>> at link tv we are dedicated to bringing in you depth investigations into the issues that matter to us all. hi. i'm kim spencer. every week, our original series "earth focus" tackles important environmental topics. today, we're going to lock at two reports from our investigative team. now, as you watch, i i hope you'llll remember that link tv a noncommercial independent network. we depend on your financial support to bring you original programs. and to keep link tv on the air day after day. all you have to do is dial the toll free number 1-866-485-8848 or go to our website. linktv.org. now our first report from "earth focus" probes safety issues at nuclear power generating plants. nearly five years ago, a giant earthquake and tsunami in japan destroyed the fukushima nuclear power plant. which has the same containment

design as a number of american reactors. what does that mean for us? let's watch the "earth focus" special report fukushima, can it happen in the u.s.? nly here on link tv. >> today on "earth focus" a fukushima a nuclear disasterr i the u.s.? dr. win l lyman of the e ion of ncerned scientists on the possibilities. coming up. n earth focus. >> the's no nucleareactor opering in t world tay that is cometely mune to accides. my colagues and wrote t bookbout fukushi to y to prode the mosaccuratete representation of th accident. because ifif you don't fully understand the technical basis for the accident,t, then it's very hd d to come up wiwith solutions fofor eventing the nextxt one.

our book does conclud that anan acdentntike fukushima could happen h here. and we do have t the opportunin to try to reduce t the possssibility. however, what we're seeing in the united states and the aftermath of fukushima was the various government officials including the nuclear regulatory commission and the clear industry tellingng the american p public that what happened at fukushima simply couldn't happen here. >> all of the plants that we've licensed and all o othe plants that we arare currently revevie will meet strict sasafety standadards for e earthquakesnd other natural phenonomenon. soso certainly for the existing planants we believee absolutely that they can withstanand an earthquake and they can meet the high standarards that we've put in place. >> when you start to say something cacan't happen here, you're practicically inviting i to. becaususe you'u're going to let yoyour guard dowandd t that's t biggesesdanger. no regulator can predidict ever

possible c contingency thahat c affect the nuclear powower plan you haveve to be p prepared for anytything. but it is simply too expensive to prepare for everything. in the united states, most of our plants were designed, licensed and built decades ago. and -- in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's and they were designed to a certrtain standar that was considered to be the best knowledge at the time, for instance, what's the most severere earthquake? and the historical record, what's the highest flood? that information was taken into account.t. but in some cases, the methods that were used for ananalyzing that datata were faulty. things were left out. for instance, the impact of an upstream d dam failure was not considered. but now we believe that to be a significant risk. the acony plalant in sosouth carolinana is one that's s been knowown for a long time to be

ulnerable to a dam fale -- dam failure. owned by duke energy. a plant quadad cities in illino and river flooding could put that plant under water in which casese the operarators would ha to resort to extraordinary measures to keep the plant safe. seismic vulnerabilities is a big issue. and the most obvious vulnerable plants are those in california right nowow. therere's only one operating nuclear power plant that's diablo canyon. the other two have beenen shut down but they spent nuclear -- nuclear fuel is still on s site in those plants. inin the c central and eastern united states, over the last couple of decades, the u.s. geological survey has come to the conclusion that seismic risk is greater thhan was previoususly believed for r a numberer of these sites. and so these are plalas where they were foformerly believed t be low risk but are now higher risk.

there is one plant in the united states which really needs to be considered as a unique case. and that's the indian point nuclear plant. which is only about 25 miles from the new yorork city border. and within the 50 miles of indian point, there are about 16 million people. and so it's certainly the highest p populatition density around any nuclear plant in the country. as a result, it deserves special scrututiny. not t just for safety vulnerability but also for vulnerability to sabotage. because we know that new york historically has been one of the most desirable targets for terrorists and indian poioint i a a nuclear plant, fallout, melted down, would be aimed directly at new york city. it has to be taken seriously as a potential sabotage target. one very impmportant aspect of fukushima is that it

demonstrated that the hazards of a nuclear plant accident extend far beyond the 10 mile zone that is typically designated as the evacuation zone for a nuclear plant. here the -- in the united states the n.r.c. requires every plant to make plans available for evacuation within 10 miles. ifif it looks s like there was going to be danger, to people living beyond d 10 miles, this would be plenty of time to evacuate. fofor some p plants likeke indi poinint, you'ree talking g abou millioions off people who had n idea thatt one day they may be asked to evacuate from a densely p populated region with terrible t tragedy. and i i think that to rely on t ability to expand that evacuauation zone on n an ad d basis if an accident happens is asking for trouble. right after fukushima happened, the chairman of the n.r.c. convened a task force to take a

hard look at safety of nuclear wewer in this country. and that task force came around with 12 recommendations. so anyone who thought before fukushima that we hadn't -- no room to improve here in the united states, was probably taken aback by this thick document of all the things that we need to fix. that task force report was taken by the n.r.c. and then put through itsts regulatory me grinder. and as a result, some of its recommendations remain sosomewh intact. others were watered down. others have been discarded completely. nunuclear powerr is just a very complex and expensive way to boil water. if we don't fully learn the lessons of fukushima, and incorporate them i into sfourur that we are ts here setting the stage for catastrophe. sisimply becauause we have the

opportunity now toto correrect ofof the problems of the past,t and if we don't take that opportunity fully, , then we'll -- no one but ourselves to blame when -- when or if it does happen. >> we will go back to more special reporting from "earth focus" but i want to talk with you what about it takes to bring this unique programming. we created the weekly "earth focus" series 10 years ago because no one else was covering the environment on a regular space. now with our ground-breaking reports on fracking, unsafe chemicals in the home, the pesticides that are killing our nation's honey bees and so many

other topics, we make sure you are informed about threats to our environment and to ourselves. if you see the value of the "earth focus" weekly series, and if link tv is a crucial part of your life, then become a supporter today. making a contribution is easy. just visit our secure website. link.tv.org or call us at -866-458-8848. -- 1-86666-485-8848. look at what you can getet when you make a d donation. because of your financialal support that l link tv is able bring you engaging, informative and motivational programming. so make the choice right now. to become a sustaining supporter with a gift of $25 or more each month. and we will thank you with our link tv reusable grocery bag. this spacious shoulder bag is made in the u.s.a. from recycled materials. lp both the environonment and link tv byby making your

contribution today. thank you. >> we really appreciate your generous support and remember, if you choose the no gift option, all of your donation goes to link tv. and it's 100% tax deductible. you know, link tv is the only place to find the programs you've come to depend on for truly independent television. uncompromising documentaries. environmental investigations. and news from diverse global sources. link tv dares to challenge the status quo. without big corporations influencing what we broadcast. but we need your help to continue link tv's mission. generous contributions from viewers like you allow us to acquire and produce great programs like "earth focus" and keeps link tv on the air week after week. maybe you've been sitting at home watching our programs intending to make a donation to link tv. but still haven't quite gotten around to doing it. well, there is no better time

