Historical Merit"The Case of Three Civil Rights Activists"March 21, 2014History through FilmDr. Baldwin 4th PeriodHydeia WilsonOn June 21, 1964, three young civil rights activists, James Chaney, a 21-year-old black Mississippian, and two white New Yorkers, 20-year-old Andrew Goodman and 24-year-old Michael Schwerner, were arrested that afternoon during a trumped-up speeding charge, near Philadelphia, in Neshoba County, Mississippi, held for several hours and then released into the darkness of Mississippi. They were on their way to work in Mississippi during Freedom Summer and had gone to investigate the burning of a black church. Freedom Summer was an organization that got African Americans in the South registered to vote, both whites and blacks were part of this organization. Sam Bowers sent Plan 4 to the Klansmen of Lauderdale and Neshoba counties. Plan 4 is “the elimination” of the young civil rights activist Michael Scherer whom the Klan calls “Goatee.” Scherer became a target of the Ku Klux Klan for organizing the Meriden boycott and for his determination to register blacks to vote. The Klan with whom Schwerner had a meeting on the evening of June 16 with members at Mount Zion Church in Longdale, Mississippi. The church members held a business meeting that evening and the 10 were leaving the church around 10pm that night they came face to face with more than 30 Klansmen lined up with rifles. In the late afternoon they were again stopped on the street by the same Neshoba County sheriff's deputy who had arrested them earlier, this time assisted by a group of the Ku Klux Klan. They were murdered in cold blood, transported to a dam several miles away and buried with a bulldozer. More than 150 FBI agents traveled to Mississipp... middle of paper... I can't be sure this happened. Blacks and whites could not be seen together especially by Klansmen. In the film Brad Douriff (Deputy Clinton Pell) was supposed to be a character of Sheriff Cecil Price. Trying to investigate in Mississippi, I know it was scary and difficult to work with people who are not caring. The FBI could not stay in some hotels because the Klan did not give them peace, sure that this could happen during the search of the three civil rights activists. Even though the film is based on true events, some scenes that appeared in the film, filming it simply gives the film more action and drama. Alan Parker and writer Chris Gerolmo wanted viewers and critics to be able to think about and analyze the film. I think they added more actors to make the film intense and to add a speech to the scene. In my experience this was a great film.