Introducing: Isaac Woodard

12/04/24 • 2 min

In 1946, decorated World War II veteran Isaac Woodard is brutally beaten and blinded by police just hours after his honorable discharge – a shocking act of racial violence that ignites a firestorm of change. Join host Cameo George as she unravels this powerful, forgotten story that reveals how one soldier's unimaginable tragedy inspired President Harry Truman, challenged the brutal system of segregation, and became the unexpected spark that would ultimately transform the course of American civil rights history.

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Credits:

Lead Producer: Devin Maverick Robins

Associate Producer: Meiqian He

Scriptwriter: Andrew Newman

Story Editor: Galen Bebee

Editorial Advisor: John Bredar

Sound Designer: Jack Pombriant

Narrator and Executive Producer: Cameo George

Learn more about American Experience

Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads

------------------------------

Credits:

Lead Producer: Devin Maverick Robins

Associate Producer: Meiqian He

Scriptwriter: Andrew Newman

Story Editor: Galen Bebee

Editorial Advisor: John Bredar

Sound Designer: Jack Pombriant

Narrator and Executive Producer: Cameo George

Previous Episode

Part 4: Hearst's Hollywood Dreams Meet the Great Depression

From Hollywood glamor to financial ruin, William Randolph Hearst's empire crumbles as the Roaring Twenties crash into the Great Depression. Facing economic collapse, a fractured relationship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and whispers of communism, Hearst navigates a treacherous landscape. His unexpected encounter with Hitler, passionate proposal to longtime love Marion Davies, and eventual inspiration for the film "Citizen Kane" reveal a man wrestling with power, love, and legacy. This is the final chapter of an American titan's extraordinary journey.

Learn more about American Experience

Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads

------------------------------

Credits:

Lead Producer: Devin Maverick Robins

Associate Producer: Meiqian He

Scriptwriter: Galen Beebe

Story Editor: Devin Maverick Robins

Editorial Advisor: John Bredar

Sound Designer: Jack Pombriant

Narrator: James Edwards

Executive Producer: Cameo George

Next Episode

Part 1: Isaac Woodard's Fateful Bus Ride

Just hours after his honorable discharge from the Army, Isaac Woodard, a decorated World War II veteran, faces a brutal encounter with law enforcement that leaves him blind and ignites a national conversation about race and justice, highlighting the stark realities of returning home as a Black man in the Jim Crow South.

Enter Orson Welles, the famous director and radio personality, who uses his weekly broadcasts to launch a riveting real-life whodunit. As Welles and the NAACP race to uncover the truth, their investigation captivates the country and sets in motion a chain of events that will challenge segregation in the South and change the course of the civil rights movement.

Learn more about American Experience

Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads

------------------------------

Credits:

Lead Producer: Devin Maverick Robins

Associate Producer: Meiqian He

Scriptwriter: Andrew Newman

Story Editor: Galen Bebee

Editorial Advisor: John Bredar

Sound Designer: Jack Pombriant

Narrator and Executive Producer: Cameo George