North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 09/29/1995

The the most. It's Friday September 29. Tonight a Presidential Medal of Freedom winner in North Carolina. Good evening everyone I'm Marina mature and thank you for tuning into this Friday edition of North Carolina now the weekend is finally here.

Our guest this evening is an amazing North Carolinian he is a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Dr. John Hope Franklin and Maria Lundberg takes us to the mountains to share with us the work of a photographer who has captured the majestic beauty of that part of our state. But first we start with the conclusion of Mitchell Lewis's five part series. You would see TVs tuning into Todd's programming is considered as being worry free television free of violence but in many cases children do see shows that contain plenty of violent acts. In the last installment of his tuning into taut series Mitchell talks with two education experts who give tips on what parents and child caregivers should look for in selecting quality programming for children. Heart. The goal of the tuning into Talk series and you and CTV is to give parents and caregivers alternative programming for their children to watch instead of the violent programming that is easily accessible on other television channels.

Well Mary Kay core is an education specialist at USC TV. She says all of the children's programming on public television has been researched and tested on kids to determine positive effects and values. She says children are safe watching the programming because they will not be exposed to violence according to core a child watches an average of 25 hours of television a week. And before every young child even starts school they have watched over five thousand hours of television. And it's quite interesting because they will have watched hundreds of commercials. They will have watched 30 probably violent acts during one of some of these regularly scheduled programs. Dr. Thelma harmes is the director of curriculum development at the Frank Porter Graham child development center in Chapel Hill. She has been on several national committees that have designed guidelines on the type and amount of television children should be watching.

Harm says preschool and early school age children should not be watching a lot of television. In fact incense and toddlers. Children under 3 years of age shouldn't really be watching television. It's the older preschooler that should be watching for a maximum of about an hour or an hour and a half a day a maximum harms and core agree that it is the responsibility of caregivers teachers parents and even grandparents to teach what they call media literacy which is critically analyzing television to find out if the programming children watch is really beneficial. Gore says one way this could be done is by making a daily log of what children watch it term and how long the shows were and if they are worth watching again. Pharm says that if a child is watching too much television it's probably taking him away from something else that is very important that something else is very important that something else involves activities where the child is running

around where he's playing outside where he's playing with sand where he's drawing pictures or painting or reading stories or having stories read to him sitting close to other children making believe pretending those are all very important developmental experiences. So we don't want to raise passive couch potatoes. We want to raise children who really are actively involved in learning who or sense adults must take the lead in watching television with children to be readily available when an issue or event is portrayed on the tube. That is in conflict with family beliefs and values. If violence resulted from a television event who are suggesting parents use this approach to help a child realize why violence is considered a negative concept. If there was a violent act why this was not beneficial What are the consequences. Very often television glamorizes some of the violence and make them realize

that if people are dead that other people are going to be affected. How it affects the whole family how it affects the community as a whole. What are the consequences and often the consequences of a lot of these violent acts is not identified. Core a licensed teacher who has taught in the United States and Europe says despite some of the negative attention television has received it's a meaningful tool in the quest for learning. Television has become the world's biggest classroom. It's the world's biggest school system often with things on television. Parents should keep an atlas or go to the TV. And when countries are discussed Here's a perfect opportunity for a geography lesson core says there is yet another resource USC TV offers to help parents and caregivers get information on educational programs and services. The computer UN CTV now has a home page on the World Wide Web that has schedules for programming as well as media literacy tips. You can link up with that

service by calling W. W. W. dot UN CTV dot o r g. WHO ARE believes the vast information that will be available on computers through CD-ROM and interactive video reinforces the fact that children must become more media literate. But she says television will still have a major role in molding the minds of youngsters. There are many things that we never had years ago that we can witness today because of television. This is a visual society these children are visual learners. Television is here to stay and that's why it is important for them to become critical. Viewers are to be very selective. And to be able to interact with the television to believe information and then expand on that basis. If you would like more information on the tuning into Todd's curriculum just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to North Carolina now P.O. Box fourteen nine hundred RTP NC 2 7 7 0 9. Or call our viewer comment line at

9 1 9 5 4 9 7 8 0 8. Coming up my conversation with John Hope Franklin. But first let's turn to Mitchell Lewis who will catch us up on today's statewide news events. Good evening Mitt. Thanks Maria. Good evening everyone. Beginning Sunday a new set of state laws go into effect including those governing divorce. The new divorce laws allow judges to divide up property in the midst of divorce proceedings. Judges can also punish spouses who don't want to share their assets. That includes everything from homes and business to basketball tickets. Supporters hope the new laws will prevent unfair divorce settlements. The chairman of the State Board of Education wants a change in the superintendent's position. Jay Robinson says the position should be appointed. He says an elected superintendent and an appointed board make our education system any effective. Robinson recently offered his proposal to the Joint Legislative Commission on governmental operations. A state constitutional amendment that would have

