In the American South in the 1960's racism was rampant. The Civil Rights movement was underway and various forces had given impetus to radical changes between the races. The South, still based on the plantation lifestyle, found it difficult to give blacks equal status socially and economically. Many had escaped to the north following the Civil War, where they found better opportunities. Because of the plantation mentality, the whites in the South found it difficult to give up the white supremacist attitudes, resulting in dramatic clashes, riots, demonstrations, and murders. At a time when separate restrooms, hotels, and restaurants for the races were the norm, the 1960's was a time of immense social change in the South, change that plumbed to the roots of Southern history and beliefs.
Mississippi Burning, a film about occurrences in this time and place (1964 in Mississippi), is somewhat based on historical events but somewhat distorted in a way that causes the viewer to recoil at the depths of prejudice in the whites at the time. Two FBI agents have gone into the state of Mississippi to investigate the deaths of three young Freedom Riders, needless deaths in the landscape of social reform (Parker, 1988). One FBI agent is rather straight-laced and wants to do everything according to the letter of the regulations. The other, an ex-sheriff from Mississippi, understands the underbelly of the Southern mores and tempers the self-righteous superiority of the younger man. Although they have much conflict, the two eventually meld into a good team.
The crux of the story is the insidious white supremacist attitude that is imbedded within the law enforcement officials of the fictitious Jessup County. The viewer is shocked as the truth unfolds, revealing that the murders are Ku Klux Klan members at night and sheriffs, deputies, and assistant deputies in the daytime (Parker, 1988). Although the facts are somewhat altered, the film g...