than now. just go online to our safe and secure website. that's link.tv.org or you can make your tax deductible donation by calling 1-866-485-8848. let's s take a look at ways you can help. >> link tv brings current topics, cultural events and rare and informative programming thanks to your support. take this time right now to make a generous donation of $1,000. and in return, we'll send you the best of link tv. books. d.v.d.'s and logo items. everything to keep you up to date with all that link tv has to offer. plus this collection comes with an exclusive audio u.s.b. drive filled with your favovorite ear at risk speeches. from derrick jensen, to van dana sheba to alice walker to fomc lindsia, take this with you to be informed and inspired. because of your support link tv

can bring powerful stories in unseen perspective he is. thank you. >> your contribution helps us present "earth focus." the weekly series on link tv that is the leading environmental investigative program on american television. now, we're very proud of that fact but it's a sad commentary that no one e else is covering the environmental beat. this comprehensively upon national tv. when we need it most. each week, we commit prominent air time for "earth focus" so that the people fighting threats to the environment, countering climate change, and working hard to come up with sustainable alternatives can reach the millions of people who watch link tv each week. you can heche make that happen. call 1-866-485-8848. and make a generous contribution right now. or go online to linktv.org where you can check out the special gifts that we have to offer. it's our way of thank you for keeping link tv alive in communities all across america.

remember, as a noncommercial channel, we do not sell advertising. and get no funds from the monthly fees that you pay your satellite provider. ththat's why we have to interru link tv's commercial-free schedule and turn to our viewers a couple of times a year to meet t our modest budge and to produce our unique programs that enlighten you about critical topics like the environment. so please call today. or go to our website link.tv.org. now, let's watch another "earth focus" report. cold rush looks at the opening of the arctic region as climate change melts the northern ice pack, leading to a new russian-american competition for shipping lanes and poile-gas exploration. -- and oil-gas exploration. only here on viewer-supported link tv. >> today on "earth focus"" the global consequences of a changing arctic.

coming up on "eaearth focus." >> having traveled to the arctic region it's really hard to describe the experience. of standining and looking out over m miles and mileses and mi ofof ice floes as far as the ey can see. a majesty unparalleled. on the planet. >> at the northern most part of the earth the arctic covers over five million square miles. and includes parts of the u.s., canada, greenland, iceland, norway, sweden, finland, and russia. >> the arctic is very, very difffferent dependiding on wher you go. evenen within individual countries. you might have a ve develeded aspect. in the arctic c and then you might have underdeveloped areas. >> this is a place where with significant urban settitings, a well as s very small indigenous tribibal communities. >> n northern norway calllled t

paris of the north. beautiful city. amazing infrastructure. better roads than washington, d.c. they havave underground tunnels and r roundabouts. >> much of the arctic is unpopulated and littttle explplored. winter temperatures can plunge below zero fahrenheit. summers average 50 degrees above zero or higher. >> it is a very challenging region to do work in. it is cold. . and i it is dark. and it i is r remote. >> i in the arctic eveverythihi happss a at a very slow rate. if you put your foot down on some piece o of moss or some grass it will takake years or decadedeto regrow. >> the one thing that is not happening slowly in the arctic is changnge. >> scientists tetell us that every day, they are profounundl stunned by the dramatic change that is occurring in the arctic. >> the arctic is warming faster than any other place on earth. and one of the ways in which that is demonstrated is in the retreat of summer sea ice.

which has been shrinking dramatically over the last several decades. > according t to nasa scientists, the arctic is losing about 30,000 square miles of sea ice each year. that's an area the size of maine. since 1980, 40% of sea ice cover has disappeared. scientists expect the arctic ocean to be largely free of mmer ice b by mid century or sooner. >> the ice reseeding -- receding h has a an impact on t environment and on the flora and fauna in the arctic and that changes traditional with a ways of life in greenland or alaska that hunters can no longer get to the seals because the ice is receding.g. >> but there are other more troubling consequences. melting sea ice accelerates warming. ice reflects the sun rays back into space. but dark open waters exposed by loss of sea i ice absorb them. >> what scientntists believe is hahappening is the more that ic

cacap shrinks, that d dark wate absorbs heat faster. anand it becomes the cycycle wh the warming actually begins to go fasaster than what has been projected. >> so ththe less s ice we have there, andnd the less susurface the sun to bounce its rays off of, the warmer the whole planet becomes and that's what we get into what we call feedback loops. so the arctic is a bellllwether for the rest of the planet. that if the arctitic absorbs a lot more heat, becausese the ic is gone, it could have ramifications for the rest of the planet. >> the arctic is a global air conditioner. it helps regulate climamate and weather patterns. as the arctic warms, wind patterns shift affecting weather in nortrth america and europe. the melting of f the greenland ice shsheet will a also have ramifications for the rest of the planet. it statandso raise global sea levels by 20 feet or more. >> that will impact places like

bangladesh. asia. even in the united states. the louisiana coast. the florida coast. >> in will ststill take several hundred years. but thatat's many times quicker than anything we'v've previousl seen. . anand the greenland ice sheet i definitely melting att unprecedented rates. >> throughout the arctic, permafrost, frozen ground below the soil, is melting. >> permafrost which would be a veryry firm foundation year around on which to build airports, roads, schools, houses, is thawing causing foundations to sink and crumble and having buildings actually collapse. ththat's not just happening in alaska. it's happening in russia and other places as well. so the engineering and designing and construction of buildings and public facilities has to change. it has to change pretty quickly.y. >> but p permafrost t melt is n the only problem. as the arctic sea ice melelts,

storms produce stronger winds and waves. exposing coastal communities to severe erosion. >> coastal erosion, which is eating a away at the shorelinin villageses, means that people a losing schools and tanank farms. and roads. to a very powererful storm season. it dididn't use to happen. >> 180 alaska native villages are presently suffering from floods and erosion. one of them is kivalina. this bear-year island village is losing up to eight feet of shore to erosion each year. it's long-term survival is at stake. alaska's northern coast has some of the highest shoreline erosion rates the worldld. >> over 20 communities on the coastine of northern alaska have been identified as places where either they have to move or they will have to movove. becaususe they wonon't be able be sustatained wherere they are ananymore. bubut where i is the moneney go

come f from to move e those villagages? >> the w warming of f the arcti brings m many destabablizing changes. but at the same time, it opens up the r region to new oppoportunities. >> that shrinkagee of arctic summer sea ice means that people are speculating about the possibility of everything from shipping to oil and gas to additional economic development. ththat might have some rather major implications both domestically and internationally. >> right now, there are two main passages, the northern sea route or the northeast passage over the russian arctic. primarily. and then the northwest passage which is through the canadian archipelago. >> the northern sea route is the one right now that has t th most economic potential. rotterdam to tokyo, for example, from the netherlands toto japan, is 40% shorter through the northern sea route compared to the suze canal. the northwest passage still a lot of ice. the ice likes to stay betweween all l the different iands and not realally a shortcut to

