In "A Time To Kill" and "Ghosts of the Mississippi", the media has chosen to take an important issue, racial inequality, and misrepresent the solution for it, as a textbook paternalistic case of white man solves all. Timely when you consider the  US Government self describes itself as "a leader in gender and racial equality." Let's analyze a little deeper. In "Ghosts of the Mississippi", the hero is not Mrs. Evers, who has kept the memory of her husband alive for 30 years, but the lawyer who got the trial reopened and finally got the killer convicted. In "A Time To Kill,  the hero is not the black man, Carl Lee, who avenged the rape and attempted murder of his 10 year old daughter by two white racist crackers but the lawyer who defends him. Consider why both lawyers are men, not women and white, not of color. To be fair both of the lawyers put their respective lives, careers and families in jeopardy to finish the cases and bring justice to light but does that make them heroes? Possibly, but it doesn't mean that they are the only hero or that they a superior type of hero to that of Mrs. Evers or Carl Lee. Why are films about racial injustice showing racial tendencies in themselves?  To answer that you must look at the racial differences in our society.
        Most scientists consider race differences biological fiction. Thus,  racial differences are definitely perceptive and societal based rather than realistic differences. Why do people insist on being racist? The answer lies, as it does with the harassment of women, simply with power. Certain people are not powerful in their own right and to make themselves feel like they have power or self worth they harass people who are different from them. To have a good self concept, people must feel lovable, capable, worthwhile and responsible. When you are harassed directly  in an isolated incident walking down the street your self concept may take a momentary hit because you didn't take responsibility for what is happening to you and you felt incapable but you bounce back. However when you are harassed racially or due to gender,  systematically and institutionally- in school, work and in your general opportunities- for your entire life with no way to confront the harassment by yourself, either because you are in a position of inferiority or because in some cases it is not an individual but a societal based problem and their is no one person to confront your self concept takes a permanent dent. Without a good self concept and the tools to confront racial and gender inequality, how can a paternalistic society ever be overturned?
         Foremost, open communication about the real issues facing women and minority groups,  even when difficult, must occur. Without genuine dialogue, issues like race and gender are often hidden. This must be closely followed by education for those who don't know about these types of society constructs. Finally a genuine willingness by those who are in a position to challenge race and gender inequality by their peers in their schools, workplaces, communities and homes must happen. In the films above, the redeeming characteristic is the lawyers are setting an example for their peers that incidents and behavior of a racist type will not and should not be tolerated. It will take many people of the "privileged paternalistic" class to come forward and start real change in their own ranks to coincide with efforts from the women's and racial equality movements to create a unified society. It starts with you making a decision to be the type of person who stands up for equality every day. Particularly in subtle incidents of racial or gender harassment  in the forms of jokes, or pinup's etc.
        This is extremely important because power is based on perception of the individuals peers. If the peers of those surrounding racists and bigots challenge them they will not be powerful anymore. Without power there is no point in continuing the behavior. This type of societal change will literally take a revolution and when we all commit to this revolution more than personal fame, fortune and gain, we will have a chance at becoming become a unified people. Maybe then there won't be a need for affirmative action because people will realize that it doesn't matter what color your skin is or if you have a penis or not. Maybe then a little girl of color won't sit on my caucasian lap, playing with my long, straight, red hair and ask me why I am at her after school program instead of in a magazine. Maybe.

Ignorance
Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68), U.S. clergyman, civil rights leader. Strength to Love, pt. 4, ch. 3 (1963).
 

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