Prom Night in Mississippi Directed by Paul Saltzman, 2008

Uplifting, illuminating and enjoyable… important to watch. Huffington Post

In 1970, the town of Charleston, Mississippi, allowed black students into their white high school, but refused to integrate the senior prom. Twenty-seven years later, Charleston resident and Academy Award — winning actor Morgan Freeman offered to finance the prom — under the condition it be integrated. His offer was ignored. In 2008, Freeman made the offer again. This time the school board accepted, and history was made.

PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI traces the tumultuous events leading up to Charleston’s first integrated prom through intimate conversations with students, families, faculty members and Freeman himself. As the film unfolds, we delve deeply into the heated race issues that tear apart this tiny community, and realize that this troubling segregation has less to do with the students than their parents. Ultimately, PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI captures a big moment in a small town, where hope finally blossoms in black, white and a whole lot of taffeta.