Every few years a new documentary comes along that is so powerful, so illuminating, and so unforgettable that it is deemed an instant classic and an essential classroom teaching tool.
Forgotten Fires is such a film.
Rarely has a film on race relations granted such deep humanity to all its participants, and it is this inclusiveness that gives Forgotten Fires its overwhelming impact. It will inspire thought, discussion, and analysis in a wide variety of courses in American history and studies, African American studies, sociology, psychology, criminology, and multiculturalism. The burning of churches, temples, and synagogues is an attempt to destroy communities of believers by reducing their spiritual homes to ashes. The arsonists deny the people they hate an opportunity to gather in worship. Forgotten Fires is a useful tool to examine how hate crimes get acted out, and to develop strategies for resisting them.