I participated in America After Charleston townhall meeting at Circular church today (will be aired Monday night at 9pm)

PBS TO PREMIERE AMERICA AFTER CHARLESTON ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

– Special production to be moderated by Gwen Ifill –

ARLINGTON, VA; September 14, 2015 – PBS today announced plans to broadcast AMERICA AFTER CHARLESTON, a one-hour town hall meeting that aims to explore the many issues propelled into public discourse after a white gunman shot and killed nine African-American parishioners in Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in June 2015. Gwen Ifill, PBS NEWSHOUR co-anchor and managing editor, and moderator and managing editor of WASHINGTON WEEK, will moderate the special broadcast. AMERICA AFTER CHARLESTON, produced for PBS by WETA Washington, DC, WGBH Boston and South Carolina ETV Network, with funds provided by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will air Monday, September 21, 2015, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

The events in Charleston have sparked national conversations about the meaning and significance of the Confederate flag, put new focus on the political call to action, “Black Lives Matter,” and has made race and the changing demographic landscape a central topic in the 2016 elections. Through conversations with the families of the victims, Charleston civic leaders and commentators from across the country, this town hall special brings together a diverse range of voices to engage in constructive conversation about the issues raised by the events in South Carolina.

AMERICA AFTER CHARLESTON will be taped just blocks from the site of the shootings, at the Circular Congregational Church before a live audience on Saturday, September 19. The special will engage audiences across digital platforms through exclusive web content, live social media integration during the broadcast and educational resources that will be made available to teachers and students.   I was asked to speak and said: As a white man, I want to unlearn the racism I learned growing up in the South.  She asked me why, and I told her "grief" I think. And she went on to ask, "what do you plan to do about it? I told her "I want to unlearn the wrong teaching and teach right." Or something close - I did get applause, and was given feedback about "your honesty."