OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, THE: RACE ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW: A 25-YEAR LOOK BACK (TV)
Summary
One in this talk show series hosted by Oprah Winfrey. In this episode, Winfrey revisits the series' various racially-themed moments and discussions in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In a February 1987 episode, Winfrey travels to Forsyth Country, Georgia, which has had no black residents whatsoever for 75 years and is home to many white supremacists, several of whom speak openly about their strongly opinions on blacks as well as Communists and gays. One man suggests that there is a difference between a black person and an "n-word," though another resident insists that change is needed. Winfrey explains that she later conducts conversed with a group of skinheads and had an "a-ha moment" in which she decided to no longer interview bigoted individuals, and adds that Forsyth County is now affluent and integrated. In January 1996, Winfrey talks to seven of the "Little Rock Nine," the teenagers who became the first black student to attend the newly-integrated Little Rock Central High School and suffered significant harassment from their racist peers. The panelists comment on their challenging experiences attending the school, and three of their white former classmates explain that they are now ashamed of their actions, committed "out of ignorance" and home-taught racism, and one woman states that she "broke the chain" and did not teach her own children to be prejudiced, and one of the black women hugs one of the white men to signal her forgiveness.
In a January 1998 episode, Winfrey interviews a family descended from slaves, and they journey to the now-derelict plantation site and recall their relatives' harrowing and violent experiences. They then speak to a descendant of the slaveowners, who apologizes for his ancestors' actions, and they agree that they have taken the "first small steps" towards healing. In July 1992, Winfrey performs an "eye-opening experiment" in which she segregates her studio audience by eye color and gives preferential treatment to the brown-eyed guests while treating the blue-eyed guests dismissively. An expert plays along with the ruse and claims that brown-eyed people are naturally more intelligent and capable, and the audience reacts with strong opinions before eventually realizing the message of the experiment. In February 1995, Winfrey interviews a young white man who disguised himself as black with dangerous pills and makeup as an experiment, and he reports back that he was indeed treated differently by many people, concluding that whites are automatically given the social respect that black people have to "earn."
In May 1992, Winfrey travels to Los Angeles and participates in a heated Town Hall discussion about the March 1991 beating of Rodney King by white police officers who were later acquitted of the charges, sparking riots, crime and a serious debate about non-violent protests. A man who was shot while trying to stop a robbery shortly after the verdict speaks about his experience, and a man whose brother was murdered during the chaos stresses that all people are essentially the same regardless of race. In October 1995, Winfrey hosts a live viewing of the O.J. Simpson verdict, and many audience members are thrilled when he is found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her neighbor Ronald Goldman, though many others are disgusted. In September 2009, Winfrey sits down with rap mogul Jay-Z to discuss his use of the "n-word" in his lyrics, and they agree to disagree when he explains that he feels as though he is "taking the power out of it" by using the term in his songs and she states that she cannot separate it from its violently hateful history. Winfrey then explains that her feelings were changed somewhat after reading Jay-Z's 2010 memoir "Decoded," in which he describes rappers as "storytellers." In a December 1989 episode, a guest states that his longtime racist views were altered when his daughter gave birth to a biracial child, explaining that his negative views slowly changed because of his love for his grandson. He reveals that he and his wife later adopted two black children, explaining that anyone can learn and change even their most firmly-held beliefs. Winfrey then closes the program with clips of Dr. King's work and words, concluding with his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndicated
- DATE: November 30, 1999 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:43:25
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 122063
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - News/Talk; Talk/Interview; Race awareness
- SERIES RUN: Syndication - TV series, 1986-2011
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Target stores
- TV - Promos - "The Oprah Winfrey Show" upcoming episode
CREDITS
- Oprah Winfrey … Host
- Jay-Z … Guest
- Ronald Goldman
- Rodney King
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Nicole Brown Simpson
- O.J. Simpson