Every now and then people have asked me what it feels like to be a Black Man in a White Man's World. The truth be told, I have never operated under any such delusion. The world is too big and wide to be the exclusive oyster of any one particular group, and I have always felt this to be so. That is why 'THE COLOR OF FRIENDSHIP' is such an interesting and enlightening film.The Dali Lama has pointed out in an amazing anecdote about bees how spiritual poverty can run deeper than any material lack of means. It is one thing to be blind and poor, it is quite another not be aware that you are suffering from these conditions. Mauree Bok, as played by Lindsey Haun, arrives in the United States as an exchange student from South Africa; well scrubbed, well fed, a beautiful and neatly dressed representative of White Privilege. She even has a black maid named Flora, as played by Melanie Nicholls-King, who tells her stories about weaver birds. Really entertaining it is then to discover by degrees that she is as ignorant and poor and blind to her deprivation regarding the intellectual and spiritual riches of this world as would be any slumdog in Calcutta or Mumbai deprived of bread, clean clothes and adequate shelter.When this young girl takes flight in a plane headed for Washington D.C. she is all interest and excitement about embarking upon this new adventure. She appears to be a properly maturing woman with a hint of that cool reserve and aloofness that can be noted so often framing the features of certain members of the White Race. This is to be her first foray into the world beyond her own country and all that she knows.Piper Dellums, as played by Shadia Simmons, awaits the arrival of this exchange student, along with her mother, Roscoe Dellums, as played by Penny Johnson, expecting an African girl similar to them in hue. But, to paraphrase Flip Wilson, what they see is what they get; and what they get is a quantum leap in human understanding for all concerned. Here is a young girl from a racist nation in Africa, who is socially conditioned to see them as servants ready to take her bags, rather than as the 'Host Family' she is to stay with for the next few months. Even to the viewer the whole situation has the elements of a practical joke. However, in this case, the only person laughing is upstairs and most probably giving high fives all around.This brings me back to my opening statement. The best way, as you know, to understand the condition of another is to put yourself in their position. There is a real fascination to seeing Mauree Bok suddenly thrust out of her comfort zone into a world beyond the immediate range of her understanding. She finds herself in a flash, faster than the speed of sound, living with a family of educated Black Folks who live in a neighborhood populated with other Black Folks assuming positions of status, power and responsibility.That this is a culture and future shock that Alvin Toffler never wrote about is an understatement. The intriguing thing is to see how this young lady deals with this state of affairs. Even the most hard hearted person would sympathize that this is 'too much too soon' for a growing young person barely in her teens to tolerably experience. How she manages to assimilate this adventure becomes most of the fun.Carl Lumbly portrays Ron Dellums as an admirable example of African American manhood. Sane and sensible, he is neither the personification of Black Rage burning towards martyrdom as was the late, lamented Stephen Biko, or bearing the cross as the paragon of all that is good and sterling about the Black Race, as did Sidney Poitier. He is simply an intelligent person, thoroughly grounded in his own cultural heritage, who is able to work the system to his advantage and wield power responsibly towards positive ends.The real revelation is that Ms. Bok gets to put her hands on books that would otherwise be banned under the totalitarian regime of South Africa at that time. She gravitates over to Alex Haley 'ROOTS', and does a book report on Alan Patton's 'CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY', while going to school with Piper Dellums. This reminds me of a joke I once heard about how do you hide things from Black Folks, but I suppose I shouldn't go there. I'll just put it in a book one day.Anyway, I would love to see a sequel where Mauree Bok reflects upon the things she read in 'ROOTS' and 'CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY', while aptly comparing the ideas from these books to her day to day life experience. Unfortunately, I understand the young woman upon whose real life this story was based vanished when she came home. Piper Dellums lost contact with her and no one knows exactly where she is to this day. This is a sobering thought that points out that many people coming from all walks of life have become involved in the struggle for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Evidently, this struggle will always be a cosmopolitan affair, requiring an intelligent approach to the subject of Racial Injustice and Unrest. It is not a subject for the unenlightened or faint of heart to rush blindly into, unless of course God requires that they should do so.Kevin Hooks produced and directed this film with intelligence and reserve, and Stanley Clarke produces a winning score for a film that really is about something in the end.

