Heat of the Night

 “In the Heat of the Night”, is a 1967 film which centers around a black detective from the city of Philadelphia (Sydney Poitier). The black detective goes by the name of Virgil Tibbs, and we are introduced to him in the small town of Sparta, Mississippi for unspecified reasons. What Tibbs didn’t know of yet was the fact that he was about to be arrested in this small town, simply for being black. A wealthy, do-good businessman was killed earlier that morning and Tibbs is picked up as the prime suspect in the murder. After Tibbs is brought in and interrogated by the chief of police, Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), we finally get to learn, as the audience, who Tibbs really is. Gillespie then, reluctantly, implores Tibbs for his help and this is when the true story begins. 

After Tibbs accepts the fact that he is going to have to help with this case he really cares nothing for, he begins examining the crime scene. Upon examination he comes to the conclusion that the murder of the wealthy businessman was the doing of another wealthy businessman, Mr. Endicott. Mr. Tibbs had learned of the dead wealthy businessman’s plans to open up a factory, employ blacks, and take money from the pockets of Endicott. 

The film does a great job of using the murder to somewhat paint a picture of the environments around race during this time, especially in the south. This was a time when organizations such as the NAACP, SCLC, as well as the SNCC were all very active and campaigning for equal rights. The summer of ’67 saw race riots in cities such as Detroit, Newark, and Minneapolis. The riot in specifically Detroit, led to the deaths of 43 individuals, hundreds of injuries, as well as extensive property damage. Around this time, we also had the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as the 1965 Voting Rights Act which caused uproar amongst the alt-right community. Most importantly what we saw during this time were difficult discussions being had. Discussions that centered around the ideals of how we were to better incorporate blacks into society.