Film series serves to break down racial barriers

Denis Rigdon was surprised to learn that aside from physical appearance, there is no scientific way to distinguish people of different races.

There are no DNA links, no blood type specific to a certain race, as Rigdon discovered while watching part one of a community film series sponsored by local churches and Southeast Missouri State University.

"It was a real eye-opener for me," said Rigdon, of Cape Girardeau. "I hope this will help people eliminate feelings based on how people look. We need to get away from categorizing people, and this is a method for doing that."

The three-part film series, titled "Race -- The Power of Illusion," was initiated to build interest in race and civil rights dialogue among community members. The series will culminate with a trip to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., on April 17.

According to organizer Bob Towner, the idea for the series sprung from a community worship service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2003.

"We started to tell the story of how this played out in Cape Girardeau, so it wasn't just a theoretical thing," Towner said. "We started to listen to one another, and we knew that the process of listening and sharing had to continue."

The first film, which focused on the lack of science behind the idea of race, was first shown in January. The second film, which discusses the history of social inequalities, will be shown this Sunday at First Baptist Church. The third film, which discusses addressing discrimination, will be shown March 24 at the university and March 28 at Christ Episcopal Church.

"These films are honest, but not accusatory," Towner said. "We have opportunity to let down our guard just a little, instead of being defensive about these issues."

Bob Polack, an assistant professor at Southeast who helped organize the series and bus trip, said the efforts to bridge the community will not stop when the series end.

"Cape's pretty polarized racially. We're trying to get everybody together and help white folks see what racism is so we can begin to take down barriers and create true community," Polack said.

The Memphis bus trip is open to anyone, as are the films, Polack said. The bus trip is $20 for travel and admission to the museum. Anyone interested in attending must contact Towner or Polack within the next two weeks.

cclark@semissourian.com

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