Race or Reason: The Bellport Dilemma 2002
Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40th Street, New York, NY 10016; 202-808-4980
Produced by Betty Puleston and Lynne Jackson
Director n/a
VHS, color, 60 min.
Sr. High - Adult
American Studies, History, Education
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Ayodele Ojumu, Graduate Student, Department of Library and Information Studies, University at Buffalo, State University of New York Ojumu, Reference and Instruction Librarian, State University of New York College at FredoniaRace or Reason: The Bellport Dilemma highlights the racial tension that existed at Bellport High School between 1969 and 1970. Bellport, a suburban town located on Long Island near New York City, was segregated.
The aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement swept across the United States during the late sixties and early seventies at Bellport High, the only high school in the Bellport area at that time, was no exception. The students, administrators, parents, and residents of the community witnessed racial outbreaks and police presence which ultimately led to the closure of the school on numerous occasions. The outbreaks were fueled by school administrators lack of cultural sensitivity, specifically relating to the restriction placed on the Black and Puerto Rican students from putting up posters of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Following a model from the Challenge for Change Program of the National Film Board of Canada, Bellport community resident Betty Puleston, opened up her home as a meeting place for the Bellport High School students to air their grievances and learn how to constructively communicate. To encourage the students to delve deeper into the issues taking place at Bellport High, the use of media, specifically portable video cameras, introduced to the students to a more effective means of facilitating conflict resolution. This video captures what was recorded by the students at that time and includes their reactions thirty years later.
The technical quality of the video is good, considering the lack of production experience of the students and the poor quality of the black-and-white tape footage.