When I was watching The Color Of Friendship the only question I had was how a film like this was made at the Disney Studio. The answer is that it wasn't though it was distributed and exhibited by the folks at the Magic Kingdom. It's a film of rare insight and social significance, unlike the usual stuff you get from Disney.In 1977 Congressman Ron Dellums through an incredible bit of bureaucratic snafuing got to host an African child as part of an exchange program. But our color blind applications don't take into account that he could and did wind up with a young girl from the apartheid Union Of South Africa. Her arrival proves to be a learning experience all around except sadly for her South African peers.The Color Of Friendship works as well as it does because of the casting and chemistry of Shadia Simmons as Pieper Dellums and Lindsey Haun as Mahree Bok. What I liked most about The Color Of Friendship is that these two young ladies acted like real kids instead of Hollywood kids you see on so many shows.The other thing about The Color Of Friendship is the hope it shows. We older folks live with so many built in prejudices and feelings and the hope of the world is that the younger generations as they come see past more and more of them. In another film about South Africa, a black character says to Donald Sutherland that it's all going to work out in the end because your son will not believe their lies. As we see here, young Ms. Haun does question the racist assumptions that the apartheid South Africa was built on.Carl Lumbly, best known for playing Detective Petrie on Cagney&Lacey, plays Ron Dellums who is now Mayor of Oakland, California. Lumbly is fine in the part although if you look at pictures of Ron Dellums, he could be Morgan Freeman's twin brother. But I guess the producers could not afford Morgan Freeman. Penny Johnson plays Roscoe Dellums who sadly in real life got divorced from Ron Dellums many years after 1977 when this film is set. Her character is from the Phylicia Rashad school of mothers, that's not a put down.Filmed in 2000 The Color Of Friendship turned out happily to be be a harbinger of things to come in South Africa. Don't miss this film if the Disney Channel ever broadcasts it again.

Glad I check out this site for good movies! I had SO many to choose from tonight, but after seeing all the "user ratings" it was obvious which one would be a good one. I suspend objectivity to a degree to get into watching any movie, or else I'd merely be seeing a flickering lit screen. But I thought this movie did very well, even if the insensitivity of the Dellum was atrocious. But others were just as myopic & self-absorbed in their own unconscious & asleep ego. (Yes, that's redundant.) Although I thought for the message sake that the Dellum family in real life was not like that portrayed. Funny how they were proud to be fighting racism & apartheid, but were SO insensitive & racists (like we all can be & are at times, depending on how you define racism). It's good to know who you are & what type (?) of people you resonate with. As it turns out only 5% of the users voted this movie to be a 1,2, or 3. Looks like a chunk of the brain got removed along with a heart bypass. Pity, to have lost your humanity & have no heart. How else could this be explained? I found this movie to be very moving, honest & real. And it's not just for kids. Acting's very good too. This movie sheds light & opens the heart. What do you want for 2 hours of your life? Special effects? Violence? A "good" guy vs. "bad" guy "moral"? How quaint, gullible & escapist can that be, or maybe not. Anyway, if you're alive with a heart & soul, then this ones for you. Anyway, the race war is being won here in the U.S. so far, at least until overpopulating, immigration, & economic degradation raises up it little ugly head. (This is an easy topic to address, but try the war between the sexes (genders). Good luck!)

I went in with low expectations for this TV movie being a Disney channel original movie.But Disney Channel did it right on this.The cast was flawless and Luren Haun who plays Mahree Bok does a convincing accent and fits the part well.It is a touching story that uses historical fact.This movie was picture perfect!