anywhere. . >> the northern sesea route stands to potentialllly transfo global shipping. >> this arctic seaway -- >> today only limited traffic along the northern sea route. but turnrning this route into a global commercial highway is a strategic priority for the russian government. >> so the arctic is very closely tied a and linkeked to natitional development. in russia. if russia wants to remain prosperous or dedevelop hydro carbon resources they need to do it in the arctic. >> thehe arctitic remains one o the most proromising areas inn world. for future oil and gas opportunities. so it is an energy storehouse. there are alalso significacant minerals availalable in that region. >> there's these famous numbers by the u.s. geologicalal survey that 13% of undiscovered oil and 30% of undiscovered n natur gass are located in the arctic. >> s shrinking. ice cap now makeses offshore exploration in the arctic

feasible. most of the reserves are thought to be in the russisian and american arcrctic. >> so what rusussia needs is technology. they do not have the technology to do offsfshore drilling. so they need westernrn technology. . and theylslso needed wewestern finanancing to help. >> so what we e see areoint ventures between westernrn corporations l like shell and exxon and statete-owned compani like rozozneft and gazprom. >> after the crisis over crimea and ukraine wewestern eururopea and american sanctions have targeted technology needs. and those companies cannot provide the technology and they can't provide e the financing that would helelp. so now t that energy production has slowed. and exxonmobil has left. its s prourks -- production n project -- - > you could argue the ukrain sanctions might have put certain development five or 10

years behind. >> the collapse of oil prices in 2014 has stalled offshore oil drilling plans by chevron and n norwegian, danish andnd french oil companies. offshore developmement in this faragal and pristine environment has some experts concerned. >> many of the technologies that have been used in the lower 4848 in respoponding to spills, whether they arere a smalall or large, ininvolve mechanical recovery systems that do not assume that they are operating in ice. and ice creates a variety of problems. in terms of responding to spills. >> a recent government study said t that if oilil is produce the -- off the coaoast of alask there's a 75% chance of an oil spill. that w would --- that could absolutely decimate communities on t the north slope of alaska who rely on the animals in the ocean for food. if there was a 75% chance of me getting on plane and having that plane crash, there's no way i would go near it.

>> environmental concerns about spills in the arctic led greenpeace activists aboard the go 0 on c sunrise to owned -- m of >> does not present any threat to safety and security of any person. or property. or the marine enenvironment. and unacceptable risk to the arctic environment. both in russia and globally. >> the first thing we have to do is to stop the hosing, stop the hosing because they're in position, it becomes unstable and may fall 15 meters on the foot of the platform. so we have to stop hosing so we can entertain the situation of the activists. over. we propose you evacuate all

personnel because we will start our -- so we thinknk that more people will be injured. >> in the end, russian authorities arrested all 30 members aboarard including two indedependent journalists. and imprisoned them for three months. this group of activists is known as the arctic 30. they were eventually granted pardon and released. >> it was a v very strong russi reaction. i think that also was telling us that rusussia is a asserting sovereignty in thehe arctic. and people who cross that sovereignty better beware. >> will the opening of the arctic lead to more clashes? willll this r resource-e-rich r bebecome a source of c conflict tension? >>o date the relationship of the eight arctic nations includuding russia has been a good relationship. i think largely based on a pretty simple premise which is that there is more of a shared ininterest than therere is a competing interest. >> i would say that thehere's

vevery little risk of escalatin tension in the arctic. that is of course not to say that the conflict somewhere else in the world could potentially mimiate into t the arctctic. >> and maybe the arctic could be a place where we can rebuild trust. and rebuild thehe dialogue with russia. because the arctic c is so important to them, maybe this is plalace where we can start again. >> if countries can come together and protect this incredible place, and say this is a place where we're notot going to e exploit, we're e goi to protect it, then i think we have a a shot at preserving our future.

>> aye. i'm kim spencer back with you after another great "earth focus" report. link tv's research shows that millions of americans watch this original series each year. and that nearly 70% of regular "earth focus" viewers take some kind of action based on what they've seen. whether it's volunteering with a group or calling their elected representative. this is the kind of impact link tv is having. but to keep us on the air, we need you to make a tax deductible contribution today. call now. toll free. 1-866-485-8848. or visit our secure website. link.tv.org. and w when you gigive, you get. >> link tvtv brings current topics, cultural events, and rare and informative programming thanks to your support. take this time right now to make a generous donation of

$1,000. and in return, we'll send you the best of link tv. books. d.v.d.'s. logo items. everything to keep you up to date with all that link tv has to offer. plus this collection comes with an exclusive audio u.s.b. drive. filled with your favorite earth at risk speeches. rom derrick jensen, to donna sheba to alice walker and thomas lindsay, take it with you to become informed and inspired and because of your support that link tv brings you powerful stories in unseen perspectives. thank you. >> we've really appreciated your generous support. and remember, if you choose the no gift option, all of your donation goes to link tv. and it's 100% tax deductible. we truly need your help to continue link tv's mission. you know, we get no funds from your satellite provider. from the government, or from selling commercials. that's right. it's contributions from viewers

like you that allow link tv to stay on the air. without commercial interruptions. so take this moment. to do your part. call 1-866-485-8848. or go online to our website linktv.org. don't delay. please. do it right now. we need our viewers' financial support to acquire the bold programming that you can watch both on tv and online at our website. like uncompromising documentaries, our diverse cultural programs, and news reports from around the world. please don't think others can fill in the gap. the only way link tv can deliver independent media that you can trust, week after week after week, is with your help. and we need it right now. so from all of us here at link tv, thank you so much for joining us.

>> i am jim thorton, the voice of wheel of fortune. it is great to be back with you. i'm excited to tell you about a remarkable documentary. it is called "our mockingbird." it is about two high schools in birmingham, alabama -- one in a white neighborhood, the other african-american. they decide to put on a production of harper lee's book "to kill a mockingbird." it turns out to be one of the best teaching tools. the kids learn important lessons about race, justice, life in the south. most importantly, they learn about each other. as you probably know, the book was published in 1960 and won the pulitzer prize.

in 1962, it was made into a movie starring gregory peck, who won the oscar for best actor. two of the actors from the film appear in "our mockingbird." they are joined by other familiar faces. i will tell you that "our mockingbird" is the kind of powerful program you have come to expect from your friends at the source for independent public media. we work to bring you the kind of news, public affairs, documentaries, travel, and music programs you do not see anywhere else. we need your help toto keep it going. pick up the phone right now, right there sitting next to you, or click on to our secure website. make a generous contribution. the information is right on the screen and we will keep it up there for you. did you appreciate your support. sit back, relax, and enjoy this unique look at an american classic as we present open vote our mockingbird." -- "our mockingbird."

respecte going, out of to harper lee, we are going to put on a good show. >> we were just going to do a play, put t two schools together and dodo a plalay. i think even the children did not quite realize what was about to happen. >> we read it at first as a story of the south, just a girl growing up in a small town in the south. later, when the book reveverberated with people allll across the wororld, we started

reading it for something different, something deeper. [sirens] >> it was a story of good and evil. a person w who was defenenselesn a society.y. >> people want to come down and think the south has rented. america works through this original sin. " is the a mockingbird book about the original sin. >> we have taken down the visible signs. we don't hahave the colored and white signs, but the real question is, have our hearts changed? ♪

