The American Society during the Civil Rights Movements
The 1960s marked a heightened period of the Civil Rights movements in America. During this period, the Blacks formed various groups to address issues that faced the Black such as police brutality, and increased segregation. The film The Night of the Living Dead by George Romero illustrates the height of segregation against the Blacks in American society. Romero uses only one black character, Ben, in the film, which he has to work with Whites to save themselves from the Zombies. The zombies prevail as a metaphor illustrating deep fears such as racial segregation as seen in the film. The film represents the form of opposition the Blacks face against the whites while they figure out the fears, zombies, which face them in their lives.
Harry thinks that Ben can never protect them while they hide, due to his colour. Harry sees Ben as an inferior person who cannot make the right decisions to protect them. Harry questions every decision Ben makes. Further, Harry concentrates on ways he could gain control over the situation rather than helping Ben to fight the Zombies (Romero 1:22:48-1:23:14). Ben results in shooting Harry for his survival. The zombies in this scene represent the fears faced by the Black in American society. Harry represents the White man population, which has instituted laws against the Black man’s existence and success in American society. During this period, the Black people faced opposition from every aspect, notably the civil rights activists whom the government failed to protect (Lyon Para. 4). These leaders faced severe opposition from the white racists. This scene also illustrates the point in American history, where the white parents in Little Rock remained strongly opposed to the integration of Black student in Central High school. The white people perceived the Black man as an inferior being who should never attain control of his life.
The search parties with police officers, men, and dogs represent lynching on the Black man. The lynching commonly occurred to the Black man during this period of the civil rights movement. Ben gets shot by a white man while the Sheriff commends him for a “good shot,” rather than condemning the killing. The act by the Sheriff represents the occurrences in American society during the period of the 1960s. The white people could lynch and even kill the Black people. Additionally, the white men never got convicted for this Black man lynchings and murders. According to Lyons, “In some communities, lynching’s occurred well into the1950s and 1960s. In 1955, the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy from Chicago, made national headlines” (Para. 1). Till experienced lynching due to his earlier engagement with a cashier, Carol Bryant, a white cashier. Her husband Lynched Till and later got acquitted. However, the two accepted a paid interview where they confessed to lynching, killing, and throwing the boy into the river. The search parties illustrate the oppression of the Black man from the police force and the American society.
The Sheriff orders the shooting of Ben. The Sherriff orders the white civilian to take a headshot on Ben. Ben faces the meanest of fate, even after working so hard to survive the Zombies at night (Romero 1:33:40-1:33:40). The civilian and the Sheriff assume rather than checking out the place first. The action by the Sheriff and the white civilian illustrates the ignorance of the White man against the Black man in America and problems affecting them in society. The scene also illustrates the White man’s notion against the Black man. Besides, the scene illustrates the blockade formed by the White man against the Black man’s effort to achieve success in American society. According to Lyons, “On February 18, during an evening march around the courthouse, local segregationists and state troopers violently attacked demonstrators and killed Jimmie Lee Jackson” (Para. 9). This affirms the symbolism in the film where the Police force kept harassing the Black man through various methods such as beatings, applying teargas, and even killings, to dehumanize them.
In conclusion, the film by George Romero illustrates the life of the Black man in the American society of the 1950s through the 1960s. The Black man fears, zombies, as illustrated by the lone Black character, Ben. Ben further faces opposition from the white character, Harry, who feels that Ben should never lead in protecting them against the Zombies. Harry attempts to take control by taking the riffle, but Ben fights him off, eventually shooting him. This film is a mere illustration of the Black man who struggles in this White-dominated community. The marches by the police in search of the Zombies illustrate the Police force efforts to victimize the Black community. At most times, the police marches led to beatings and eventual death of the Black people. Besides, the Black man experienced oppression from the white man with the support from the police force, and even the people in public administration. The film, The Night of the Living Dead symbolizes the life of the blacks in the American community.
Works Cited
Lyons, Courtney A. “Civil Rights Movements.” Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, Sage Publications, Inc.
The night of the living dead. Directed by George Romero, performances by Ben and Hillary. 1968.