Ten O'Clock News

[Jesse Jackson speaks] 'If you saw the Willie Horton ad as the example, he is in some senses the ad conjured up the ugly psychosexual fears among white people about black men raping white women.' [Christi George speaks] 'The charge that the Bush campaign is benefiting from racial fear is triggered by the Willie Horton case. [Alvin Poussaint speaks] 'When they look at Willie Horton they associate him with the universal mugger, rapist, and black criminal.' [Christi George speaks] 'Dr. Alvin Poussaint supported Jesse Jackson and now supports Michael Dukakis. As a psychiatrist he explains Willie Horton is for white people the ultimate black bogeyman.' [Alvin Poussaint speaks] 'So I mean blacks have long been associated with crime and particularly rape of a white woman. In fact that was that was sort of such a critical issue with the segregation is that somehow black men would rape white women. So it's hard to hear that without getting some kind of associative feelings- negative feelings toward blacks on the

whole, and particularly blacks in relationship to crime.' [Christi George speaks as the ad plays in the background] 'The Bush campaign does not show Horton's face in its television ad about the furlough program.' [Announcer in ad] 'His revolving door prison policy gave weekend furloughs to first degree murders not eligible for parole.' [Christi George speaks] 'And contrary to Jesse Jackson's statements, the prisoners seen going through a revolving door are not mostly black. The ad also points out a legitimate campaign issue. When the law was changed Massachusetts furlough program was unique.' [Alvin Poussaint speaks] 'They should have seen the racial connections. I mean anyone acquainted with race relations in the United States would have but I think that they would have used this issue against Dukakis even if Horton was white.' [Christi George speaks] 'While Bush has been cautious about using Willie Horton's face, Bush supporters have not.' [Male speaker 1] 'I don't know many of you have got this. Friends, this is garbage. Political garbage.' [Christi George speaks] 'Dukakis complained about race baiting literature circulated by an Illinois group of Bush supporters. George Bush has specifically disassociated

himself from it. And while Poussaint thinks subliminal racism is hurting Dukakis, he also thinks saying so could backfire on Dukakis.' [Alvin Poussaint speaks] 'So it's a double edged sword in this situation for Dukakis. It may turn out overall to be effective in gaining him some votes from minority people. On the other hand, he may lose some votes from certain types of white fence sitters and many people, Americans, don't like to be called racist. It's very, very provocative.' [Christi George speaks] 'The ad most people are talking about when they charge subliminal exploitation of race is this one paid for by a group called Americans for Bush. It's been running in key states like California for months.' [Narrator in ad] 'One was Willie Horton who murdered a boy in a robbery, stabbing him 19 times. Despite a life sentence,Horton received 10 weekend passes from prison. Horton fled, kidnapped a young couple, stabbing the man and repeatedly raping his girlfriend.' [Alvin Poussaint speaks] 'Blacks in

with crime it's been something that's been promoted and over the past number of years the emphasis on the underclass, the criminal element, the drug takers, crack. I think that all coalesces in the Horton case.' [Christi George speaks] 'Indeed, subliminal racial messages in this campaign are already the subject of satire.' [Male speaker 2] 'Thomas Jefferson was of white northern European heritage. John F. Kennedy was of white northern European heritage. George Herbert Walker Bush is of white northern European heritage. But Michael Dukakis?' [Laughter from audience] [Male speaker 2] 'Bush- he's whiter.' [Christi George speaks] 'Poussaint believes the image of Horton's face triggers other negative images of blacks, symbols of racial polarization like Louis Farrakan, Tawana Brawley, and the Reverend Al Sharpton, and they in turn recall black white violence like Howard Beach and Bernard Goetz's subway shooting. Poussaint says none of this helps eliminate racism

or promote positive black images, something he tries to do as a consultant on the Bill Cosby Show.' [Actress from the show] 'But he had to feel fun to be fun.' [Bill Cosby speaks] 'I feel a certain heaviness, a sadness.' [Actress from the show] 'Dad, try.' [Christi George speaks] 'Poussiant notes that The Cosby Show is the number one hit among whites in South Africa which supports his theory that an abundance of positive black role models doesn't necessarily change white attitudes. Poussiant argues that to whites black heroes and leaders seem distant and unthreatening. But whites transfer fears about blacks to blacks they see around them.' [Alvin Poussaint speaks] 'I mean even for me sometimes at night if I'm walking even around this area and in back of a white woman, in particular, frequently I see them grab their purse and they tuck it more tightly under their arm. They look a little bit nervous. And they're just reacting really to the color of my skin.' [Christi George speaks] 'For the 10 O'Clock News, I'm Christy George.'