TAMU-T to present discussion, screening of ‘Do the Right Thing’

Race is a tough topic for people to discuss respectfully and openly, but one of the movies that tackles the subject head-on is the acclaimed 1980s Spike Lee film “Do the Right Thing.”

Dr. Drew Morton, assistant professor of mass communications at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, will present a screening and discussion of “Do the Right Thing” starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in University Center 210. It’s free and open to the public, presented as part of the university’s Program for Learning and Community Engagement schedule.

“There’s been a lot of interest in the community, so I’m excited about it,” Morton said. Between the movie and post-film discussion, he suspects the event could run until 9 p.m. What he thinks is interesting about the movie is the variety of views it provokes.

“Talking about race is a sensitive topic,” Morton said, noting he hopes attendees shape the discussion. He wants honest reactions from the audience.

“Do the Right Thing” explores a tumultuous day in the life of Brooklyn with residents like Mookie (Lee), an African-American pizza delivery man working at a pizzeria owned by an ItalianAmerican entrepreneur named Sal (Danny Aiello). Sal’s two sons, a local alcoholic, Mookie’s friends, his sister and others all become part of this milieu of interesting, distinct characters who deal with issues of race on a daily basis.

Eventually, a heated argument between Sal and one of Mookie’s friends, Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito),

blows out of control, leading to violence. After this plays out, the movie closes with quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, which seem to posit different views about violence and race relations.

“The film kind of sets up this binary between them and never solves it,” Morton says about these quotes. Many movies have a happy ending, even one like “Roots,” he says, but this movie doesn’t do that. There are no easy answers in Lee’s film.

“‘Do the Right Thing’ isn’t as sugar coated or optimistic,” Morton says.

To him, Lee’s movies make the personal political and “Do the Right Thing” sets off the filmmaker’s concerns about race, which he’d explore in a number of other movies later. Morton sees sincerity and a commitment to social change in Lee’s interest in race.

And looking back, the movie strikes him as very relevant now in its ability to address the experiences of African Americans, even though issues it raised may have surprised some viewers when the movie was first released in 1989.

“I think watching ‘Do the Right Thing’ now gives students who are looking at Black Lives Matter, students who have that kneejerk reaction … it gives them a sense of historical context,” Morton said, pointing out the experience for African Americans hasn’t changed much in the intervening years.

At the time of its release, “Do the Right Thing” sparked controversy, but it’s one of the most respected films of the 1980s with reviewers like Roger Ebert calling it one of the best movies of the decade. Lee was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay and Aiello nominated for his acting.

Groups of A&M-Texarkana students will attend and the public is encouraged to see the movie, too. Morton hopes people who see it realize race is something we should be willing to discuss.

“We’re hoping to have a pretty diverse audience for what I hope will be an encouraging discussion,” the professor said.

Ultimately, Morton sees the film as one that challenges our complacency and encourages us to look at ourselves and ask whether we are doing the right thing for ourselves and our community. And as a movie, it reflects our culture.

“I think it’s important to put the focus on these issues that rub off on everyday life,” Morton said.

(A&M University-Texarkana is located at 7101 University Ave. in Texarkana, Texas. For more information about PLACE events, contact Dr. Michael Perri at mperri@tamut.edu, Dr. Luz Mary Rincon at lrincon@tamut.edu or Corinne Billings at cbillings@tamut.edu.)

“I think it’s important to put the focus on these issues that rub off on everyday life.” —Dr. Drew Morton