Kathy Merlock Jackson, Ph.D., a professor and coordinator of communication at Virginia Wesleyan College, will speak about the cultural politics of Disney’s “Song of the South.” First released in 1946, “Song of the South” was an ambitious and innovative cinematic experiment combining live actors with animation. But the film’s depiction of African-American former slaves and of race relations in the Reconstruction era was condemned by many critics as overtly racist. The film has never been released on home video; indeed, the Disney Corp. keeps it firmly locked away. The film’s troubled history provides a remarkable window onto changing attitudes toward race in the mid- to late-20th century. This event is co-sponsored by VCU’s Southern Film Festival.

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