LALEE'S KIN: THE LEGACY OF COTTON (TV)
Summary
This documentary depicts a turn-of-the-millennium struggle against poverty and illiteracy in rural Mississippi. The documentary centers around two people, Laura Lee (Lalee) Wallace, who lives in a trailer and is supported by disability payments, and Reggie Barnes, the newly appointed superintendent of the West Tallahatchie school district. Lalee does her best to care for several of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who are neglected by their parents. She describes the cotton-farming system in Mississippi, explaining that black workers are overworked, undereducated, and even beaten. Barnes describes the economic situation of children in the district and the extreme difficulty of providing an education to children of illiterate parents. He also explains that his district is on probation for its poor standardized test scores and that his job is to bring the scores up. Lalee is seen interacting with the children and going about the routine of her day-to-day life. She prepares food, does dishes, fetches water from an outdoor spigot and brings it home in jugs, and relaxes in her trailer. Barnes calls the situation in his school district a "vicious cycle" of poverty and poor education. He describes his hopes for the upcoming standardized tests and leads pep rallies to motivate the students to perform well. Lalee's children begin school, but she must struggle to get them the supplies they need. Barnes explains that education is the first step to changing the economics of the Delta region, and, after the district takes the standardized tests, he waits eagerly for the arrival of the new scores. Meanwhile, Lalee faces the emotional stress of her battle to bring the children up right and to keep them out of trouble.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: September 18, 2002 Wednesday 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:63838
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Illiteracy; Poverty; School districts - Mississippi
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 2001
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sheila Nevins … Executive Producer
- Susan Froemke … Producer, Director
- John Hoffman … Producer
- Douglas Graves … Co-Producer
- Charles Loxton … Associate Producer
- Xan Parker … Associate Producer
- Susan Sloan … Associate Producer
- Deborah Dickson … Director
- Albert Maysles … Director
- Sheila Bernard … Writer
- Martha Wollner … Researcher
- David Plimack … Researcher
- Alexis Robie … Researcher
- Gary Lucas … Music by
- Wallace, Laura Lee (Lalee)
- Reggie Barnes