October 11, 1991 (Part 2 of 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of blog post about the TimesTalks interview with Anita Hill and Kerry Washington about the HBO film Confirmation. 

The interview was conducted at the Times Center, a large event space in the NYT Building on West 41st Street.  While watching the interview, Greg was reminded of a similar interview he had seen recently.  

Believe it or not, the interview occurred on the Merv Griffin Show on June 6, 1967, just three blocks away, when the show was hosted in NYC on West 44th Street in the former Little Theater, now the Helen Hayes Theater.  That's right, the Merv Griffin Show.  Merv Griffin liked to bring notable persons on his show, not only celebrities.  He was considered a good interviewer, asking fair questions in a respectful manner. 

The interview Greg recently saw was a rerun of Merv's interview with Harry Belafonte and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Both interviews were alike in various respects.  Each interview was conducted by a thoughtful interviewer who asked the right questions.  In addition to a skilled interviewer, each interview involved a politically active celebrity accompanied an outspoken leader on social issues.  Finally, the topics of the interviews were similar--both focused on social justice in America. 

While the country has progressed since 1967 and 1991, more progress is both needed and likely.  Watching both interviews provides some historical context for today and perhaps some needed inspiration. 

To view some of the Merv Griffin interview, click here. 

Photo of Merv Griffin's interview with Dr. King and Harry Belafonte