On Friday of homecoming weekend at Mission College, a leading historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia, Vaughn "Dap" Dunlap, a politically militant and socially conscious black senior, leads an anti-apartheid demonstration, demanding that the school divest from South Africa. However, the fraternity Gamma Phi Gamma and their pledge class, the Gammites, arrive to interrupt the demonstration. Julian "Dean Big Brother Almighty" Eaves, the head/president of Mission College's Gamma Phi Gamma Fraternity chapter and Dap's former friend, upsets Dap by stating his opposition to the protest, after which Student Government Association president Virgil Cloyd breaks up both their subsequent fight and the rally. Dap's younger cousin Darrell, a Gamma pledge known as "Half-Pint" to Julian and his fellow Big Brothers (Chucky, Dr. Feelgood, Lance, X-Ray Vision, and General George Patton), is ordered to bring a girl to the fraternity that night, and goes to Dap for advice.
Cedar Cloud, chairman of Mission's board of trustees, warns college president Harold McPherson that Dap's divestment protests may scare off the school's wealthy donors. In the evening, Dap asks his friends Da Fellas (Grady, Monroe, Jordan, Edge, and Booker T.) to return with him to the administration building to protest. Although supportive of Dap's cause, they decline, wanting to complete their college education and get good jobs in the future. Meanwhile, the Gamma Rays ("wannabes", who are mostly light-skinned black women with straightened hair), the Gamma women's auxiliary led by Julian's girlfriend Jane Toussaint, clash with some of their non-Greek classmates ("jigaboos", who are mostly dark-skinned black women with natural hair), including Dap's girlfriend Rachel Meadows, over skin color and hair politics. Unsuccessful in courting any female students, Darrell and his fellow Gammites (Doo-Doo Breath, Double Rubber, Mussolini, Mustafa, Yoda, Slim Daddy, and Sir Nose) are hazed by the Big Brothers. Dap and Rachel have a falling out when she plans to rush a sorority, and she accuses him of colorism.
On Saturday, the weekend's festivities begin, and the Gamma brothers nearly come to blows with Dap and his fellow protestors at the homecoming parade. After the Mission football team suffers an embarrassing loss at the homecoming football game, Dap is called into McPherson's office and informed by Cloud that if he continues with his protests he will be expelled. Da Fellas drive into town to eat at a local KFC, where they are harassed by locals who resent them as privileged college boys. Returning to campus, Dap confronts Julian about Darrell's pledge status. On Sunday, at the Greeks' step show, a performance by Da Fellas (as "the brothers of Fellas Phi Fellas") leads to a brawl with the Gammas. Seeking out Rachel, Dap is humiliated by her dorm neighbors, but he and Rachel reconcile.
That evening, following a grueling initiation, the Gammites are welcomed as new members. At the school dance, Dap's roommate Grady hits it off with a female student and coaxes her to his room, but she refuses to stay when Dap and Rachel are already there. As the Gammas celebrate, Julian becomes annoyed with Jane. Singling out Half-Pint, Julian orders him to sleep with Jane as a final test. Although Half-Pint is uncomfortable with Julian's request, Jane insists she would do anything for Julian. Afterward, Julian accuses Jane of prioritizing the fraternity and his position as leader over him, and breaks up with her. Darrell excitedly informs Dap that he slept with Jane by Julian's orders; infuriated that his cousin has become an entitled Gamma, Dap disowns him. At sunrise, Dap runs to the center of the campus quad and awakens the entire campus from the previous night's debauchery by ringing a large bell. A tearful Julian, remorseful of his treatment towards Half-Pint and Jane, arrives and stands eye-to-eye with Dap, who breaks the fourth wall to tell the audience directly, "Please, wake up."
