Reagan,’Rithmetic, and Race

Abstract

Ronald Reagan often seemed to perceive the American presidency as yet another acting job, probably the most significant role of his life; therefore, it seems a good place to begin this study with an examination of the interrelatedness of the dominant political agenda, the country’s cultural environment, and Hollywood cinema during the Reagan era. In particular, this chapter is concerned with the events and episodes of the Reagan era that contributed to and benefited from the turbulent political atmosphere out of which the school films in this study emerged. There are innumerable aspects on which I could concentrate, but I focus narrowly on the ones that are most relevant to the interests of the study. The chosen aspects are the educational agenda of the Reagan administration; its civil rights record and broader racial politics; the conservative environment in the United States during Reagan’s presidency; and the display of a corresponding conservatism in American cultural expressions, especially Hollywood movies. My discussion of these few but important elements should underpin the analyses of the school films that appear later in the study.