Why This Television Episode Should Be Required Viewing in Schools
It can be used as a powerful learning tool.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, a popular historical drama in the 1990s, often produced poignant and meaningful episodes that made people take a long, hard look at their beliefs. Much of the time, the focus was on racism and bigotry between the white man and the Native Americans (the Cheyenne), but there was one episode that was so powerful, so heart-wrenching that it resonates to this day. So strong is the lesson in this episode that it should be required viewing in schools across America.
In the 20th episode of the second season, The First Circle, Robert E. and Grace, a married couple who live in Colorado Springs, intend to buy a house in town. Robert E., the town's blacksmith, has worked hard to save money as has his wife who runs the diner. With money in hand, they're ready to buy the house at auction, only to discover their money isn't welcome because they are African-Americans.
Unbeknownst to the couple, the banker in charge of the sale is a leader in the Ku Klux Klan and is determined that Robert E. and Grace will not buy a house in Colorado Springs or live in town near the white people. His hate is so strong, but he's able to convince some of the town's people, those who have even been friends to Robert E. and Grace, to follow him.
Some people aren't very tolerant of others who are different. They're afraid of what they don't know. ~Dr. Michaela Quinn
Not only does Robert E. get kidnapped and almost hanged, Grace is viciously attacked...all because the banker and his group of followers didn't like the color of their skin. Robert E. and Grace see people who have known them for a long time, people they have befriended, suddenly turn their backs on them. They are treated like outcasts and constantly told they don't belong in the town.
Their only allies are Dr. Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, her boyfriend, Sully, played by Joe Lando, and Dr. Quinn's three children. I can only imagine how it would feel to know you had few people standing up for you because no one else thought you were worthy of their support.
The writer of this episode, Toni Graphia, who is currently the executive producer of Outlander, didn't shy away from the realities facing Robert E. and Grace nor did she wrap the ending up with a perfectly-tied bow. Though some of the town's people who participated in the attacks seemed to be ashamed of their actions, for some, there wasn't any evidence of true change in follow-up episodes, proving that perhaps they'd merely been shamed into backing off.
The episode takes viewers down a dark path that has been heartbreakingly real for African-Americans for a very long time. Even today, in 2020, the hate continues. Most recently, a man wore a KKK hood into a grocery store, and a police officer used a KKK meme to protest the wearing of masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.~Nelson Mandela
Maybe it's wishful thinking to believe that an episode of a television show could have an impact on someone's beliefs, but perhaps those beliefs aren't set in stone. If they're being taught at home, it's possible they can be countered by what is taught at school. It certainly couldn't hurt to share such an emotionally intense episode with impressionable minds. And hope that this could influence a new generation to see only the person not the skin color.
About the Creator
Rachel Carrington
I write a little bit of everything because I love to write. 53 novels. Over 2,500 articles. Essays. Short Stories. Book Reviews. Movie Reviews. And more. You can find a lot of that stuff here. rachelcarrington.com. X: @rcarrington2004
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