>> have you met everybody? >> how are you doing? >> the first day they were here together, they walked in. watching and listening to them talk, they were so prepared. i think if they had any problems with self-f-esteem or accomplishments, this would have cap it -- capped it. i can do this. >> the whole black and white issue was really at the forefront of everybody's mind going into it. just looking at where the cast came from, that was sort of the idea, black kids and white kids coming together.

come from two so yourt communities, experiences are entirely different from each other's. >> they y did not really have a theater departrtment. i learned how grateful we should be for something like a theater and eveverything. >>his will b be what will mainly be seen -- and reports that represent atticus's house. >> when we met in the library, they were observing us like we were observing them. >> in the back of my mind, i was thinking, it is going to be the people sitting on each side of the room. >> i was little skeptical. if you come to a white school -- >> you can see up close what we are talking about. >> i thought they were going to

bored because they lived in big houses, and i'm just somebody from fairfield. >> we were raised differently and how we get along. >> i think i was pretty young, probably 15-16, and there used toto be movies that would cocomn in new york city in the afternoon. it was the first time i saw it in a chopped up form with commercials. i most recently sought on my ipad. >> my maternal grandmother and herr brothers are all very southern. this way of life is quite familiar to me. like so many americans, i just

gravitate so much toward the story, whether it i is in book form or on the bigig screen. even in 1932, when i first met herer, megan -- men's is collars were wilted by 9:00 in the morning, ladidies. before noon, after 3:00 mass, and by nightfall. >> t that summerer, i was sisixs old. > w we hear thehe story throe eyes not of an adult woman but through the eyes of a little child. almost as if for you are hearing is what occurred on her front porch before air-conditioning and televevision in a late afternoon and early evening when the old ones and little onones gathereded and youou had multipe generations telling theirr stories.

lee d described this novel as a l love story.. loveve of the south, love of a small town, l love of a father r his son n and daughter. >> it is about what life was like in a particular we use of squeeze of particularar time that really spans generations. >> it reminds a lot of adults of their childhood or maybe how theyey wish their childhood coud have been. it is stepping back into what we like to think as a more innocent time, but there is that under , the moreat is there sinister aspects of our socicial structure of the time.

give me that old-time religion ♪ backgroundperson's that will determine what it means to them. >> ♪ give me that old-time religion ♪ you have got to be checked by 5:30. we have 10 minutes on the schedule. everybody, be quiet. i don't know if you have realized it or not, but you are going to be working nonstop from the time you get up every morning until you go to bed at about 11:00 or 11:30 every night. your number one priority is this show. doing a show like this is perfect because they have to ,ook at where we have been

where we are now, , and they hae a glimpse into the future of where we will end up. forto kill a mockingbird" me works on a bunch of levels. i am a lawyer, an african-american, a student of history, and it is a tale of courage, a tale of law gone wrong. of what aalso a tale group of people -- my people -- faced in this country. >> the original sin was committing to an arrangement that tolerated slavery and freedom in the same framework. of the fundamentals of that system are so at other variants with the fundamentals of any democratic system. i think it is the original sin of the country to commit to that kind of arrangement, which

compromised everyone and continues to to this day. >> ♪ on my way way ♪ >> when history is happening, those who are going through it can't get traction, can't figure it out. harper lee felt that the best way she could write about what was going on then in her native region was to set it in the 1930's instead of in the late 1950's, when she was writing it. >> i think maybe she was inspired by what she saw, what she felt. would just maybe, she change people's minds. write. up a pen and

i grew up, birmingham was thickly segregated by law. the segregation was complete. you could not go downstairs to the theater to see a movie, you had to go upstairs. you saw all the little white all of thewnstairs, black kids had to go upstairs. you knew where to drink anand where not to drink. >> black people and white people were forbidden to play games together. checkers, dominoes. of course, sports likeke basebal and football were segregated as well. most of the black people i knew were afraid of white people. >> we could not go to kiddie land or the public library or the public swimming pools.

we went into the stores to buy things, you could not try on the close -- clothes. i won the alabama state spelling championship in 1960 but could not go to the nationalal competition because blacks are not permitted to be part of the national competition. >> i was born a year after brown v. board of education. so my mother had fully expected her children would attend integrated schools, but we did not. i went to segregated schools through the 10th grade. i did not know any white people socially.. it wasas a very segregated worl. >> there were two distinct neighborhoods. there were the white suburbs and the blacackeighborhoooods. those two never met at all.

the only time that i would be exposed to that was when they would come over. >> black people could not even look a white person in the eye. how many of you remember that? eyes had to be on the ground all the time, and this is 1960 still. [beeping] >> we were not around in segregation times back in the 1960's, but segregation is not completelyly over. mountain brook is not a segregated school, but there are no white kids here and no black kids there. it is majority -- >> it is majority black kids here. we have a few hispanics. >> there is not that much evidence --

there is not any prejudice against. >> everyone things that we are up,, stepped up -- stuck materialistic. people don't ever get a chance to go to mountain brook and they don't get a chance to come to fairfield. >> we don't have an understanding of anything outside ourselves. we live a sheltered life, a life where we are not forced to understand or comprehend what we don't have to read -- what we don't have to. >> places, let's go.

get to that point where we are trying to figure out, who am i, how did i get this way? is the adultaeauty scout rereminiscing about what e young scout learned and how she learned it. louise, buts jean when i was young, they called me scout. >> i see a little bit of scout in me. i was a pretty precocious kid. i did not get in as many fights as scout d did, but i really w s one of the boyoys in our neighbororhood. >> i was just like scout. i was such a tomboy. don't giveve me dresses, i just can't handle it. i raran home -- >> i ran home. i lilicked it t and waited f foa while. whenen i did not die, i crammemd into m my mouth. it wasas wrigley''s double meae.

>> i think thehe reason this nol and movie are so powerful is you see events unfold through scouts eyes. you see the childlike innocence. you see her learning, evolving. >> i'm not going back to school anymore. >> scout, it is just the first day. >> i don't care, everything went wrong. ,> scout was an innocent coming-of-age, did not understand the ways of the world . >> she is a firecracker. shshe says what she wants to whn she wantnts toay i it. >> a lot of women, especially in the south, identified with scout. >> back when i was growing up, little girls were raised to be mothers and home keepers. you hahad to learn h how to do grilled cheese sandwiches and flower arrangements.

we could not even go to the withoutstore, y'all, the g gloves and hat and shoes d everything had to be just perfect, you had to look just so. and you are just going to the grocery store, for goodness sake. >> for young girls from the south to have a young female protagonist whoho is strong and active and has opinions and is a reader and has curiosity about the world around her was hugely important. >> scout, get away from their. scout, come on. >> there was a strong thread of intolerance throughout the book. there is evil lurking throughout the book. figure ofhis magigical

,he rapidly -- of boooo radleyy who is hiding somewhere in the shadows. >> inside the house lived a malevolent figure. people said he existed, but jem and i had d never seen him. peoplele said he went ouout at t and peakeded in windowsws. if people's azaleas froze it was because hehe had breatathed on . >> he could be whatever you wished to make him. that is what jem and scout do. it is rerely the outsideder who cocomes in and says,s, we have o find boo. >> before doing this play, i never undersrstood thehe point f boo radley. i did not see how that fit in to the idea of racism. could apppply to

any number of individuals and groups who have been discriminate against. anywhwhere fromo autitistic people to people from foreign countries to homosexual people. childink he is the poster for the disadvantaged minority. >> when i read the book for the first time in sixth grade, it spoke to me. it came at the perfect time, and i was able to understand that i did d not have to change who i was. i could be who i am. >> i had several who said that they could relate to boo because he was misunderstood and that they remembered feeling like that in junior high school. >> this is just a run through. >> so much of our bigotry is based on fear and ignorance. boo represents that.

