlights peaceful protests such as bus boycotts and how a community can come
together peacefully to fight for change and equality. It also shows that no movement is fought
alone. During the bus boycotts, members of the church and local communities carpooled and
offered rides to individuals with no cars. White women would often offer black people they saw
walking rides. The resilience and support of the community were part of the reason the bus
boycott was successful.
This documentary is a great introduction to the Civil Rights Movement. It provides some
in-depth examples of key events during that time, and the interviews allow viewers to form
interpersonal connections with the interviewees' stories. As a black woman watching the
documentary, I am touched by the valor of individuals who risked their lives fighting for my
rights. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., "freedom is never voluntarily granted by the
oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." Advocates of civil rights demanded their
freedom from the oppressor, which is how I have been granted my civil rights today.