The Green Book’s lesson is about respecting racial and cultural diversity

Dear Editor,

I am delighted that “The Green Book” won the Oscar for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards and that Mahershala Ali took home the Best Supporting Actor prize for his portrayal of the African American classical and jazz pianist and composer Dr Don Shirley. Both are well deserved wins.

The movie is showing at Caribbean Cinemas and is recommended viewing for everyone who is concerned about Guyana’s volatile race relations. The film revolves around the relationship between Dr Shirley and his Italian American driver from the Bronx, New York, Tony Vallelonga. As director Peter Farrelly said about the film: the true story was about “loving each other despite our differences”.

In the movie the two characters set out on a two-month journey through the American south in the early 1960s when segregation was still an approved institution. The Green Book from which the movie took its title listed the hotels, motels and restaurants where African Americans could stay and dine.

Without giving too much away, the movie has both funny and tragic moments, and shows up the hypocrisy, violence, and human rights violations that were part and parcel of segregation.

Shirley and Vallelonga set out on their journey coming from opposite ends of the economic, social and educational spectrum of American society and by the end of their time together had learned from each other and had learned to respect and appreciate each other despite their social and cultural differences.

The real-life characters became lifelong friends and the movie’s lesson about people at both individual and group levels respecting racial and cultural diversity can bear some repeating here. This is still the essential principle to be accepted in Guyana if our race relations are to improve at all.

Yours faithfully,

Ryhaan Shah