Anti-Racism Movie Guide: Dangerous Minds
Created by Lydia Pelot-HobbsOverview/Description
"Dangerous Minds" follows LouAnne Johnson, a White Teacher at a school within a school for "special needs" students. This Academy is made up almost entirely of Students of Color, who all have White Teachers. Most of the students are bussed in to this suburban high school from the city. This movie chronicles a semester of one of LouAnne's classes.
While the purpose of this movie was intended to illustrate how wonderful LouAnne is as a teacher and how she reaches out to her students, there are inherent issues of oppression of this White Woman "saving" these Youth of Color. The movie also deals with issues of school funding, militarization in schools, curriculum in schools, and how rules and discipline affect the learning process.
Things to Think About
As you are watching the movie, take notice of how White People and People of Color interact with one another. Also, think about problems in your schools that are illustrated in this movie.
Discussion Questions
- What does it say that almost all of students are Students of Color? How does the film portray Students of Color to the audience?
- What do you think of the fact that after LouAnne's first day she is reading Assertive Discipline?
- LouAnne uses the fact she was a marine to get the students attention. How does this illustrate militarization in our schools? How have your schools been militarized? How does this affect one's education?
- In the classroom a student says, "Since when has the Board of Education done anything for us?" What does it say that they feel this way? Do you feel the Board of Education of your school does/did care about you?
- A question on one of Hal's exams asks which president of the United States was the most influential. One student answers "I will not answer as it is culturally biased." Was it? Are history classes culturally biased? How could we change them to be more inclusive?
- LouAnne tells her students "there are no victims in this classroom." What does this say about how she views the world? How does this influence how she sees her students and how she teaches?
- Many times throughout the movie, LouAnne is told she doesn't understand. Jarelle's grandmother tells LouAnne to "find some other poor boys to save." Why do you think there is hostility towards LouAnne? Do you feel any hostility towards her? Why or why not?
- How do the ideas of discipline and rules play into the movie? How can rules and forms of discipline be effective? Why are they often ineffective?
For more AR Movie Guides, click here!
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs is a bridger from St. Louis, MO. She currently attends Oberlin College in Ohio.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
