After watching this film three times and engaging in the following discussion after each film facilitated by the director(with three different audiences), I am inspired and open to looking at the concept of racism and prejudice in a different way. I don't necessarily agree with the concept that only white people can be racist, or that all white people are racist, but that's not sole the director's message - it's the definition agreed upon for the direction of the film. This definition was really meant to differentiate between the idea of "individual meanness" that people have regarding how we treat race and the concept of "institutionalized racism" for which there is evidence from a variety of published studies and documents accessible outside of this documentary. Students in this film are challenged to face head on the very sensitive topic of racism. There are valid questions straight from the mouths of teenagers such as: what do white people get out of deconstructing racism, and how do we determine acceptable terms between races (who gets to use race-based terms).
I work in the 2nd most diverse school in my state, which happens to be in the Midwest. I found the selection of the NYC students in the film (white, black, mixed, Asian, private school, public school) to be relevant and comparable to my Midwestern urban school. While we have a reputation for being open-minded and accepting to those who have felt marginalized in other schools, we still have questions and disagreements about how/when to approach both teachers and students about the words we use in various circumstances. Do I stop every kid who uses the "N" word, even if it's clearly a term of "endearment" between two black friends? It is a legitimate friendly term in a specific situation or environment. But when it is uttered by white person - ever - it is a reminder of the social race "class" system. We didn't create it but we are a part of the perpetuation of it if we don't have the conversation that leads to a deeper understanding. The conversation would be very different in small or suburban majority white middle-class environment.
By the end of the movie, the message is clear from the participating students - racism is a complex structure and concept that must continue to be discussed in our society. Changing the system that is in place to hold back people of color, people in poverty, people who are otherwise marginalized, requires diligent conversation and and a commitment to the life-long process of learning, understanding, and making changes in our lives based on that understanding. While the film chooses racism as it's focus, the ideas discussed by students clearly connect to other types of marginalization: gender, religion, poverty. This film is a great way to start or propel this kind of conversation in schools and their surrounding communities, who are serious about bettering the lives of all of their members.