put the superintendent other than under the Board's control was defeated in the house. But Robinson sends the change is needed. If legislators want school reform to be complete a state Superior Court judges ordered amount Gomery County hog farm to stop dumping sludge from its lagoon. State inspectors discovered animal waste from N-G Pervis farms had been dumped on a hill and flowed into a tributary of the Yadkin P.T. river. Now the farm has 24 hours to submit a plan to clean up the waste. Judge Todd Burke also ordered the hog farm not to bring in any new hogs without court permission and to come up with a Waste Management Plan in 10 days. Robertson County health officials just adopted the state's first regulations on Hog Farm odors under the new rules those who want to start a hog farming operation must first get a permit from the County health director. The director will have the power to investigate that farm for odor complaints. The health director can also go one step further to close the farm if the odor problem is not solved. And now for a

look at tomorrow's weather cool and pleasant temperatures are in store for the weekend. Highs tomorrow in the Buena Nashville areas will be in the 60s and 70s. The Piedmont and coastal areas will be mostly in the 70s with highs reaching 80 around Wilmington partly partly sunny skies rather are expected for the majority of the state in business news Craven County just got a one million dollar loan from the global transport commission. The county will use the money to improve the sewer system along Highway 70. The stretch of highway that will benefit from the loan lines between New Bern and I have lot the Craven County manager says that area has the potential for growth. But right now no new hookups are allowed on the system. The stock market edged higher today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up one point forty four points to close at forty seven eighty nine point zero eight and gainers lead decliners by two to one about 335 million shares traded hands. The Standard Poor's 500 Index and the Nasdaq composite index were both down. And now for some stocks of North Carolina interest.

Our guest tonight has an incredible list of credentials he is one of America's leading historians a quickly acclaimed author. He holds several earned degrees and over 100 honorary degrees he is a professor emeritus at Duke University. John Hope Franklin has been instrumental

in the civil rights movement. And today he achieved his greatest distinction at a White House ceremony President Clinton bestowed upon him the highest civilian honor the Presidential Medal of Freedom before Dr. Franklin left for Washington. He stopped here at our North Carolina now studios for this interview. Dr. Franklin thank you so much for being here tonight it is an honor to meet you and congratulations on your receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom it must be an incredible honor for you. It is of course it's I suppose the greatest honor I could possibly have. What was your reaction when you found out that you were a winner. It's very difficult to remember because I was speechless. But when they called me from the White House and said they had a surprise for good news. And then the president this is the president wishes to confer on you the Presidential Medal of Freedom and I said the speech he said I said the hope for many things in my life

but this was beyond the thing I could conceive of a hope for and therefore never expect to receive and I was immensely go through every motion that I could think went through. How exciting I want to read something to you. This is a statement that came from the White House and it is a description of you from the White House a prominent and acclaimed American historian Franklin has spent his long and productive life alumina aiding the history of the South and the roles that African-Americans have played throughout our nation's development. He is widely respected for his boldness as an historian and his faith in the value of American diversity. What wonderful words did you ever think when you started out your career that you would achieve such a climb. Well I hope to have a long life that's about for one thing I could really hope for a degree of

expectation. No I never lived. I never thought I would live to hear the president of the United States say that about me even though I was claiming me like that so that when I read that the president was going to give me the Medal of Freedom and when I saw the release in which he made those comments I was so moved deeply gratified and felt that perhaps my life had been worthwhile. You started out your career and achieved a great deal of success in a time in American history when African-Americans were extremely discriminated against. There was an incredible amount of racism there was segregation I mean the list goes on and on of the obstacles that you faced but you not over or over only overcame those obstacles you leaped over those obstacles. What is it in your

personality and in your being that helped you achieve such great success. Well let me say first of all that it's it's not just me. There were many good and favorable circumstances which contributed to what I've been able to do. One is that I came from a marvelous wonderful mother educated a schoolteacher and a mom who was a lawyer in Oklahoma. They both held up to me all the time. The ideal of excellence of independence and integrity. And they held up to me all for the belief that I could do anything. In other words they instilled into me confidence in myself which was terribly important especially in

the climate in which we lived. I wanted something fascinating about your father where he would not succumb to the segregation. He wouldn't put himself in a situation where he would be forced into that. No he never voluntarily segregated himself. That means that he didn't go to movie houses. He did not subject himself to the humiliation of about where blacks would stand and whites were not to stand that sort of thing. He simply didn't do it. He was too self respecting he would say to do that and instill that pride in you. Yes although I needed supplies because they were so liberal. Added to that if I was stupid enough they would say they want to inflict segregation for myself. Then they let me do it if I want to go to the opera in health as I did.

