University of Notre Dame

African-American women have captured the moral imagination of mainstream America through their essays, novels, poetry, and other artistic endeavors, breaching the static lines of race, gender, and class. How have their reflections so clearly articulated the hopes and philosophies of so many? In this program, writers Alice Walker and bell hooks and Ohio State University faculty Dr. Martha Wharton, of the departments of African-American studies and...

How could Bud Welch, whose daughter died in the Oklahoma City bombing, forgive Timothy McVeigh? How did the Reverend Walter Everett move beyond his desire for revenge against the man who murdered his son? In this program, these and other remarkable individuals-people who in picking up the pieces of their shattered lives have triumphed over hate-share the details of their long, painful, and deeply personal journeys from shock and the desire for retribution...

What is the future of our children in America? Kids today live in a volatile world where violence in the school, home, and streets is an everyday occurrence. Statistics are staggering as children are not only abused by adults, but are killing each other. This program looks at the sources of violence that affect our children. Among the experts featured in the program are Dr. James Garbarino, Director of Cornell University's Family Life Development...

Once forced to hide their heritage, Native Americans now enjoy both an acceptance and a celebration of their history and culture. By presenting the experiences of Native Americans from a wide array of fields including artisans, performers, and teachers, this program shows how many tribes are returning to the traditions and spirituality of their ancestors. Among those interviewed are Kevin Locke, award-winning Native American vocalist; Wilma Mankiller,...

Although many cultures venerate their elders, looking to them as living repositories of wisdom and experience, America, with its "forever young" self-image, does not. Lacking societal support, how are Americans supposed to age well-to grow older with grace and understanding-and make life's final decades a meaningful experience? This program features the stories of exemplary individuals who, despite the inhospitable social climate, are growing older...

The 535 elected U.S. Senators and Representatives carry with them the desires and opinions of over 200 million Americans. Congress is often accused of being out of touch with the people-but what does the system demand of them? Is there enough time in the day to satisfy all of the varied interests and mandates of the job? This program explores the world through the eyes of those we elect. From the political meetings to the social functions to the time...

When it comes to situations involving life and death, the United States is strongly polarized. Liberals commonly support the legality of abortion as a private matter of personal choice but condemn the death penalty as inhumane, while conservatives often support execution as a form of justice but denounce abortion as legalized murder. How did these points of view become a part of the ideologies of the left and the right? This program traces the development...

The Information Age has been hailed as a quantum leap forward for humanity-an opportunity to finally achieve Marshall McLuhan's "global village" in which "the medium is the message. But what kind of people are being created in cyberspace? While computer technology has changed virtually all aspects of life, critics argue that this technology is contributing to the growing social isolation of individuals. This program examines just what the implications...

Though Hispanic people journey to the United States from different homelands, do they all share the same heritage and concerns? This program takes a detailed look at the fastest-growing minority in the U.S. and what it means to be Latino and American. The documentary contrasts the experience of being a Latino in a flourishing ethnic neighborhood of a big city with living in a small town, where many Latinos feel isolated. Interviews with individuals...

This program examines current immigration policy within the context of our historical role as a melting pot for diverse nationalities. The growing political debate over the influx of illegal immigrants from Latin America is discussed by political leaders-some of whom advocate rights for the illegals, and some of whom do not. New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani, Governor of California Pete Wilson, and Doris Meissner, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization...