Race
"There are many ways to say I love you. There are many ways to say I care about you. Many ways, many ways, many ways to say I love you."
- Fred Rogers 1999 (The Neighborhood Archive)
- Fred Rogers 1999 (The Neighborhood Archive)
The Neighborhood was diverse from the start, just as Rogers' childhood home had been. Mrs. Saunders, an African American teacher, and an interracial group of students visited the first week. The subtle message was that different races could live in peace. |
"When I was three... [George Allen’s] mother had died. And my mom and dad said, 'Come live with us.' He turned out to be a real model for me... when I was in high school, he taught me how to fly. And right after that he went to teach at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and taught all the black fliers in the country to fly in the Second World War... I really admire him... So, I had a black brother even then." - Fred Rogers 1993 (Arsenio Hall Show) |
Subtlety was abandoned when Francois Clemmons, the first African American to have a recurring role on a children's show, joined the cast as a policeman. When Clemmons and Rogers cooled their feet in a wading pool in 1969 and 1993, children saw two friends, but parents grasped the symbolism. Few knew that in 1990, Rogers had successfully sued the Missouri KKK for playing racist telephone recordings that imitated his voice.
"The messages are of racism, white supremacy and bigotry - the antithesis of everything Rogers and Family Communications Inc. stand for.''
- Cynthia E. Kernick, lawyer for Mr. Rogers and Family Communications Inc.
(New York Times October 12, 1990)
"The messages are of racism, white supremacy and bigotry - the antithesis of everything Rogers and Family Communications Inc. stand for.''
- Cynthia E. Kernick, lawyer for Mr. Rogers and Family Communications Inc.
(New York Times October 12, 1990)
"The icon Fred Rogers not only was showing my brown skin in the tub with his white skin as two friends, but as I was getting out of that tub, he was helping me dry my feet... It was like telling me I’m okay as a human being. It was one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve ever had."
- Francois Clemmons 2016 (NPR)
- Francois Clemmons 2016 (NPR)
Critics wondered why Rogers never welcomed mixed-race couples to the Neighborhood. Some felt he could have done more, particularly in light of the 1967 Loving decision which struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
"I think he should have done a lot more... every time Lady Aberlin did... a love scene, I was never her love partner. I mentioned it several times to Lady Aberlin, and she was totally open to it." - Francois Clemmons (qtd. in Peaceful Neighbor) |
Banner Image: Clemmons and Rogers 1993 (NPR)