This episode looks at race in America and the meaning of the black/white paradigm in multiracial America today. The hour weaves the personal memoirs of writers John Edgar Wideman and Jane Lazarre with the story of the King-Drew County Medical Center in South Central, Los Angeles. It examines the polarities of race and asks the provocative question, is race real? Where does truth end and collective fantasy begin? Where do private lives intersect with public concerns? And how deeply is race embedded in American history and in daily life? By chronicling the daily activities of the diverse hospital staff, the program explores how race can become a divisive factor that can incite feelings of suspicion and accusations of discrimination even in an environment where diversity is recognized as a necessary and desired reality.
