Teacher Resources

Ocoee: Legacy of the Election Day Massacre - downloads (Word document format)

Ocoee: Legacy of the Election Day Massacre was directed by Sandra Krasa and Bianca M. White and was produced in conjunction with the Documentary Institute at the University of Florida.

Note to Instructors:
Film Synopsis - In the early twentieth century, the town of Ocoee was home to one of Florida's most prosperous African-American communities. On Election Day, 1920 Mose Norman and July Perry attempted to vote and the African-American community was erased from Ocoee's history, until now.

Through the voices of grandson of the man that led the lynch mob, and the great-grandson of the man that was lynched, Ocoee: Legacy of the Election Day Massacre exposes the events that ensued when two black men exercised their right to vote. Now, Ocoee must confront it's past in an effort of reconciliation and healing.

Ocoee: Legacy of the Election Day Massacre is a 26-minute film that lends itself to several different areas of study by scholars of any age. As producers of the film, we encourage viewers to not only discuss the film, but also to move to action by educating others in their communities and beyond.

We recommend Ocoee for viewing by community groups and individuals as well as students as young as fifth grade through Law Study. Generally, Ocoee can be tied into several subjects, including American History, Government, Social Studies, Civil Rights, African American History, Political Science, and American Law. Ocoee can be not only be used to educate, but as a preview to discussion forums that encourage voter registration and inspire cultural and ethnic debate and reconciliation.

Students can view the trailer of Ocoee at the following online locations:
-Myspace
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=1901882
-Wise Eye Media
http://www.wiseeyemedia.com/aboutus.html
- TWN Listing
http://www.twn.org/twnpages/specialcollect/pdf/africandiaspora.pdf

Additional resources:
www.jimcrowhistory.org