School Daze explores several issues within the Black-American community such as colorism, elitism, classism, political activism, hazing, groupthink, female self-esteem, social mobility, and hair texture bias—all against the backdrop of a historically black college. Daphnee McMaster of The Spool asserts that in setting the film at an HBCU director Spike Lee peers into a very particular black space largely isolated from the rest of American society: "every conversation is directly related to black people's own perceptions of, and issues amongst, themselves".[3]
Class divisions
Two major themes found in the film are the issues of skin color-based class divisions and economic inequality. The divide between light-skinned people and dark-skinned people is exemplified by the rivalry between the Gamma Phi Gamma fraternity and its coed counterpart—which are predominantly made up of affluent, light-skinned students and Dap's politically conscious friends and the Pi Delta Pi sorority—which is predominantly made up of dark-skinned students from lower-class backgrounds. Throughout the film, the characters from both groups engage in a series of confrontations and conflicts, fueled by their respective feelings of superiority and resentment towards one another. Another theme tied to this is the exploration of economic inequality through the character of Dap, a socially conscious and politically active student who is involved in a campaign to increase the number of black faculty members at Mission College. Dap's activism and commitment to social justice are juxtaposed with the apathy and materialism of other students, such as Julian, the wealthy and privileged president of the Gamma Phi Gamma fraternity.
Lee arranged for the two groups of actors to stay in separate hotels during filming. The actors playing the "wannabees" were given better accommodations than the ones playing the "jigaboos." This favoritism contributed to tension on the set, which showed in the on-camera animosity between the two camps.[5] (Similar tactics were used during the filming of Animal House and The Outsiders.) In School Daze, the method approach yielded strong results— the fight that occurs at the step show between Dap's crew and the Gammas was not in the script. On the day the scene was shot, the fight broke out between the two sides. Lee ordered the cameras to keep rolling.[5]Ruth E. Carter designed the costumes for the film, inspired by uniforms and styles worn at the HBCUs. At Lee's encouragement, she commissioned American fashion designer Willi Smith to design the gowns for the Homecoming Court in the film.[citation needed] Filming concluded on May 4, 1987, with a final budget of $6.1 million.[4]
Actress Vanessa Williams, originally cast as "Jane Toussaint," was replaced by Tisha Campbell. In June 1988, Campbell filed a $550,000 lawsuit against Lee, alleging non-payment for her contribution to the soundtrack and lack of credit for the song "Be Alone Tonight."[4]
Reception and legacy
The film received mixed reviews for its exploration of issues within the black community. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times noted, "There is no doubt in my mind that 'School Daze,' in its own way, is one of the most honest and revealing movies I've ever seen about modern middle-class black life in America."[6] He also noted its frank exploration of issues of discrimination within the black community related to skin tone and nature of hair. He said it was significant as a film with a "completely black orientation. All of the characters, good and bad, are black, and all of the character's references are to each other."[6]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 58%, based on 31 reviews, and an average rating of 5.8/10. The critical consensus reads: "School Daze is undeniably messy, but thought-provoking themes, strong performances, and Spike Lee's ingratiating energy help tie it all together."[7]
In 2008, Alicia Keys paid homage to School Daze in the music video for her song "Teenage Love Affair". She imitated scenes including the rally in front of the school building, the pajama party, and the scene where Tisha Campbell and her court perform at coronation.[8][9]
"Da Butt," written by Marcus Miller and Mark Stevens, and performed by the group E.U. (who appear in the film), hit number 1 on Billboard's R&B chart and number 35 on its Pop chart. The School Daze soundtrack also features the song, "Be One," written by Bill Lee and performed by Phyllis Hyman, who also appears in the film.
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American actor. He is a three-time Emmy Award and Tony Award winner known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative characters in his films. He is known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix series (1999–2003), Jason "Furious" Styles in the John Singleton drama film Boyz n the Hood (1991), Tyrone "Mr. Clean" Miller in Francis Ford Coppola's war film Apocalypse Now (1979), and "The Bowery King" in the John Wick film series (2017–present).
Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867, as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the men's Greek-letter fraternity.
Tisha Michelle Campbell is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut appearing in the 1986 rock musical comedy film Little Shop of Horrors, and later starred on the NBC musical comedy drama Rags to Riches (1987–1988). She has appeared in films including School Daze (1988), Rooftops (1989), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Boomerang (1992), and Sprung (1997). She received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for playing Sidney in the comedy film House Party (1990). She reprises the role of Sidney in the sequels House Party 2 (1991) and House Party 3 (1994).
The Atlanta University Center Consortium is a collaboration between four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in southwest Atlanta, Georgia: Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and the Morehouse School of Medicine. It is the oldest and largest contiguous consortium of African-American higher education institutions in the United States. The consortium structure allows for students to cross-register at the other institutions in order to attain a broader collegiate experience. They also share the Robert W. Woodruff Library, a dual degree engineering program, and career planning and placement services and the AUC Data Science Initiative.