>> you can act, you can sing, too. >> somomebody told me just now that they thought that you belilieved tom robinson's story. >> you can understand "to kill a momockingbirdd" totally in termf class if y you want t to. >> you are wrorong, dead wroro. >> you have two families, both family, lazy, moral degenerate people. hadtticus said the ewells been a disgrace of macon for three generations. they were people that have lived like animals. >> my people were e blue-collar working peoeople who did theheir

best to prprovide a decent l lie for their people.e. , therere wasn among us probablyly a ewell or two, or 1. there were folks who w would rathther drink then eat and fols who needed to hate somebody. >> tricky lawyers like atticus finch ---- >> i rececognized that, and i certainly know what that phrase abouout no amount of money would ever c change their situation. >> i play a farmer who rerequirs atticus's services, but he can only pay with turnip greens. >> i bring you these have green nuts.- these hickory >> they are proud, they don't pay welfafare, if they y campain money, they pay withth potatoesr whatevever they have.e. >> are we poor?

>> we are indeed. >> are we as poor as the cunningham's? >> no, not exactly. >> it makes her think about -- ifif atticus is not getting anyy money, then n she, too, must be poor. >> w what in thehe sam hill l au doing? ---hen calpurnia falls paul's a scout in and fusses at her at being rude to walter after he put syryrup on his foo, she realally was a guididing fie in theheir life. >> scocout. >> whahat? >> come out here, i want to talk to you. >> i thought it t was wonderful how atticus finch g gave calalpa permrmission to o help the disciplinarianan. >> that t boy is youour company. ifyou want to e eat at that -- he wants deep that tablecloth, you let him.

>> black women have always taken care of white children. it has always been that way. they are the strong mother. not the made, but as a mother role. >> she pretty much raises us. she has taught me everything i know. she helped me learn how to write.e. definitely keeps the kids in line to the best of her ability, but these are some pretty mischievous kids. .> you to get insidee >> my grandmother was a calpurnia many years ago. my mother used to take care of white children. she was basically like the surrogate mother that was there while their parents route marking. -- parents were out working. she basically raised them. >> my grandmother was a made for

maybe 50 years, a made for one particular family. by all the counts, they treated her well, but she was the maid for two generations of the same family. >> we had black women working for my family as long as i can remember. and i was aware that they had families and that they w were leaving ththeir children, i was aware of that. >> my father's motheher took cae of thehese children, and at some point,t, they stopped being children and she said yes sir and no ma'am to these children. >> you think about a kid that you raised and had to probably whack on the butt, and now he is telling you what to do? >> i don't rememember any notion of, oh my gosh, i would hate doing this work, there is something wrong with this.

no, it is just the way it was. >> that was a pretty strong line. sin was theiginal idea that slavery and freedom could exist together in the same framework. did you notice how the kids from the two different schools are keeping their distance? it is almost as though there is an invisible barrier separating them. you think it will stay that way? i am jim thorton, and hope you're enjoying the special presentation of our mockingbird, a documentary by sandra jaffe. i hope you will take advantage of this break to head over to your phone or computer and let us know you appreciate this kind of thought-provoking, independent media. please get in touch and make a generous contribution right now. that is the best way to guarantee that programs like "our mockingbird" will always have a home. wewe depend onon your supppporto please calall.

when you do, we will say thank you this way. >> race, class, gender, and justice. from 1960 to the present, these themes in the famed novel "to kill a mockingbird" continue to resonate. and we will send you a dvd of the documentary "our mockingbird." share the exploration of social issues through the eyes of teenagers while supporting independent media. remember, it is quick and easy to show your support. if you care about daily news programs from around the world, uncompromising documentaries on critical issues, independent media that makes you think, this is where it happens, and none of it happens without you. take your contribution right now. it was such a nice touch to include mary badham in this documentary. she played scout in "to kill a mockingbird." still looks the same, right? she was nominated for best supporting actress lost to patty

duke in "the miracle worker or go philip alford is there, who played jem. of course impact is what independent media is all about. if that matters to you, help us continue bringing new ideas, viewpoints, and programs you do not see a mainstream media. call or go to our website, make a tax-deductible donation, and here is what you will get in return. >> race, class, gender, injustice. from 1962 the present, these themes in the famed novel "to kill a mockingbird" continue to resonate. contribute 100 dollars and we will send you a dvd of the documentary you are watching, open road our mockingbird." share the social issues through the eyes of teenagers while supporting independent media. jim: you get a great gift, tax reduction, and you get the satisfaction that comes from doing your part to keep

independent media on the air and online 24/7. give us a call right now or go online. the benefits will last all year. did you know "to kill a mockingbird" has sold 40 million copies and has been translated into dozens of languages? was fiction but portrayed painful truths we are still grappling with. in thisthat so clearly documentary, especially when you listen to thee kids, young peope who did not experience segregation, and yet there to schools are in two different worlds. coming up, the kids will learn about the civil rights protests of that era and see themselves in the paces -- in the faces of the people in the old black and white films. unless we are doing good and tell us you are glad we are sharing this documentary. called right now or click to show your support. and now, back into our window

into the past and present with more from "our mockingbird." >> i know there was some mutuality in the care and affection that we felt for each other, but one could never collect a mutual relationship because of the social setting within which it occurred. >> how many white people -- how many come to you on a regular basis? it was like an infection to a new culture -- it was like an introduction t to a new culture. > over a period of time, it s really going to affect them, when they look back and think, i was a part of this. i do know from listening, they would compare things, say they did this, they don't do that, they do this.

they found out they really were not that different, just kids. they began to see that and came together for a common goal. >> if your energy is low, the pace is going to be low. be sure that you are not right in front of the judge. articulate. resonate. give that richness to your vowel sounds. i can hear you. >> in this story, jem and scout want t their father to be somemething he can't be, doesn't want to be, is too busy toto be. >> our father did not do anything. he worked in an office, not t a drugstore. he did not drive a dump truck, was not the sheriff, did not farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could arouse admiration of anyone. besides that, he worked glasses. >> put thihis one on. atticus. >> atticus finch, a lawyer, is

appointeted to defendnd a blackn named tom robinson who has been accused of raping a woman named mayella ewell. >> when asked to defend tom hesitaten, he did not because he knew t that if n not, o?o? >> he is not just the saintly lawyer, he wishes he did not have to case. is very human about it. >> atticus, are we going to win it? >> then why are we doing it? >> it is no reason for us not to try to win. jem knows what is going to happen. he is a southern child. his dad has taken on this project, which is going to affect everybody's life. >> scout does not want to go

through the difficulty o of havg people call her names. she would rather it be the easay life or he is just a l lawyer during regular things and not something controversial as the tom robinson case. from why we can't wait by martin luther king jr. 1963, as togro of atticus finch, it had become coulds that nonviolence symbolize the badge ofof hero is him m rather than the white feather r ofowardic." thank you, martin. >> the people who took the streets in birmingham in 1963 were people like you, they were kids. it was called the children's marches in birmingham. adults were working.

