The primary purpose of the documentary project, An American Story: Race Amity and The Other Tradition, is to impact the public discourse on race. To move the discourse from the "blame/grievance/rejection" cycle to a view from a different lens, the lens of "amity/collaboration/access and equity." In contrast to the lens that focuses exclusively on the racist traditions that are rooted in America's social history, the moral counterweight of close, loving, friendship and collaboration, which have always been present in our history, represents "the other tradition." This "other tradition" is a source of inspiration and presents models of behavior that are of moral value across generations of present day Americans. The documentary discusses the "better in us", a needed perspective in the current climate of national disunity across racial, religious, and political lines. It has significant implications for addressing the public issues and challenges that the American nation must successfully meet.
