Higher Learning, starring Omar Epps, was produced by John Singleton and released in 1996. Throughout the movie the Singleton looks primarily at the college life of three individuals. The first, Malik (played by Epps), is a young black male from the inner city who made his way to college on an athletic scholarship for his outstanding abilities in track and field. The second character is Christine, played by Kristy Swanson, a young white female from the suburbs of Los Angeles. Finally, Remi played by Michael Rapaport, a young white male who comes

The next scene I would like to draw attention to takes place towards the middle of Higher Learning. Pudge (Ice Cube) is a student who has been left behind a few semesters and is pretty familiar with the breakdown of the school. Singleton has the camera focus on several different groups of students while Pudge gives a brief description of what the audience is seeing. What’s important is that each group represents a different race and how they interact with everyone else. Blacks made up of mostly middle class urban males interacting with their own. Whites consisting of mostly middle class males and some middle to upper class females and Asians grouped equally male and female with their own race. Even the gay community stayed within their own ranks. Again this demonstrates how race, class and gender segregations are evident in many American colleges.

The middle stages of School Daze have a similar breakdown of class and gender. In contrast to Higher Learning, Spike Lee shows little to no white representation in the film but highlights segregation within a race. This was evident between Rachael, her friends and the females of Gamma Phi Gamma. Jane and her friends are of a lighter skin color than Rachael and her friends, who are of a darker skin color. Lee identifies this great separation within the black community. Lighter skinned blacks are sometimes viewed as having “white” personality characteristics by darker skinned blacks. Darker skinned blacks believed that lighter skinned blacks think they were better than them and that they appealed to both black and white males more. Examples of this attitude were prevalent in the movie, as both parties would call each other names such as “wanna-be’s, jig-a-boos” and so forth. The males, on the other hand, did not show the same internal-racial separation. For example, both male cliques consisted of lighter and darker skinned blacks from equally financial and social backgrounds. They didn’t view one as more attractive or established than the other. Could it be that the internal-racial separation problem portrayed here was merely a female problem?

In School Daze, released in 1988, the director, Spike Lee, brings to light issues faced by African-Americans in the black college during the 1980’s. Viewers are introduced to students who participate in fraternities, sororities and others who are concerned with political issues. The main character Dap, played by Larry Fishburne, is an advocate for the growing problems in South Africa. Throughout the movie, he leads political rallies to get school officials to aid in the freeing of Nelson Mandela. Giancarlo Esposito plays Julian, the president of the Gamma Phi Gamma fraternity who strongly opposes any interest in aiding South Africa. Tisha Campbell and Ellen Holly play Jane and Rachael, Dap and Julian’s girlfriends.

Some topics in this essay:
School Daze, Aryan Nation, Columbus University, Gamma Jane, Spike Lee, Malik Dasai, Ice Cube, Similarly Singleton’s, John Singleton, , skinned blacks, school daze, american college, darker skinned blacks, class gender, phi gamma, college life, main characters, south africa, darker skinned, gamma phi, gamma phi gamma, julian president gamma, lighter skinned blacks, main courtyard university,