Watch Booker's Place

Booker's Place is a documentary film directed by Raymond De Felitta that chronicles the life of Booker Wright, a black waiter who worked at a "whites only" restaurant in Greenwood, Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. The film explores the consequences of Booker's decision to speak out against racism on public television, and the impact it had on his life and the wider community.

The film opens with a series of interviews with Booker's family, friends, and former colleagues who remember him as a charming, hardworking man who knew how to put on a good show for the white patrons of Lusco's Restaurant. Using a combination of archival footage, black and white photographs, and reenactments, the film transports viewers back to the Jim Crow South of the 1950s and 60s, where segregation was the law of the land and racial violence was a daily occurrence.

After setting the scene, the film turns to Booker's fateful decision to speak out against racism on camera. Using clips from the original interview, which aired on local television in 1965, the film shows Booker describing the indignities he faced as a black man in Greenwood, including being called "boy" and "n***er" by white customers. While his comments were hardly radical by today's standards, they were a bold and risky move at the time, particularly for a black man working in a white-owned establishment.

The fallout from the interview was swift and severe. Booker was fired from his job at Lusco's, and he and his family were harassed and threatened by white supremacists. The film documents the toll this took on Booker's mental and physical health, as well as the impact it had on his relationships with his family and friends.

One of the most powerful aspects of the film is its exploration of the broader context of race relations in the South during this time period. The film features interviews with several prominent civil rights activists, including civil rights leaders Charles Evers and Medgar Evers, who provide historical context and offer their own perspectives on the struggle for racial equality in Mississippi.

Throughout the film, there is a palpable sense of tension and danger, as viewers are taken on a journey through a world where speaking out against injustice can have dire consequences. However, the film is not entirely bleak; there are moments of humor and warmth, particularly in the scenes featuring Booker's children and grandchildren, who share their own memories of their beloved patriarch.

Ultimately, the film leaves viewers with a sense of sadness and outrage at the injustices endured by Booker and so many other black Americans during this period, as well as a renewed appreciation for the courage of those who spoke out against racism, often at great personal cost. The film's title, Booker's Place, is a reference to the restaurant where Booker worked for over 25 years, but it also speaks to the larger theme of the film: the idea that Booker's life and legacy serve as a testament to the resilience and perseverance of the human spirit.