In the 1984 version of Footloose, directed by Herbert Ross, there are many similarities between Footloose and the Civil Rights. Just to name a few, the parents are similar to the white people who did not like the African Americans and the teenagers dancing represented the African Americans who wanted equal rights. Ren stepped up and became the "leader" of the teenagers, representing Martin Luther King Jr. who was the leader of the African Americans in their protest for civil rights. The laws that the parents put on dancing, music and other non-approved items represented the Jim Crow Laws. Finally, the teenagers believed that all music was the same but the parents felt that there was good music and bad music, this is like discrimination, the whites believed that the African Americans were bad people. .
When Ren and his mother moved from Chicago to a small city in the west he was in culture shock. Ren was used to being free to do whatever he wanted, but when he moved there was many rules he had to ably by. He soon found out that dancing was illegal and the parents had to approve of the music you listened to or the books you read because of a car accident six years prior that killed several teenagers. After Ren became friends with Ariel, Rev. Moore's daughter, he and some other kids decided that they want to try to get the law against dancing removed and have a senior prom. Ren goes before the city council to see if he can get the ban on dancing removed. The city council, to include Rev. Moore, votes to keep the ban on dancing and does not let the teenagers have a prom. Rev. Moore has a change of heart and goes to talk to Ren; soon they find out that their logic for dancing is not much different. That Sunday at mass Rev. Moore announces that he is going to allow the prom to happen and asked all the parents to allow their kids to go. The prom happens and everyone has a great time while dancing to "Footloose".