The Least Among You

The Least Among You is abouta black theological student during the Watts Riot era, based on a real person. Richard Kelly (Cedric Sanders) wants social change and is arrested during the riots, and in a plea bargain he enrolls in a seminary college. He just wants to finish the semester and exit but finds that he has the power to help change thinking in the college, which, despite being a religious organization, is just as bigoted as the people outside it.


In the college he is supported by the Dean (William Devane) who chose Richard as their first black student to engender desegregation and make his school a leader of reform. But he also has his own lofty ideas, depending on a wealthy patron to bankroll a costly media center--a project that is threatened when Richard's actions, instigated by the Dean, causes the college board to think twice about having them both at the school.

There are also two mentors that Richard looks to, the wise black gardener (Louis Gossett Jr) and a professor who was once a missionary (Lauren Holly). When Richard is given the chance to force the college board to integrate the school, he finds it hard to choose between decisions that will make his own life easy, and those that will be difficult but will benefit many.

While the film was pretty standard, I think it is good to have these stories told of historically important black characters, instead of silly comedy franchises with forgettable characters. The turnabout of white characters as usual was pretty easily accomplished in the denouement, I'm sure it was much harder for the real Richard Kelly (named Dr. Charles Marks) to convince white people to support his view. Even if this film depiction isn't 100% accurate, or perfectly produced, it helps to shine a light so that perhaps one or two black Americans will seek out more information or make a better effort to learn about important black characters from history.  As film audiences we should try to challenge ourselves more--sure there are times to choose a mindless comedy but life can't all be candy!