OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, THE: FORSYTH COUNTY, GEORGIA (TV)
Summary
One in this talk show series hosted by Oprah Winfrey.
Oprah visits Forsyth County, Georgia, recently the site of several racism-related incidents which have garnered national attention; the county is populated almost exclusively by white people, and there have been mixed reactions to the recent presence of African-Americans (which have not been permitted to live in the county since 1912); a march for civil rights was met by a counter-march in direct opposition. She gathers the people of Forsyth County together in order to interview them about the accusations of racism leveled against them and about their feelings about the incident. The most recent march in Forsyth County was a massive protest against what was perceived as “discrimination against white people,” featuring the inclusion of members of the Ku Klux Klan. This march was parallel and in direct opposition to a march for inclusion on behalf of African-Americans; members of this proceeding were pelted with rocks. A number of citizens of the county are interviewed by Oprah; one notes that she is “ashamed” by the racist message of the march, considering it a “disgrace” and “terribly inaccurate” to the prevailing attitudes of the people of Forsyth County. Another man blames the news media for focusing on the more vocal sections of the march and labeling everyone present, even curious onlookers, as complicit in the racism on display.
One person interviewed is Frank Shirley, head of the Committee to Keep Forsyth White, who believes that the media has deliberately covered up the extent of the protests, which he says are in staunch opposition to communism, homosexuality, and racial miscegenation. He believes that the civil rights marches in Forsyth were engineered by the machinations of communists and “dupes of communists.” Another woman disagrees with Shirley’s statements but believes that the equal rights protestors arrived in Forsyth County simply to “cause trouble.” Another man attributes “curiosity” as the main raison d’etre for protestors on both sides. Other citizens are unhappy with Shirley and his supporters, believing that their community is being misrepresented, such as one woman who said she protested in order to demonstrate that all people are welcome regardless of their race. She dismisses fears about the risks of incorporating other races into the community as “a myth.” Another woman feels that the marches and demonstrations are a waste of time and money, as the racial issues supposedly entrenched in the community are no longer extant. Several people share this opinion, including one who says that people like Shirley are a minority and that the community is more welcoming than it appears to be, albeit one that can be motivated by fear. Another woman clarifies, claiming that she was not raised to be racially prejudiced and that the fear is not of African-Americans but of people like Shirley and their strong reactions and opinions.
However, these feelings are not shared by all: one man recounts growing up in Atlanta and moving to Forsyth County; he blames the integration of African-Americans for the ruination of his old neighborhood. He distinguishes between African-Americans who do not wish to come to Forsyth County and those that want to cause trouble, referring to the latter as a racial epithet. This includes civil rights leader Hosea Williams, who led protestors against the perceived white supremacists of the area. One man advocates treating all people equally in accordance with religious tenets, and believes that an African-American family would be received well by the majority of the community if they were to move in. He also believes that fear is the only thing that has kept African-Americans from joining the community. During the interviews, Williams and his supporters organize outside to picket The Oprah Winfrey Show for speaking to the citizens of Forsyth County, believing that she is sympathetic towards the racist elements of the community.
One person who was involved in organizing the protests notes that he did not want to give in to intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan, calling them “an anachronism” that have no place in Forsyth. One woman feels that Williams’s efforts are an indicator that he wants African-Americans to be treated in a “superior” fashion, not allowing the community to demonstrate their acceptance on their own. She expresses discomfort at the thought of a neighbor of a different race, saying that she would like to be accepting but feels it would be difficult for her to do so. Some people note that they interact with African-Americans regularly in their careers, and believes that an often overlooked element of the conflict is one not of race but of economics, believing that the absence of African-Americans can partially be explained as a result of a longtime lack of job opportunities for people outside of the county. One man states that his former fear of African-Americans stems from an incident in 1912 in which Mae Crow, a white teenage girl, was allegedly raped and murdered by a group of African-American men; he is a distant descendant of the murdered girl’s family. This incident resulted in the expulsion of all African-American citizens of the town (although some claim that they left of their own volition over a period of time). However, the man notes that after living and working with African-Americans at college, he no longer fears them and says he treats them with respect.
As the interviews progress, Williams and his supporters are arrested by the police for “unlawful assembly.” One man believes that African-Americans are using the guise of civil rights in order to infringe upon their community and well-being. Another woman disagrees, and simply wants to be able to welcome anyone that she chooses. One man claims that he is more prejudiced after the marches than he was before, believing that the news media portrayed the African-American marchers in an overly positive light, ignoring what he perceived to be lewd and inappropriate behavior on their part and emphasizing the racist chanting from some of the white protestors. One wheelchair-bound man believes that the educational standards of surrounding counties have been impaired in order to accommodate African-American students, fearing that the same would happen in Forsyth if African-Americans were permitted to move in. He also claims that African-American protestors assaulted him during the march and pulled him from his wheelchair. Eventually an argument breaks out amongst several of the assembled townsfolk; one woman expresses dismay at the apparent implication that only violence will be able to change their community. Shirley claims that violence was perpetrated against him and his supporters, but another woman at the protests points out that he and his supporters attacked protestors themselves, calling him a hypocrite. A number of people point out that the majority of the people who assaulted protestors are not citizens of Forsyth County. They are saddened that their community has become a hotbed of racial conflict, again feeling that it misrepresents the community. Many reiterate the claim that they would have no problem welcoming African-Americans as neighbors. One woman is concerned about the effect that the recent controversy has had on the children of the community. Shirley continues to voice his opinions, also expressing discrimination against Jewish people. Several townsfolk finish by making final comments about the marches and their own opinions. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndicated
- DATE: 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:23
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 121984
- GENRE: Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - News/Talk; TV - Talk/Interviews
- SERIES RUN: Syndicated - TV series, 1986-2011
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – Heinz ketchup
- TV – Commercials – Jell-O pudding
- TV – Commercials – Oil of Olay skin cream
- TV – Commercials – Pillsbury cake mix
CREDITS
- Debra Dimaio … Producer
- Mary Clay Clinton … Associate Producer
- Diane Hudson … Associate Producer
- Ellen Rakieten … Associate Producer
- Christine Tardio … Associate Producer
- Jim McPharlin … Director
- Oprah Winfrey … Host
- Frank Shirley … Interviewee
- Mae Crow
- David Duke
- Benjamin Hooks
- Hosea Williams