Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story

Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story is a 2012 documentary film about Booker Wright, an African-American waiter who worked in a restaurant for whites only. In 1965, Wright appeared in Mississippi: A Self Portrait,[2] a short NBC television documentary about racism in the American South. During his interview with producer Frank De Felitta, he spoke openly about racism, and his treatment as a waiter in an all-white restaurant. The broadcast of his remarks had catastrophic consequences for Wright.[3][4][5][6][7]

Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRaymond De Felitta
Produced byDavid Zellerford
Yvette Johnson (co-producer)
Steven C. Beer (executive producer)
Lynn Roer (executive producer)
Edited byGeorge Gross
Production
company
Eyepatch Productions
Release date
  • April 25, 2012 (2012-04-25)[1]
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story was directed by the son of Frank De Felitta, Oscar-nominated, independent filmmaker Raymond De Felitta,[8][9] and co-produced by one of Booker Wright’s four grandchildren, Yvette Johnson.[10] It includes interviews with those who lived in the community. They discuss life at the time, and the restaurant Wright owned, which catered to African-American customers.[11]

Director, Raymond De Felitta

The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2012.[1]

Background

Mississippi: A Self Portrait

The original documentary, the subject of Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story, was produced by Frank De Felitta in 1965. De Felitta worked for NBC as a documentary filmmaker. He was given his own unit, and so generally had the freedom to select his own topics. He was inspired to make Mississippi: A Self Portrait after reading a New York Times Sunday Magazine article by Hodding Carter about injustice experienced by African Americans in Mississippi. He approached NBC, and the project was approved.[10] He traveled to Mississippi to interview local residents. There, in Greenwood, he was introduced to Booker Wright, a waiter at Lusco’s, a whites-only restaurant. Wright sang the menu, a gimmick at the restaurant. This was also because there were no menus, a measure used to discourage African Americans from patronizing the restaurant.[10] Wright spoke openly about his treatment by customers, and life in a racist society. The documentary appeared on NBC television.[12]

Consequences of the broadcast

Following the broadcast of the NBC documentary, Wright quit his job at the all-white restaurant after being shunned by customers. He was severely pistol-whipped by a policeman, and his own restaurant, Booker’s Place was firebombed.[10] Wright was eventually murdered by an African American customer.

References
  1. "TribecaFilm.com | Tribeca Film | Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story". Tribeca Film. 2012-04-21. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  2. "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story | Film Review". Slant Magazine. 2012-04-28. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  3. DeFore, John (2012-04-26). "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story: Tribeca Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  4. Rapold, Nicolas (2012-04-26). "'Booker's Place - A Mississippi Story,' by Raymond De Felitta - NYTimes.com". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  5. Nick Schager (2012-04-25). "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story - Page 1 - Movies - New York". Village Voice. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  6. Scheib, Ronnie (2012-04-22). "Variety Reviews - Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story - Film Reviews - Tribeca - Review by Ronnie Scheib". Variety.com. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  7. "'Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story' movie review, trailer: Honors man's bravery 40 years later | Movies | NewJerseyNewsroom.com - Your State. Your News". NewJerseyNewsroom.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  8. xc00000000120937 (2012-04-25). "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story". Moviefone. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  9. "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story". MovieTickets.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-28. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  10. ""Booker's Place": Documentary Tells Story of Black Mississippi Waiter Who Lost Life by Speaking Out". Democracynow.org. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  11. Lee, Felicia R. (2012-04-20). "The Story Behind 'Booker's Place,' at Tribeca Film Festival". The New York Times.
  12. "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story". Rotten Tomatoes. 2012-04-27. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
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