To celebrate Black History Month The Groveland Four, a locally produced documentary exploring a 1949 Lake County rape case – which led to a race riot, multiple murders, two trials, a Supreme Court reversal, and the assassination of a Florida civil rights leader – will air this month on WUCF TV. The documentary, updated to reflect the recent pardons in the case, will air Thursday, February 28 at 8 p.m. on WUCF.
The Groveland Four explores the infamous case in which four young black men were wrongly accused of rape. In 1949, Lake County was considered the citrus capital of the world and laborers were needed to work in the fields. Groveland, like all of Lake County, was under the strict jurisdiction of Sheriff Willis McCall, whose brutal treatment of blacks had become widely known. Through witness accounts, re-enactments and court testimony, the film looks to shine a light on a difficult chapter in Central Florida’s history.
In January 2019, the state of Florida apologized for the events that happened in 1949. Also, the state’s clemency board voted to posthumously pardon the four men involved.
“WUCF’s mission is to serve as Central Florida’s storyteller and as we celebrate and honor Black History Month, it’s important to tell the stories of our history and one that captured national attention,” said Phil Hoffman, WUCF executive director. “This is a topic we wanted to revisit following the state’s pardons of the men who were involved and continue the discussion of race relations in America today.”
You can learn more about The Groveland Four by visiting http://wucf.org/groveland.
The Groveland Four explores the infamous case in which four young black men were wrongly accused of rape. In 1949, Lake County was considered the citrus capital of the world and laborers were needed to work in the fields. Groveland, like all of Lake County, was under the strict jurisdiction of Sheriff Willis McCall, whose brutal treatment of blacks had become widely known. Through witness accounts, re-enactments and court testimony, the film looks to shine a light on a difficult chapter in Central Florida’s history.
In January 2019, the state of Florida apologized for the events that happened in 1949. Also, the state’s clemency board voted to posthumously pardon the four men involved.
“WUCF’s mission is to serve as Central Florida’s storyteller and as we celebrate and honor Black History Month, it’s important to tell the stories of our history and one that captured national attention,” said Phil Hoffman, WUCF executive director. “This is a topic we wanted to revisit following the state’s pardons of the men who were involved and continue the discussion of race relations in America today.”
You can learn more about The Groveland Four by visiting http://wucf.org/groveland.