they were working at u.s. steel and some of the other factories. and work as domestic help in the buildings downtown. it was the kids who took to the streets for equal rights and voting rights. boardhildren, get on [indiscernible] >> if you ask any white person my age what the demonstrations in birmingham inn 1953, t the historic, world changing, segregation ending demonstrations meant, they wilil inevitably say it meaeant thehey could d not go dowowntown to t e movieses. >> the t theater is s the scenea longng-awaiteded preview, the ft showing o of "to kill a mockckingbird." >> i i came across a news ararte about thee p premier. >> written by harper lee -- >> and it was on the very day the demonstration -- martin

luther king's demonstrations had begun. i cannot believe the confluence of those events. mary badham was in the fifth grade with me when the movie came out. i remember looking back years later that there were dual realities. on the one hand, it was like, isn't in a great, you are a scout, nominated for an academy award, what an honor for birmingham. and then the subject, which is just this slam on "southern justice." and the fact that this coincided with the shame of birmingham, fire hoses and police dogs on children scouts age. nobody would put those two together. i will be [indiscernible] air ofe was an excitement, and i was not susure what it was about, but i wanted to be part of it.

i thought that a lot of these young people were the same age i was. freedom ♪ >> negegro remedies are e not at hand. dedemonstratioions, paradedes, a protests, which create tension and threaten violence and lives. we face a moral crisis of the country and people. >> frankly, i was more concerned about alabama football. emerges and bombing were a world away. it is like watching tv and seeing things on the other side of the world, you are not connected. >> hundreds and hundreds of people were arrested. there was a great deal of tension and fear in the city of birmingham.

1963, when the dogs and hoses are unleashed in birmingham, i was 14. everyone is covering the story, the biggest story in america, and i have a a newspapaper route delivering "the birmingham news" every day, and guess what is not on the front page? birmingham's civil rights struggle, the dogs, the hoses. it is six blocks from the newspaper office. >> i was a good student. wallace said we could not go to a university. i kept trying to understand, what was this hatred about? >> governor george wallace prepares to confront a deputy u.s. attorneney, urging the governor to o end his efforts to prevent to negro students from

registering at the university. he was one of the first two black students integrate the university of alabama and the famous stand in the schoolhouse door by governor george wallace. >> both students are 20 years old. >> she was the first african-american graduate of the university of alabama, and she is t the sister of myy wife. >> school integration -- that was the thing that hit most people here. it was school desegregation that really have the impact on some new people. >> as a result of vivian and others connenecting toto the ef, that an afafrican-american president hahas the ability to appoint another african-american , what kindsgeneral of disparities that are based on race that still have to be addressed.

at t the nation is in a fundamamentally much b betterr . ♪ quirks ♪ [indiscernible] lay down his word >> when atticus is sitting in front of the jail guarding against a lynch mob, just going about his daily business, which is protecting this person from his community and the community that he loves. i think it just out of captures the utter loneleliness of righteteousness.

, is ins heroism, his glory his refusal to conform a and his refufusal to give an to the ennui or fear of the community. he will do it because it is the right thing to do. >> understanding what it meant to be an african-american male in those t times, charged with that crimeme -- how much more chilling the book comes. -- the book becomeses. >> i it is a whole different del if youou know the e history y of lynchings and the attempt to get a lynching act passed by congress that never got past. intervention,us's there is no question in my mind that tom would have been lynched. >> when scouout goes to see atticus in front o of the jailhouse, atticus is reactingng very calmly, like he is

expecting it. but she is not expecting what is going on. >> my friends and d i could rere scout's speech when she saw the lynch mob. -- mr.mr. coming him cunninghamam. don't you remembmber me, mr. cunningham? i amam jean louiuise finchch. i go to school with h your boy. i go to o school w with walter. ---nd she was just direct and she withth her directness ad honesty an sweetness -- >> what is the matter? >> just changed everything in an instant. all of a sudden, all the anger and fear just melts away. >> she is able to talk to him and relate to them as a person, which takes him outside the mob mentality, anand i think that allo h him to thinink c clearlyr the firsrst time. >> i will tellll walter you said

hey. let's clear out of here. >> she connects with mr. cunningham, and essentially, without trying to or wanting to, shamed him and appealed toto his sensnse of humanity. >> in rereal life, s somebody wd have hit atticicus in the headdd tom rorobion would h have been swinging. in real lifife, that's what d dd happppen. that's what did happen over and over and ovever again. >> do you realize how fundamentally your personal life is going to be determined byy whether n not you havave a morl compass s and therefore, you are not simply the byproduct of whatever your group you have that fairfield high school or mountain group -- mountain brook? do you realize how important that is to the well-being of a human being, the prosperity of democracy, to human values that make a place worth being a community worth living in?

if you do, carry that into the play. >> we do have to have a seat for alex. >> you read about in books, see it on tv, but to o actually reenact something that did happen, you are justst blown awy by it. famouscus finch became because of gregory peck's portrayayal, but there were many atticus finches across the country, across the south. this is really a portrayal of what happened in real life to many people. them heroes, and these more braverysed thanan those who might grab a weapon to defend themselves against attack.

>> we had our own heroes to read thurgood marshall, arthur shores. people who every day fought those battles at a time when it was difficult to be imagined, when it was life-threatening to be an advocate. >> we are in birmingham, alabama, sitting in the sanctuary of the 16t6th street babaptist church. where i was was right about where you are sitting when the bomb exploded. >> the march on washington had just been a few days earlier. when we left washington, it was so hopeful, so optimistic. >> i did not realize the emotional connection that people

in the birmingham community -- black and white -- had to the 1963 bombing of the 16th street baptist church. that last shook birmingham -- that blast shook birmingham, alabama, united statates, and te world as people asked, why would someone blow up the house of god to kill four innocent children? is like -- i almost want to say i am sorry, even though it was not me. it was our people saying and doing those things. >> i would have liked to talk to them and ask them, how could you do that? how did you go home and sleep? how did you walk around every day and brag about it? >> this is a chaptpter in histo, espepecially o of the south, the can't escape.

a lot of us would rather just not remember, but it did happen and we have to face it so we can move forward. >> you folks have a unique opportunity. i'm talking about fairfield and mountain brook. you have an opportunity by joining forces and showing that we can cut across racial and t to lines and work together make this s city, county, stat country so much better. --- >> don't forget, you are disgusted when bob you'll -- bob ewell - -- let us see it. the crcrowd up roars. you are in a state overr that. and judge, do something about it. everybody ready for back to --

fout act 2? >> i was one year old when "to kill a mockingbird" was published. they made me read it in high school, and because i was scared of my english teacher. [laughter] >> but something happened in the reading of it that i believe happens to most people who read it. they stumble upon people who represent the very best of our part of the world and people who represent the worst of it. story that upon the you wish never had to be told and one e that had to be told. >> that black man took advantage of me. >> there is is -- an almost unbroken trail of cases of false accusations of black men assaulting or raping white women.

