Progress in Perspective: Oral History of Lynchings and Forgiveness

Rev. Angela Sims from the St. Paul School of Theology has begun capturing eye witness accounts of a dark chapter in American history. This segment from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly explores her motivation and discoveries.

In a week in which we mark the Martin Luther King Day holiday, we are reminded that, despite great strides in racial equality, there are still Kansas Citians who remember vividly a shameful chapter in American history including a time when lynchings were a commonplace occurrence in America.

Before the generation of people who remember such atrocities dies off, a Kansas City scholar is trying to record eye-witness accounts and what she’s finding is not just graphic photos and consuming hate, but the ability of some of those most affected to forgive.

The PBS series Religion and Ethics Newsweekly recently came to Kansas City to report on that work. Bob Faw filed that report for the PBS series Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, which runs Sunday afternoons at 1:30 on KCPT.