Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 12:07:21 -0500
From: A.D. Powell
Subject: May 17 NPR “Talk of the Nation” program promotes “one drop”
The May 17 second hour of the National Public Radio program “Talk of the Nation” (3-4 p.m. Eastern, 2-3 pm Central) will feature Earl Lewis (“black” ) and Heidi Ardizzone (“white”) the academic authors of “Love on Trial: An American Scandal in Black and White,” a history of the 1920’s Rhinelander case. This “scandal” of the period involved a high society man in New York state who tried to get an anullment of his marriage to a quadroon by claiming that she lied about her “race.” Even though their book states that Alice Jones, the woman in question, did not consider herself “black” (nor did her parents and three sisters), the authors call her “black” throughout the book. NPR is advertising the segment by calling Alice Jones “black” and endorsing the “one drop” myth to the letter.
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