This hour: one woman’s comments at a school board meeting in Kanawa County, West Virginia, become a catalyst for deep division within the school district, the county, the state, and the entire country.

The Great Textbook War
by Trey Kay and Deborah George (West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 2009)
Though it seems to happen every other week these days, 30 years ago it was pretty unusual for one person to spark a national debate and attract media attention from all over the country. Especially a person with no celebrity, no platform to broadcast their views, and no intention of living in the limelight. But in 1974, one woman’s comments at a school board meeting in Kanawa county, West Virginia, ignited a debate that's still raging to this day.

Featured Music:

Chihei Hatakeyama, "Bonfire on the Field," Minima Moralia (Kranky, 2006)
Psapp, "Hi," The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Domino, 2006)
Phillip Jeck, "Wholesome," 7 (Touch Records, 2004)