TYPE: Documentary
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: Development

LOGLINE

Black southern students travel beyond the Mason-Dixon Line to live with white northern host families to finish high school in the 1950s-1970s.

SYNOPSIS

During the modern Civil Rights Movement, school closings were a reality in the South. This core story tells how the Quaker, American Friends Service Committee, recruited Black teens to attend high school in the North, hosted by white families from the 1950s-1970s. Additional programs expand the narrative of the story.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

In recent years, I thumbed across two national magazine articles in a scrapbook about my participation in the 2-year Quaker program. AS I reflected on my experiences, I contacted the AFSC to ask if there had been a reunion or any effort to contact me. After hearing the negative, I initially thought of organizing a reunion. Immediately, the task of locating program participants after 50 years became a challenge. The more I spoke to people, the more I was encouraged to tell the story. People encourage visual media rather than a script for a broader reach. I recalled hearing about other programs from college friends and expanded the core story about the Quaker program to include others at prep-schools, universities, and independent groups. During this time of searching for interested participants, research commenced. In addition to local repositories, I went to the Quaker archives in Philadelphia, visited the sponsoring office in NYC, and 2 of the original administrators in NJ. Other trips included Yale in New Haven, the deceased program coordinator's brother in Allen, PA, and numerous discussions with people associated with these programs. Mock interviews were conducted with student alumni after completing a questionnaire and waiver. The purpose of these recorded Zoom sessions was two-fold: to maintain interest and to determine pairing and how people presented in front of the camera. The concept of 'beyond the mason' has universal relevance to anyone attempting something new. It took a great deal of courage and trust for the student and their family to step from a world of being bound by the oppression of Jim Crow South, to then actually be living with and under the supervision of a white family; and for some students - a totally white community. There is also the impact of the "power of one:" one person, one family, making one decision that has untold impact (positive and negative). The exposure to new opportunities in education expanded to college and even career choices. New cultural experiences that were not possible in the South opened new horizons. While most students report positive outcomes, there are accounts of being homesick, negative reactions to students, and even a community rejecting a student which made national headlines. Students who chose NOT to participate will also be included which further reflects the cultural climate of the times and why people make decisions. And in this case, why some parents and some host families made the decision NOT to participate. The theme of courage and trust and the power of one decision are relevant to all ages of all people. We hope people will be inspired to take the step into new adventures; have discussions about recognizing common human traits while appreciating the differences; and how our decisions impact others and create legacies with infinite reach. This story has all the elements of real-life experiences and the emotions of everyday living for a universal appeal.

KEY CREW