In November, we had a very meaningful and informative event. On November 17, the LAMP Mentor Program and the Good Man Movement met at Polytechnic School Upper School Library. We had a discussion of the theme for the 2019 Luncheon and watched the movie BlackKKKlansman. For most of the young men, this was their first exposure to the specific perceptions, views, language and actions of white supremacy and the Klu Klux Klan. The movie also provided a picture of the Black culture and Black Power movement of the 1970s.
After the movie and over lunch, we met in small groups to discuss the movie and the book The Lies My Teacher Taught Me. There were robust discussions around the revelations in the movie and the book. Some of the comments from the Mentees included a recognition of “how much of the attitudes displayed in the movie by the klansman are present today,” “I never really thought about our heritage, but now I will think about it some more,” and “what does the upside down flag at the end of the movie mean.” Finally, we distributed the next book that we are reading, There is a Fountain: the Autobiography of a Civil Rights Lawyer.
