The Night of the Living Dead, directed by George A. Romero, has many parallels to social and environmental issues in the 1960s. When the movie is paid close attention to, it is a clear reflection between the civil rights movement, racism in the USA, environmental protection against nuclear power and the movie. All the characters represent a certain topic that the movie is secretly displaying. The movie and the issues with the civil rights movement, racism in the USA, in the environmental protection of nuclear power have clear similarities.
Ben, played by Duane Jones, is a representation of the civil rights movement in the 1960s with his dominance and relationship with Harry. Ben is a very strong, dominant and determined character. Ben strongly depicts the black race in the 1960s during the civil rights movement because of his similar determination and strength that the African-Americans had an order to receive equal treatment by other races. The relationship that hairy and Ben share is a representation of the relationship between the white race and the black race during the civil rights movement. Throughout the movie Harry makes a continuous effort to overthrow Ben and take control over everyone in the house but Ben's determination keeps him alive. .
Racism in the USA is reflected in Duane Jones's casting and his character, Ben's, death. Jones, an African-American, was casted as a lead in a movie during the 1960s and racism was highly prominent. The time the film was released having a black male lead was not common. He began to represent Romero's political believes in the equal treatment of all kinds of people. At the end of the film Ben is killed by the police despite his clear indications of being human. Romero related this to racism by having Ben display human like qualities but the police still continue to treat him like he wasn't human and ended his life instantaneously.
In the Night of the Living Dead all the zombies were a repercussion of radiation from a nuclear power plant and it resembles the dangers and fears of nuclear power.
