At the ivy-league Winchester College, race-related tensions are high when the outspoken Sam (Tessa Thompson) is elected head of Parker/Armstrong, the only all-black residence hall on campus, a residence hall that will soon be "diversified" and lose its black identity. While Sam fights tooth and nail against this, several other students are drawn in, including the social misfit, Lionel (Tyler James Williams), aspiring celebrity, Coco (Teyonah Parris), and former student head of Parker / Armstrong, Troy (Brandon P. Bell). The campus drama reaches a peak when a party with an unsavory theme sheds light on all the controversy and causes students to re-examine their identities, both racial and beyond.
This is a well-shot film, using pans and interesting wider shots that grab the viewers' attention. The use of title cards and on-screen visuals, such as text message notifications, make Dear White People fun to watch. The music chosen for this film is also an unexpected treat. Traditional classical pieces, such as Carmen's Habanera, help give this film a timeless, undated feel, as well as supplement the ivy league school surroundings. The music and costuming help to make it seem that the events in this film could be occurring at anytime, which, in the reality of our country, they could be.
Dear White People is one of the most honest dialogues about racism I have ever seen, not favoring one point of view over the other, but presenting them all in a way that the audience is able to latch on to a character and experience the movie through their eyes. At its core, this is a story of individuals struggling with the decision of being who they are versus being who they think they should be versus being who other people think they should be.
