Public Policy and Presidential Politics: Race and Media in Late 1980s-1990s America - Lecture 23

Explore the complex interplay between media, politics, and racial discourse in late 1980s and 1990s America through this 47-minute Yale University lecture. Examine how race became coded through terms like crime, drugs, and welfare in national conversations. Analyze pivotal events and political campaigns, including the Willie Horton advertisement, the Central Park jogger case, and the Rodney King beating, to understand how media reinforced stereotypes linking race and crime. Delve into high-profile incidents involving figures like Bernhard Goetz and Charles Stuart, as well as controversial political ads like Jesse Helms' "Angry Hands." Conclude by dissecting the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill controversy as a manifestation of 1990s racial politics. Gain insights into this turbulent period of American history and its lasting impact on public discourse.