1900s, to the early african americans accused of raping and harassing white women , arrested, rallied up, did not have lawyers, rushed to trial, tried in a day, sentenced to death, ready to die the next day. in 1955, a kid from chicago goes to mississippi. his name is emmett till. his crime is that he whistled -- did not rape or assault -- whistled at a white woman, and the response is lynching. what atticus finch is talking about is that this isis the tab, the untntnkable. > there have been hundreds ad hundreds of lynchings of blacks who are just accuseded of raping whites. mores of thee time. there was a sexual dynamic wrapped into this racial dynamic

as well. you cannot separate the two. , or inly in this story think in the largeger american experience as well. boy.said, come here >> i accused tom robinson of raping me. an innocent t man, and in and sd black man, ofof this awawful cre that he did not commit. > the motive for mayella was more than fear of reprisal from her father. >> every day, her father beats her, and every day she has to get through that. >jim: so much history and so may important lessons. i hope you are beginning to see the message at the heart of this film. our laws have changed. the outward symbols of segregation are gone, but hearts and minds -- that is a work in progress. "he kids in "our mockingbird

are learning that for themselves, and soon you will see how they put that into their performance. this is why public media exists. you are not going to find anything like this on the commercial networks -- programs that teach, inspire, and motivate deserve a home and audience. we work nonstop to find and present the best independent public media out there. of course, we can't do it alone. your support is the fuel that keeps all of us going, and we value our partnership with you. please head over to your phone right now -- i know you are thinking about it -- you can click on your computer as well. make a genenerous, taxax-deducte donatition right now and we will return the favor with a special gift. >> race, class, gender, and justice. from 1962 at present, these themes in the famed novel "to kill a mockingbird" continue to resonate. contribute $100, and we will send you a dvd of "our mockingbird."

share the exploration of social issues through the eyes of teenagers while supporting independent media. thank you. jim: remember, it could not be easier to support your favorite source for independent media and it is so important becausese programs like "our mockingbird" do not happen by themselves. it takes people like you to make sure filmmakers like sandra jaffe have a forum. called our go to our secure website. ms. jaffe was a fan of "to kill a mockingbird" for a long time, like a lot of people. or motivation to make the documentary came unexpectedly. she was at a school in boston and heard a man from saudi arabia describing how his classmates called him a terrorist and how he would go home every day and cry. jaffe says that was too much for her. it was the signal for her to truly pursue this project. you never know where inspiration will come from, but you need to stay open to new ideas and different viewpoints.

that is why we work so hard to bring you such a wide variety of programs from all across the spectrum. join us in that effort. call o or click riright now anae ththat tax-dedeductible donatio. here is how we will say thanks. >> race, class, gender, and justice. from 1962 the present, these themes in the famed novel "to kill a mockingbird" continue to resonate. contribute $100 and we will send you a dvd of "our mockingbird." share this exploration of social is use through the eyes of teenagers while supporting independent media. thank you. jim: think about it -- with a click of a mouse or one phone call, you get a compelling documentary and help ensure the growth of truly independent media. global news, public affairs, culture, drama, and powerful presentations like the one we are watching now. it is part of our mission and is in your hands, so call us now or

head online. as you have been seeing, former attorney general eric holder and congressman john lewis both appear in "our mockingbird." what a powerful reminder of where we have been, where we are now, and how much work we have to do. the kids are observing those lessons, too, visiting places where key moments in the civil rights struggle took place. it is a very emotional documentary. wait till you see what comes next. it is a perfect example of that on, rising programs we strive to bring you every day. we are passionate about what we do, but our real energy comes from you. give us a call now or go online to make a tax-deductible contribution. is go back now to this creative combining of then and n now. was the stark reality that she violated a sacred code. every emotion that tom feels,

i feel when i am on stage and in that chair and listening to her lying and saying i took advantage of her when i know i did not.. and i listen to bob ewell he calls me bad names, it has a very profound effect on me. it is like i am really tom robinson when i am on that stage. >> the most romantic part of tom robinsnson'ss testimony -- theet robinson'spart ofof tom 's testimony was when he said he felt sorry for mayella. >> you felt sorry for her? a white w woman? >> lawawyer pounced onon that, f thatat was wrong. how dare he? that someonene beneath this womn so sorry for her. >> i believe harper lee wanted totom to be a man of great prir. he knew he did not do anything wrong and a great sense of

respect for atticus, who is going to defend him. theawyers should see atticus finch model as an example of the h highest stage. to look those 12 men in the eye and get beyond theirir head into their heart and to make them see this in ways they have not before. >> she is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance. >> there is a sense of the lawyer transcending the legal realm and going to a dedeeper, pepersonal, ememotional moralal. >> in the name of god. do your d duty. cry tos a passionate just let go of your prejudices and do the right thing, but as we all know, it does not happen. >> every timime we go through te courtroom scene, sometimes i

just want toto break down and cy because of what is being portrayed and harper lee is trying to tell the world about what happened. >> took advantage, is that right? >> that is my brother, my blood, my friend that is on trial for something he did not do. >> when none of thehe 12 will en glance in the direction of your client, you don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling. >> it is not fair for any of this, bubut thehere is nothing t can be done e because these peoe cannnnot be brouought to see the light. >> the handwriting was on the wall. what was expected to happen happenened. >> f for me, it was probably "to kill a mockingbird"" that made e get the picture, get the entire picture. i would say i was definitely a garden-variety segregationist. i was not a hater.

the truth is, most o of us weren different. to find myself rooting for a black m man, i felt that i was betraying the principles of my community and my family, and it was really dramatic. -- really traumatic. i r remember trtrying not t to d thinking about how my father would be upset if he found out i crcried for a black man. >> t the one scecene that alalws makekes me cry i is after tom rorobins iss c convicted.. up.iss jean louise, stand yourur father's passising. >> atticus was held up as a shining light. if he failed, i thought as a young man, hihis greatest responsibility. i had to get a little older to

realize the great heroism in trying, the great heroism in standing in the teeth of something ugly. the great heroism and taking -- in taking -- >> [indiscernible] i have been told [indiscernible] >> if i cocould make even the slighthtest difference, i if i d be that person whoho helps take

that one step, like atticus finch d did in 1935 and make an alabama, it would be worth everything. >> there are plenty of cases where you just get the wrong man. the totom robinson story is plad out in different ways all over the country. a conviction of convenience. death -- theyth shot him. it was during an exercise period. they say he broke into a blind rage, charged that the fence, and started climbing over it. 17 bullet holes in him. they did not have to shoot him

that much. >> it is not ironinic that tom robinson would run away, even though he clearly was innocent of the crime, because it was not whether you u were innocent or guilty, it was whether you were black and your victim was white. that is the justice system, which was an injustice system. >> "to kill a mockingbird" to me is about injustice, the fight against it, and how one person can make a difference but howow one person fighting against an entrenched system is not always going to be successful. l lifeaspect of american that has been least impacted by social change is the criminal justice system. >> we frequeuently in today's

society presume guilt of poor people or people of color when they are arrested. there isis no presumption n of innocence. >> being put in a situation where you don't know, and the outcome is going to be that you are guilty when you have not done anything wrong, that is now with a live. i pray i'm never in that situation. >> we have not owned up to our inability to be fair and just always. the legacy of racial apartheid. we have not created a criminal justice system that is the whole -- that is equal. it is through thosee conversations that we can get the popoint where the story of o willa mockikingbird" actually represent a time in history when we were struggling that we have overcome. that is not true today. >> what you saw at the kish finch do -- what you saw atticus

finch do is a step on a path that we are still walking and that dr. king advanced. i think there is a direct line between "to kill a mockingbird," dr. king, others civil rights activists. >> if we want to create what dr. king called a beloved community, if that is our goal, then our way must be one of love, these, peace,ence -- love, nonviolence. shot,fter tom robobinson is atticus is already kind of thrown a rock up a hornets nest. he has stirred up bob ewell's ir e, insulted him. mad.has by god made him

