Naturalizing Silence

By Sarah Ballan

[1] Mississippi Burning revolves around two white FBI agents. Writer Chris Gerolmo and director Alan Parker chose to tell the white side of the story because they believed it would be more profitable at the box office. “The two heroes in the story had to be white,” said Parker, “That is a reflection of our society as much as of the film industry. At this point in time, it could not have been made in any other way.” Critics argue that this failure to include black activists makes the distortion of history unforgivable. Instead of exhibiting such courageous fighters as Fannie Lou Hamer and Rosa Parks, blacks in this film often take on the role of “silent victim.” This fictional portrayal of black passivism seems to be learned by example. The natural impulse of a human being is to speak up when he or she is wronged, not bite his tongue and walk away. The scene in which Anderson and Ward visit the burned church looking for answers dramatizes this unnatural silence and specifically shows the degree of influence a father has on his son to keep quiet. What we see here is an act of silencing. What we see here is a first lesson in learned behavior.

[2] Parker legitimizes this unnatural silence by highlighting the fear instilled among the black community. The blacks avoid unnecessary interaction with whites because they are confident that the police force will do nothing to protect them from the KKK. Before this particular scene, the audience is aware that the black residents of Jessup County are too afraid to even interact with white people, let alone stand up to them. When agent Ward sits next to a black man in a segregated restaurant, the man gets up and leaves to avoid any further interaction. The viewer is led to believe that black people, fearful of consequences, choose to accept the racist ways of the South rather than try to change them. The reason: the man is later beaten and dumped unceremoniously from a speeding car onto the main street even though he obeys the unwritten Jim Crow law against accusing a white.

[3] This similar, timid attitude is prevalent among the group of black people gathered on top of the remains of their burned church. The camera zooms in on these black men, women, and children as their facial expressions move from solemn to fearful when Ward and Anderson approach. The black people instinctively look down to avoid making eye contact, and Parker has most of the group flee the scene quickly rather than walk away nonchalantly. This submissive behavior is how the blacks choose to cope with their unfortunate situation. The men and women grab their children and rush to escape, both setting a passive example for their kids and further supporting the idea that black people are too afraid to speak up.

[4] One thing Parker does not distort is the strong family structure among blacks. The entire black community seems to care for one another. They bond over their communal suffering from injustice. Their closeness is exhibited in their gathering. They arrange themselves in a tightly knit circle as they stand on top of the remains of the burned church and listen intently to young Aaron Williams speak. He raises the possibility of having a black Sheriff. His leadership skills exerted during this speech give us the feeling that he is not going to conform to his father’s wishes to stay silent. Unfortunately, he is encouraged to bite his tongue.

[5] The fear that causes the black people to be cautious is passed down through generations, in this case, specifically from father to son. The “Attempts to Get Answers” scene sends the message that black people have accepted their mistreatment and encourage their offspring to abide by this injustice. Furthermore, they are actively teaching their children to abide by the unfair laws of Mississippi. Vertis Williams specifically instructs his son, who has the makings of a leader of his race, not to answer Ward and encourages Aaron to walk away, therefore teaching him the lesson that one should merely accept the racist way of life in Mississippi instead of defying it.

[6] Although they pray for a change, the blacks do not feel obligated to initiate it. However, by choosing not to defy the unjust government, the black people are knowingly allowing the unfairness to continue. They are conforming to their role as “victim”; they need someone else to challenge these unfair laws for them. This indifferent attitude regarding the acceptance of the law displayed in Mississippi Burning is not indicative in any way of the views that many in the black community of Mississippi during Freedom Summer shared and expressed. Gerolmo and Parker fail to hint that not all blacks accepted this corruption and that many even challenged the actions of the officials who abused their power.

[7] Aaron’s peers are socially conditioned to walk away from the situation, but his longing to speak up seems to conflict with the expectation others have of him to keep quiet. Vertis senses his son’s frustration with the law and his potential to speak his mind to the FBI agents. He tries to prevent his son’s desire to aggress from becoming a reality. The patience that Vertis possesses is a sign of maturity. It is an acquired skill that takes practice, but once attained it can be used to suppress impulses that may lead to negative outcomes. Vertis is well aware of the consequences that could arise if he or his family members talk to a white man. Although he too is unhappy with the quality of life in Mississippi for a black person, he thinks it best to comply. Aaron is more inclined to speak up because he is not mature enough to comprehend the severity of his actions. His obedient side eventually gets the best of him, and he shoos Ward away. He tells him, “It ain’t colored folks you should be talking to,” thereby discouraging him from trying to get any support from the black community whatsoever. He suggests that Ward go to the Sheriff to finish his interrogation alone. Does Aaron trust Ward to remedy the conflict, or does he just resign from the situation because he is nurtured to do so?

[8] Although Aaron’s speech is one that is filled with hope, the content of his prayers supports the blacks’ role as passive victim. He preaches, “one day . . . we won’t have to say, good morning Sir, Mr. Sheriff . . . Maybe there’ll come a time . . . when we’ll just say Stuckey or Sheriff . . . and one day there’ll come a time when the Sheriff won’t even be a white man.” The word “maybe” indicates that although the crowd seems to hope for the same things, they show no intention of facilitating this change. The audience is falsely led to believe that white civil rights workers, specifically FBI agents, are the ones responsible for putting the plan for civil rights in motion. Although the blacks stand and pray at the church that “maybe one day” they will not be subjected to such injustice, they do nothing substantial to confront the problem. Without action, a situation will remain constant. What good does praying do, if no real steps are taken? After watching this scene, the audience assumes that FBI agents or white civil rights supporters bear the credit for calling the corrupt government in the South into question, since the black people who were affected did not wish to risk overt confrontation that would escalate the conflict. This group of helpless individuals is waiting around for someone else, in this case Anderson and Ward, to do the dirty work.

[9] Parker characterizes the silence as a learned behavior and a necessary step blacks take in protecting themselves and their families from harm’s way. The immense fear of speaking to whites that is prevalent in the black community proves to be a real issue for Vertis and Aaron. Despite the fact that they do not reveal any information to Ward and Anderson, the KKK, like they did with the man in the restaurant, makes them pay for their brief encounter, sending the message that if any black person dares talk to a white man, he will be hanged and or physically harmed in some way. When the KKK comes after Vertis, he cries out, “I ain’t taking this shit no more.” He finally speaks out, but it’s too late . . . they forcefully kick him to the ground and hang him from his own tree. Parker deliberately renders the witnessing Aaron relatively silent, but since Aaron contemplates speaking, he is consequently beaten, therefore legitimizing the widespread fear of the white man and the necessity for silence.