Exploration 6

The documentary, Eyes on The Prize is a film that focuses on the efforts of students during the 1960's Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement brought drastic change to the United States and it is astonishing to see how much of an impact the young men and women in this film had. Through non-violent direct action, they take the matter into their own hands. They take action by staging things like sit-ins, boycotts, and the famous "freedom rides."

What I found to be very memorable about the film was the fact that many of the students in it were my age or even younger at the time. It felt very empowering to see 18 year old Diane Nash confronting the governor of Alabama in such a crucial movement in American History.

In the film, some students who participated in the movement were interviewed. I think that one of these students, John Lewis, represented in a sense, this empowerment that was shown in the film when he said "It was like being involved in a holy crusade; it became a badge of honor." It truly was a holy crusade and the students portrayed in this film should be celebrated for everything they have done for the world.