>> bob ewell attacks us in the woods. >> run, scout! >> he evenentually gets killed after breaking my jem -- radley. my arm by boo i love, my thing line, is thahat i'm still sherif ycombkong county -- ma county. >> mockingbirds don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. that is why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. radley was able in the end to be heroic. >> you are glad he steps out of the shadows, and you are glad

that they let him go back into the shadows. the shadow thahat a child could reacach intnto. >> the closing scene, where you realizize the voice of a mature jean louise is telling us a little more than we would learn from scout. >> she is looking back from point offrom boo's view b because she is on his porch. >> she has had to visit these adult things and see her life radicalllly changed. a lot of the things that were scary before pails in comparison to some of the stuff she has had to deal with. that is what we all go through in life. >> atticus was right. you nevere said, really knonow a man until youu stand in his shoes and walk around in them.

standing on the radley porch was enough. >> neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. boo was our neighbor. us two soap dolls, or broken watch and chain, a pair of good luck pennies, and our lives. we never put back into the tree what we took out of it. we had given him nothing, and it made me sad. 1963, the 16th street baptist church had just been bombed. under no circumstances would i ever move back to alabama. shortly thereafter, i read "to kill a mockingbird" and thoughtt not know, gee, i did there were people who thought this way in alabama. the reason i'm in alabama now is largely because of harper lee

and "to kill a mockingbird." embracengham decided to this history, to embrace the past, and t to use it in a way o move forward. to use it as a painful lesson on what happens when we teach hate, particularly to our children. >> before "to kill a mockingbird ," i would always -- you would feel kind of awkward introducing myself t to another race and trying to get to know them, but i learned that people are people. >> it is coming to the end of rehearsals. they have gone long, everyone is tired. >> it is hard, i'm not going to lie, it has been really tough. i have invested so much time in

this. we have got to come together, put on a great show. .e having fun >> all we have to do is have the audience. when you read the book from the contemporary viewpoint, what we want to ask ourselves is not so much what has changed and is no longer here but how are some of the same problems here? are there certain unwritten ways of doing things that we segregate people? power some e of the racial, cla, anand gender challllenges stilln place? >> as you move through your life, you pull different things out of this book. you relate to it differently due to your experiences in life. >> i did not understand. that this meant so

much to p people. >> before you go on, i want you to think of all the boo radleys and tom robinsons in the world, because they are everywhere. ♪ worn vietnamtle marine corps veteran. tonight, i set beside my wife and youngest child and cried. this is what the struggle was about. the beatings and the sacrifices that we made, the jailing's. it was to bring people together.

>> we were marching and singing "we shall overcome." lane.ng up freedom [indiscernible] >> i can't really point out what it is, but i know something has changed in me. race being out on the table is something that -- [indiscernible] we are not there, we are not to full equality. i think the show brings us one step closer. >> i am a black person with potential. i have the right to have an effect on the world. >> we just made such great

friends, and i think we are all realizing how powerful this story is. thehere,ur friends over you u are goining to havave a ce toto go backck and visit.. ," ito kill a mockingbird might not be a true story, but something like that actually happened. it is amazing to know how far we have come. anybody can go anywhere. me and glenn can sit next to each other and we are not looked at. it is ok. give me a hug, glenn. >> we still have a distance to go before we lay down the burden, but we will do that. you u have got to giveve people hope. you have got to give a sense of optimism. there isis another generation of young people.

you, too, can do something. you, too, can lead. >> it is listening to these kids talk about what they have and it is this show kids like these kids who cling to it. .here is no question in my mind much.nknk you so ♪> ♪ my home

[applause] jim: on the air, online, around-the-clock 24/7, we bring you perspectives raleigh of the world, programs you won't see unconventional media and without commercials. that we rely on you. joined by calling the number on your screen or go online to make a generous, tax-deductible contribution. you know it took sandra jaffe eight years to make "our mockingbird," and that is not unusual. documentary filmmaking does not attract the attention or interest of the big networks, so counted so makers go it alone

and hope they can get their message across somehow. you also know that mainstream media reaches for the largest audience and lowest common dominator. not here. we don't, rise our standards. andre searching for truth quality programs, the information you need to be a better citizen. you still have time to be a partner. called o our go online, and when you join us, here is how we will say thank you. >> race, class, gender, and justice. from 1960 to the present, these themes in "to kill a mockingbird " continue to resonate. contribute $100 and we will send you a dvd of "our mockingbird." share this exploration of social issues through the eyes of teenagers while supporting independent media. thank you. jim: independent media helps you fill in the gaps with unfettered, uncensored information. it feeds your curiosity and nourishes your spirit.

step up right now. call us, help us, and help yourself. call or go online to make your tax-deductible contribution now. our mockingbird helped the students fill in their own gaps. it connected the past the present. kids who know all about ferguson and black lives matter came to understand, maybe for the first time, how harper lee's book is a lens to look at race, class, and justice then and now. i want to thank all of you for spending this time with us and for supporting independent media. we appreciate every bit of it. our entire reason for being starts and ends with you. with your help, we plan on being here for a long time. if you still have not made your contribution, why not do it right now? the number and website around the screen. i'm jim thorton. thank you for watching. we will see you next time. announcer: race, class, gender

and justice. these themes in the famed novel "to kill a mockingbird" continue to resonate. contribute $100 and we will send you a dvd of "our mockingbird." share this exploration of social issues through the eyes of teenagers for generations to calm while sporting public media. jim: were you surprised? there she was, harper lee herself, visiting the kids who seem to so grateful to meet her. we can only imagine how she must have felt seeing her group brought to life by another generation. i want to remind you that this program is being made possible by all of you -- that is you. your ongoing support of this noncommercial channel keeps us going, and i hope you will show that support. call now or visit our secure website. harper lee passed away in february of 2016, but i think it

is safe to say that her masterpiece "to kill a mockingbird" will be read, studied, and performed for a long time to come. this documentary "our mockingbird" is evidence of that. you're so proud to present this powerful program because it fits in with our mission and philosophy. call us or go online. make a tax-deductible contribution. to your part, and we will send you a special gift. ♪

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