Social tension within the film can also be seen among the Brooks children. Gideon refuses to live in the house, instead opting to sleep on the roof. In the film, Gideon is the most militant and proactive in voicing the need for action. Furthermore, he encourages and advocates the embrace of African culture, which Mr. Brooks appears to have turned his back on. On the other hand, Shariff -- aka Booker T. -- demonstrates that he shares similar attitudes as his father; he admits he prefers to date white women because he is intimidated by black women, thus insinuating that the wants to exercise control over women but because black women are independent and stand up for themselves.
The closing wedding sequence demonstrates that compromises can be made, and should be made, to maintain the integrity of the community and of family. Five on the Black Side successfully highlights the familial conflicts that arise...
This is especially important in the film as Williams demonstrates that these issues are continuously changing with society; as a community becomes more accepted within society, so do their cultures and traditions.
While character changes in attitude occur in an unrealistic timeframe, the film reflects a community's desire to establish their own identity. Five on the Black Side demonstrates that blacks cannot continue to strive to be a copy of what whites consider ideal, but that they should base their identity on who they are, who they were, and who they want to be in society. The film also demonstrates that there is nothing wrong with embracing the values of another community, but that an individual should not define themselves solely on another's expectations.
