EXCLUSIVE: President Trump’s dissemination of a video last week depicting former Pres. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes has earned widespread condemnation. But it’s not the first time Republican Party leaders have used racist imagery for political advantage, often with the intent of stoking fear and loathing.
That’s the argument of White with Fear, a documentary written, directed and produced by Andrew Goldberg that will premiere on PBS on Tuesday, March 24. The film, which premiered at New York’s Chelsea Film Festival, recently earned a Writers Guild Award nomination.
A synopsis describes White with Fear as “an eye-opening documentary film examining how some American conservatives and political operatives have successfully weaponized racism and fear for decades… [T]he film uncovers the real-world consequences of deploying tactics that seek to demonize immigrants, spread Islamophobia, and devise a strategic media campaign of racist rhetoric with real-world effects.”
Those old enough to remember the 1988 presidential campaign may recall how Republican strategist Lee Atwater used the specter of a furloughed Black convict, Willie Horton, to impugn the reputation of Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, the Democratic presidential nominee. Much more recently, Donald Trump, kicking off his first presidential campaign in 2015, slammed Mexico for sending despicable people to the U.S. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” he said, “and some, I assume, are good people.”
“Tracing the strategy from former President Nixon’s call for ‘law and order’ during his 1968 presidential campaign,” notes a release about the documentary, “through 9/11, various other presidential campaigns, hate crimes and the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the film includes the voices of Steve Bannon, Hillary Clinton, former Fox News reporter Carl Cameron, The Lincoln Project founder Stuart Stevens, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Rick Gates, former Breitbart writer Katie McHugh, and many more.”
In a statement, Goldberg said, “I’m grateful to PBS for giving White with Fear such a prestigious platform with an extensive reach of loyal viewers. It’s the ideal home for the film — timely, relevant, and deeply connected to where our country stands today.”
White with Fear will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app. The documentary is written, produced and directed by Andrew Goldberg, produced and edited by Diana Robinson, co-produced by Eric Ward, with cinematography by Robert Hanna.
PBS includes more than 330 member stations nationwide. On a monthly basis, it reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 56 million viewers on YouTube, and 10 million followers on social media.
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