Elite College Students Said They Had No Prejudice. They Were Wrong. Could This Run On TV Today?

This program aired on television in 1967. The producers selected a group of students from elite universities who said that they were not prejudiced. They spent several days together in retreat opening up to one another and found that, like almost all of us, things were more complicated than they had previously felt they were. Watch this for a while and you will see how they opened up to one another.

At the time, the United States was in a transformative period with regard to race and religion. Many societal norms were being challenged.

The 1960s marked significant progress in the fight for civil rights for Black Americans. The long-simmering racial tensions in America's cities exploded in 1967 most notably during the Detroit Riot, which lasted five days and resulted in 43 deaths. These uprisings were a reaction to systemic discrimination, police violence, and urban decay but further polarized Black & white communities in many cities. The media often sensationalized these events, reinforcing negative stereotypes about Black Americans. The framing sometimes implied that Black anger or criminality was the primary issue.

Some politicians sought to exploit racial tensions. They criticized civil rights activists and protesters, painting them as disruptive or even un-American. The term "law and order" was becoming a coded way of discussing racial tensions and was increasingly used in political campaigns.

While the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia in 1967 declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional, interracial relationships, especially between Black and white people, were still largely stigmatized. These relationships often were met with hostility and even violence in some parts of the country.

Asian Americans, particularly after World War II, faced their own set of prejudices and discriminatory laws. The model minority stereotype began to be applied to Asian Americans which painted them as a "successful" minority in comparison to others, like Black Americans. This stereotype, while seemingly positive, created a wedge between different minority groups. Relationships between Asian and Black individuals were less common and discussed than Black-white relationships. These relationships faced prejudice from both communities, often rooted in stereotypes and misconceptions.

The post-World War II period also saw a decline in overt anti-Semitism in the United States. However, tensions still existed. Marriages between Christians and Jews were becoming more common but these relationships often faced challenges, particularly when deciding how to raise children or facing prejudice from extended family or communities.

College campuses were places where religious barriers were challenged. The 1960s saw an increasing secularization among the youth leading to a more relaxed view on interfaith relationships.

Also religious relations in the ‘60s includes the ecumenical movement which aimed to foster greater understanding and cooperation among different Christian denominations and, to a lesser extent, between Christians and Jews.

I did not produce this program but I was one of its cameramen.