The Setting: The Le Jeune Military Base in North Carolina -- 1971

Recommended Grade Level: 9-12

Related Areas of Study: Race Relations, Racism in the Military, Military Codes of Conduct, The Morality Tale, The Vietnam War, Tragic Flaw

The Story:With race again in the headlines, the tabloid headline for this show could read: Two white men of power use black man as pawn - lives destroyed. Captain Lee King is a black marine who joined the military to disappear from the complexities of life by serving his county. Into his hiding place come two men set on saving the world; a colonel bent on eliminating military racism, and a chaplain who thinks he holds a direct line to God. When an unthinkable act occurs, these three men find themselves speeding toward an inevitable collision. Defiance is a riveting show that reminds us how complex the terms “right” and “wrong” really are.