What About Prejudice? (1959)

[Applause] Hal [Applause] this is the story of Bruce Jones who walked in a shadow of hate and suspicion the shadow of what he was because of his background over which he had no control this is also the story of the people who knew brute or thought they did there were many of these people and they were different from each other in many ways I don't know why they let people like him go to our school anyway and I'm not the only one my folks don't like it a bit boy my dad made it plain I wasn't to associate with him how you going to keep from doing it sitting in the same classrooms Association isn't it that's what I say there ought to be some way to avoid it I wonder why the school hasn't kicked him out I bet he makes terrible don't get your hopes up on that score Bruce is no dumbbell there's nothing the school can do for as long as makes his grades Bruce will be with us but I can't understand that's why he'd want to be with us wouldn't he be doing himself a big favor to quit and get a job n who'd hire a guy like him besides what can Bruce do well we may as well face it he's here and we're here and all we can do is stay away from him as much as possible the people who knew Bruce agreed that it would be better to shut the door to any efforts he might make to be one of them that singly or as a group they should avoid him but it wasn't always possible to avoid Bruce Tom Tom what happened Ed re and Bruce Jones are fighting but Bruce would make two of Ed what would Ed want to tackle him for well he didn't Fred was over there he saw it all well this Bruce Jones was just standing on the corner and Ed walked by and and Bruce charged at him like a bull why what for oh who knows gosh then he just went away and left him lying there not didn't even stop to see if he was hurt or anything there he is how you feel Ed you okay I'm all right you sure yeah what can you expect with Bruce's background golly this will get him expell for sure don't you think so Tom I can't see why Bruce do a thing like that without some good reason the apparent case against Bruce Jones was a strong one he was different from his classmates so no matter what happened Bruce was suspected of the worst well I could have sworn what' you say you lost oh my green sweater I left it in here first hour right over the back of this chair well it's not here now I guess I might as well check lost and found a coat sweater yeah brand new yeah did you see it yeah I saw it but I didn't know it was yours I saw it over the arm of Bruce Jones as he walked out the door well that dirty crook we can't get away with that hey come to think about it I'll bet that's what happened to my good pen I thought I lost Oh They'll expel him now for sure Hey Joe what happened it's Bruce circumstances pointed to Bruce Jones this is how it always seemed to work out Bruce was in trouble even on the night of the Class party Bruce was to become the topic of [Music] conversation thank you I don't know about you but I think this is the best party we've ever had no maybe it's because there hasn't been anything tonight to get us out of the and what might that be you know what I mean the undesirable element is missing it's a good thing too I'm sure glad Bruce didn't come tonight he's not like us and he never will be that's [Music] right John John the most awful things just happened what is it I just called mother oh it's too noisy in here I can't tell you come outside you [Music] terrible I just called mother to tell her I'd be a little late she heard it on the newscast Tom and Carol have been in a wreck Tommy oh my gosh well what happened they SK it into a bridge and the car caught on fire how off were they badly burned they would have been if it hadn't been for Bruce you mean Bruce Jones yes Bruce Jones The Bridge was the one near his house evidently he heard the crash he ran out and saw that two people were trapped inside and that the card caught fire back by the gas tank oh fire well did he know it was Tom and Carol I I don't know if he recognized Tom's car or not they say that Bruce practically tore the car door off by Brute Force to get Tom and Carol out he got Carol out all right but as he was helping Tom the gas tank exploded Tom wasn't hurt match but Bruce was burned severely I feel so sorry for Bruce well this is a switch a week ago you were up in the air about having to go the same school with him no matter what I said I feel sorry for anybody's being hurt even Bruce well I'm not going to be a hypocrite and act as if this changes anything now listen Bale you're not being fair after all Bruce was badly hurt he didn't have to go into that fire probably didn't even know who was in it at the time well even if he did know Bruce had little reason to risk his neck especially after all the mean Prejudice things that have been said right to his face I'm a fine one that talk why just a minute ago do you suppose there's anything we can do to help they said that he was on the critical list maybe he needs blood do you think we have to go to the hospital and see well I'm going back to the party come on let's I wonder if Bruce would want my blood after what I did to him what you did to him but he hit you didn't he yes but you don't know the whole story I had it coming I used to needle him all the time I'd sing that song so he'd be sure to hear it you know the what I mean well that day I walked by Bruce whistling it again and I guess it got under his skin and he just couldn't take it anymore golly then he didn't just jump you for no reason I don't think he knew what he was doing but I did and I told the principal the whole thing that's the reason Bruce is only on probation for that matter I am too it's funny I never stopped to think there could be a Bruce's side to it I just never really thought of Bruce at all whoever did I was ready to accuse him of stealing my sweater the other day and I would have but when I got to the office to report him well there it was where he turned it into the lost and found if anybody else had been seen with it I wouldn't have worried so much but because it was Bruce because it was Bruce who did what we've all done we put a brand on him for something he couldn't help well let's go see how bad it is is this trip to the hospital could be the first step for these students at East High toward tearing down the false barriers which their own bias and Prejudice have built but will it work each of these people must find the answer only through re-examination of his own feelings and attitudes for this is the problem of the individual more than of the group if Bruce doesn't make it how I ever be able to face myself after all the things I've done to him things I'll never be able to apologize for bill was right in a way this doesn't really change any of the reasons why we didn't accept Bruce into our group I just hope I can somehow work out a new set of values to judge him by in the future this is the fellow my folks didn't want me to have anything to do with I wonder if what Bruce did will make any difference to them now will they be able to understand why I have to help him if I can I can't help thinking this is the right thing to do but it is a fast switch have I let sympathy had me off into something I I won't be able to live up to am I just reacting to an emergency what'll it be like when the emergency is over Bruce won't be any different but I guess I'll have to be the thing is it wasn't Bruce at all I was the one neatly fitting people into categories because of where they go to church or what their fathers do or what the color of their skin is you hear about other people's Prejudice but you never feel guilty Until you realize it's you you're the one who's prejudiced what was it after all that made these people do the things they did was it a lack of understanding was their attitude picked up from their prejudiced parents or was it simply a matter of going along with the attitude of the group what is Prejudice and why does it exist what do you think