They said well you go on we can't go. My mother who loved music would never go to the opera. Do the same for the Tulsa because she just wouldn't think of herself Poor this son didn't have that much pride if that would go. I think about that now when I listen to classical music I know why I like it. I wonder whether I should like it well that's to expose myself to it. I'm pleased that I did because I think I lost nothing in the process. Another thing that was very very important to me and doing what I tried to do was Professor Fisk University graduating college from which I go to and that was there a young white professor. Who instilled in me the Bishan to be a first rate historian.

I went to college wanting to be a lawyer about it once I heard him lecture lecture and once I talked with him forgot the law. All I want to do was to be a historian and really first rate historian you not only reflect on history but you your self are part of history you've made history. Well I might have helped in some way. I did participate in what I call public policy activities. It's brown versus sort of educate us even before that Johnson versus the University of Kentucky where we got him into the grad school and to talk and I was a witness in that case and then I worked in the brown against Board of Education case worked and various other cases and I assisted in writing the brief and then the response in show versus Reno which is a redistricting case here in North Carolina. So of work hard to try to assist our society

in living up to its own professions of equality. Just done a remarkable job. Dr. Reichman I apologize I am so enthralled in this conversation and I could go on all night but we're just simply out of time. But I thank you so much for being here this evening. Pleasure. Take care sir. If you've traveled through the North Carolina mountains you've experienced some of the most spectacular scenery in our state tonight Maria Lundberg shows us how at the turn of the century one man preserve the beauty

and the way of life in the mountains with a remarkable collection of photographs. Many scenic areas in the North Carolina mountains look very similar today to the way they were a generation ago. For example this region north of Asheville retains the same beauty that was captured for posterity in the 1800s by photographer William Barnhill. In 1914 Barnhill was a young self taught to talk refer who left his home in Philadelphia and traveled to North Carolina for two years he hiked through the mountains photographing the people and scenery what he called Record pictures. His photos captured a self-sufficient lifestyle typical of 19th century rural America.

As a young man he sought out the genius of what would happen with the hands naturally on the slower pace of life. Were those things that he was interested in could take place and he was intrigued by people who still did that and on his tricks he found those in this region who were still doing that type of self-sufficiency and crafts and arts and all types of things. Barnhill made these photographs for himself and for the pleasure of knowing and remembering what he learned from the people and shared with them. And they are beautiful. One arm one recording of the lifestyle of the local family in the local community during 19 16 and 15 and 16. When he took those tricks Darnell's photographs give a vivid portrait of every day life in the mountains at that time. He especially liked process photos which showed how something was done. Everything from textile weaving to boiling sorghum to making pots from qué. But it's his pictures of people that stand out. The faces reflect a hard

life which took its toll. Yet the pride and spirit of these strong people shines through those families where he visited. He would take his black and white photographs go into their closet and develop those pictures. And then he would pay for his board. He would spend the night in the home where he worked and give them a black and white copy on his departure the next morning continuing his trek to the tops of the mountains and their prized possession in the homes of these. Now to new years where he visited Rob Amber a freelance documentary photographer says Barney was visionary in the work he did. He recognize that here was a group of people who had been largely self-sufficient for you know for generations raising all their own food their clothes everything that they use they basically raised themselves. The area hadn't changed a whole lot since it was first settled and he recognized that it was changing and was able to get some of

that on film. He is providing us in this generation in this period of time an opportunity to really look back to see who our farm forefathers were and what they were doing and how they were able to live their lives in this region which was. You know only one step beyond a wilderness back at the turn of the century William Barnhill was one of very few photographers to document life in the mountains during that time period showing people in natural settings living in harmony with the environment. His work is a photographic legacy of rule mountain life from a time that will never be seen again. I think that he would be very happy if those who view his work could be as pleased as he he was in being able to realize that the spirit of America still lived in these people in their hands and their voices and the things that they did in their daily lives. And he was

intrigued that there were still places in America where this self-sufficient lifestyle was still alive and we are fortunate that he captured that. What great pictures William Barnhill retain the passion for the North Carolina mountains his entire life and return to Asheville each summer to visit until his death. One of the display of his great affection for the area was his gift of this collection of mountain photographs to the Mars Hill College their historical significance is considerable and curators of the collection encourage anyone doing research on family tradition and culture to use them as a valuable resource. Well I have enjoyed tonight's edition of North Carolina now if you're looking for something to do this weekend keep in mind that the state's second to largest fair started its 10 day run in Winston-Salem today. The Dixie classic fair is underway at the Joel Coliseum. Organizers hope to attract as many as three hundred and twenty thousand people before the fair closes. And keep in mind that North Carolina now will be live from the state

fair on Friday October 13th and October 16th through the 20th. We hope to see you there a special congratulation goes out to 11 year old Justin Gammons of Yadkin Ville elementary school. Justin won first place in an international poetry competition. Justin beat out 20 100 other poets including many adults. Well enjoy your weekend and we hope to see you back here on Monday night.