A still from the trailer for “Divided States.”
The hashtag for A&E Network’s upcoming four-part documentary series about racism in the U.S. and abroad, “Divided States,” is trending on Twitter, where several high-profile civil rights organizations such as the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have used it to help draw attention to the program in recent days.
The first of four episodes of “Divided States,” “Hellertown, Pennsylvania,” is about racism in the Saucon Valley School District and will air Monday, March 5 at 9 p.m.
The documentary was filmed last summer and fall by a production crew from Lincoln Square Productions–ABC News’s documentary division.
It generated controversy among some district parents and residents because production staff received approval from the superintendent at the time to film in schools with little to no input from the school board. Permission was later suspended, and producers voluntarily withdrew from filming in the schools but remained in the community to film local events and interview individuals, families and business owners.
According to a March 1 tweet by the ADL, a recent A&E panel about the series was “an informative and powerful panel on the state of #hate in America.”
Thanks to @AETV for hosting an informative & powerful panel on the state of #hate in America. #DividedStates pic.twitter.com/KmWwG0Rx8I
— ADL (@ADL_National) March 1, 2018
“It starts at the dinner table. We have to talk about this stuff, because it’s not going away,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt is quoted as saying during the documentary panel discussion.
“It starts at the dinner table. We have to talk about this stuff, because it’s not going away” - @JGreenblattADL on how we educate our youth to stand up against #hate. @AETV #DividedStates pic.twitter.com/HHUywJXV4R
— Eric Ross (@ERoss1010) March 2, 2018
“A&E’s ‘Divided States’ documentary series explores the ways in which racial tensions and hate crimes are affecting communities in the United States and Europe,” the ADL website states. “It also explores how community members are confronting and addressing this problem. ADL has partnered with A&E to provide lesson plans and parent resources to help you discuss these issues at school and at home.”
The following tweet by NAACP was posted Friday:
Join us along with @AETV for #DIVIDEDSTATES, premiering Monday, March 5th at 9pm ET! It’s a provocative and powerful series about race, hate and bias in America. Be sure to tune in! pic.twitter.com/RDmoYeO9GD
— NAACP (@NAACP) March 2, 2018
NAACP will host a live chat on Twitter during the premier, according to the tweet.
@FeministaJones also promised a live tweet during the airing:
Join me Mon 3/5 and 3/12 at 9pm est for a live-tweet of @AETV's #DividedStates, a powerful series that looks at race and bias in America https://t.co/2cZY7EzHDT pic.twitter.com/HCBzC55NRa
— ♈️☀️#BlackWomensHistoryWeek 🌙♌️ (@FeministaJones) March 2, 2018
Below is the official trailer for Divided States:
Below is A&E’s series description along with individual episode summaries:
SERIES DESCRIPTION: “DIVIDED STATES”
In this original documentary series, A&E takes an in-depth look at how racial tensions and hate crimes are impacting communities in the United States and Europe, and how community members are confronting the problem and fighting back.
HELLERTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA – Airs March 5 at 9 pm ET/PT
A fight between students at a Pennsylvania high school leads to assault charges and an investigation into a racist video posted on Snapchat.
PORTLAND, OREGON – Airs March 5 at 10 pm ET/PT
A man shouts racial slurs at two teens on a commuter train, prompting three male passengers to intervene. In the ensuing altercation, the man allegedly stabs the three men, killing two of them and wounding the third.
OLATHE, KANSAS – Airs March 12 at 9 pm ET/PT
A Kansas gunman allegedly opens fire on two Indian nationals in a sports bar, killing one and wounding the other. An ex-Marine is also wounded trying to stop him.
EUROPE – Airs March 12 at 10 pm ET/PT
Fueled by terror politics and the refugee crisis, a surging tide of right wing nationalism spreads across Europe, the likes of which have not been seen since World War II.
Do you plan to watch “Divided States?” If you do, would you be willing to share your opinion about it with Saucon Source? Please email jo**@sa**********.com if you are willing to watch it in a public setting and share your opinion for a story about the community’s reaction to it.
What the documentary left out is that the Inclusion Committee has carried on the work that Dr. McHale-Small began, with the full support and involvement of the new superintendent, Dr. Craig Butler. Not long ago the school board approved changes to the handbook that specifically target hate speech and symbols on school grounds. The high school SPIRIT committee has been so successful in bridging gaps between students of different backgrounds that there is work toward adding one for the middle school. Our school’s new slogan, heart-over-hate, exemplifies what we are working toward and the community we want to be. This is a story of a community rising above the actions of a few. We have a lot of work yet to do, but we are solidly on the right track.