A Lesson in the Value of Education
Brother Future tells the story of a street-smart high school student, TJ, who is transported back in time to 1822 Charleston, South Carolina. TJ sees little value in education until he encounters the brutalities of slavery firsthand. TJ also comes into contact with Denmark Vesey who planned a slave revolt at this time. This is a great movie to show if you are teaching about slavery in antebellum America. Two versions of this movie are available. The older VHS version is complete and unedited. However, the newer DVD version is considerably shorter and has been edited; racist words, one expletive, and the violent episodes of whipping have been edited out. If you are showing this movie to a secondary classroom (as I have to my eighth grade American history students for several years) you might want to purchase the longer version. On the other hand, the DVD version might be more appropriate for an elementary level audience. After seeing the original version several times I was very disappointed with the shorter DVD version. In either case, Brother Future is an excellent movie with a positive message about the value of education. Highly recommended.
