School Daze....A Call for Black College Students to Wake Up

Spike Lee, the controversial director who challenges his audience's mind by introducing such themes as race relations, substance abuse, bigotry, and infidelity (just to name a few), directed an even more controversial film, set on a historically black college campus.

Intra-racism is the theme for School Daze: light skinned Black college students (termed the Wanna-Be's) facing off against darker skinned Black college students (termed the Jigaboos).

Larry Fishburne (Laurence now), plays the militant light skinned college student who goes on a political and racial awareness program promoting all things African: wearing the clothing, dating a Jigaboo), spouting journies to the Motherland, and campaigning for divestment.

To create the tension between opposing sides, Lee strategically provided a luxurious and quaint abode for the actresses portraying Wanna-Be's in an Embassy Suites in Atlanta, Georgia. He housed the actresses in the Jigaboo clique in a rundown Super 8 Motel. Tensions were high as certain scenes that "appeared" real and intense actually were.

The strategy proved artistic ingenuity. On one scene in School Daze, a step show turns into a shouting match between opposing sides, that transitions into a fight. School Daze is a great comedy. True to the style of Spike Lee, expect a few scenes atypical of the movie's main plot.