Don't Be a Sucker!
Encyclopedia
Don't Be a Sucker! is an anti-racist
propaganda film
produced by the US
War Department in 1947. An American who has been listening to a racist rabble-rouser is warned off by a naturalized Hungarian immigrant, who explains to him how racist demagogy
allowed the Nazis to rise to power in Germany
, and warns Americans not to fall for similar demagogy propagated by American racists.
The film was made to make the case for the desegregation
of the United States armed forces
. Due to fears that the film would be offensive to white
Southerners
, the film was not intended initially to be broadcast to the general public.
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
propaganda film
Propaganda film
The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...
produced by the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
War Department in 1947. An American who has been listening to a racist rabble-rouser is warned off by a naturalized Hungarian immigrant, who explains to him how racist demagogy
Demagogy
Demagogy or demagoguery is a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fears, vanities and expectations of the public—typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist, populist or religious themes...
allowed the Nazis to rise to power in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and warns Americans not to fall for similar demagogy propagated by American racists.
The film was made to make the case for the desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
of the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. Due to fears that the film would be offensive to white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
Southerners
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, the film was not intended initially to be broadcast to the general public.
External links
- Don't Be a Sucker! download on the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...