Jasmine Chanel Guy is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She portrayed Dina in the 1988 film School Daze and Whitley Gilbert-Wayne on the NBC The Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, which originally ran from 1987 to 1993. Guy won four consecutive NAACP Image Awards from 1990 through 1993 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on the show. She played Roxy Harvey on Dead Like Me and as Sheila "Grams" Bennett on The Vampire Diaries. She also played the role of Gemma on Grey's Anatomy.
Phi Gamma Delta (ΦΓΔ), commonly known as Fiji, is a social fraternity with 139 active chapters and 13 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848. Along with Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Gamma Delta forms a half of the Jefferson Duo. Since its founding, the fraternity has initiated more than 211,000 brothers. The nickname FIJI is used commonly by the fraternity due to Phi Gamma Delta bylaws limiting the use of the Greek letters.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (ΑΦΑ) is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved into a fraternity with a founding date of December 4, 1906. It employs an icon from Ancient Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza, as its symbol. Its aims or pillars are "Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love For All Mankind," and its motto is "First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All." Its archives are preserved at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.
George Arthur "Rusty" Cundieff is an American film and television director, actor, and writer known for his work on Fear of a Black Hat (1993), Tales from the Hood (1995), and Chappelle's Show (2003–2006).
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (ΦΒΣ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as charter members. The fraternity's founders, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service while taking an inclusive perspective to serve the community as opposed to having an exclusive purpose. The fraternity exceeded the prevailing models of Black Greek-Letter fraternal organizations by being the first to establish alumni chapters, youth mentoring clubs, a federal credit union, chapters in Africa, and a collegiate chapter outside of the United States. It is the only fraternity to hold a constitutional bond with a historically African-American sorority, Zeta Phi Beta (ΖΦΒ), which was founded on January 16, 1920, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., through the efforts of members of Phi Beta Sigma.
Tau Gamma Phi (ΤΓΦ), also known as Triskelions’ Grand Fraternity, is a fraternity established in the Philippines. Its members call themselves Triskelions.
Darryl M. Bell is an American actor best known for his role as Big Brother X-Ray Vision in the 1988 Spike Lee film School Daze and as Ron Johnson Jr. on the NBC sitcom A Different World (1987–93). Darryl Bell also starred on the short-lived UPN sitcom Homeboys in Outer Space as Morris Clay.
School Daze: Original Soundtrack Album is the music soundtrack album to Spike Lee's 1988 film School Daze. The soundtrack peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The soundtrack features the songs "Da Butt" by E.U. and "Be Alone Tonight" which features Tisha Campbell. "Da Butt" became a number-one R&B/pop hit on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 American dance drama film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers on DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically black university who pledges to join a fictional Greek-letter fraternity. The film's central conflict involves DJ's fraternity competing in various stepping competitions against a rival fraternity of the same school. The film's script was written by Robert Adetuyi, working from an original draft by Gregory Ramon Anderson. The film was originally titled Steppin', but to avoid confusion over the 2006 film Step Up, the title was changed. Delta Sigma Theta along with other sororities like Gamma Theta were in the movie.
Thomas Jefferson Byrd was an American character actor who appeared in several of director Spike Lee's films. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2003 Broadway revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Alpha Gamma (ΑΓ) was an American collegiate fraternity. It was founded at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1867. All chapters closed in the 1880s.
Lisa Victoria Chapman Jones is an American playwright, essayist, journalist, and memoirist.
Omega Phi Gamma is an Asian-Interest collegiate fraternity in the United States. It was established at the University of Texas at Austin in 1995 and has expanded to include eight chapters in Texas and California.
W.I.N.E. Psi Phi (WΨΦ) was an African American collegiate fraternity. It was established at Howard University in 1959 as a non-exclusive alternative to the traditional black Greek letter organizations. In later years, many chapters operated as a co-ed "frarority". Today, its collegiate chapters are all inactive, with just a single graduate chapter remaining.
Alva Rogers is an American playwright, composer, actor, vocalist, and arts educator. She is known for the use of dolls and puppetry in interdisciplinary work. Rogers performed in the role of Eula Peazant in Julie Dash's 1991 film Daughters of the Dust. and was a vocalist in the New York City alternative rock band Band of Susans.
Phi Psi (ΦΨ) is an American professional fraternity in the field of textiles and manufacturing engineering. It was estalblished at the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science in 1903.
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