Grace and Tunde discuss what it feels like to be a token. Myrton Running Wolf, a professor of race and media at the University of Nevada, shares his experiences of participating in an aughts-era Native American mentorship program run by Boston’s GBH—and underscores the lasting harm of whitewashed narratives when telling Indigenous history. Episode 4 also uplifts the work of visionary filmmaker and producer, Henry Hampton. His essential 1987 series “Eyes on the Prize,” chronicling the civil rights movement, offers a relevant example of how to tell stories with authenticity, integrity and nuance, while ensuring that everyone contributing to the creative process is valued. Callie Crossley, veteran journalist at GBH who directed two of the original “Eyes” episodes, reflects on how this series might inform the ways PBS creates space for and invests in BIPOC-led, community-centered productions today.

Explore show notes, episode transcript and more at: https://viewerslikeus.com/podcast/episode-4-an-american-experience/

Viewers Like Us is committed to preserving a history of BIPOC makers and their contributions to PBS over the years. We’ve published a timeline on our website listing the ups and downs of PBS’s record with people of color. We invite you to explore our new resource and submit ideas for this work-in-progress via hello@viewerslikeus.com or through the Engage page on our website, https://viewerslikeus.com/engage/