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Due South

A 1990 NC political ad that echoes through to our current election year

By Leoneda Inge,

Published October 8, 2024 at 10:40 AM EDT

Screenshot from the "White Hands" TV ad that aired during the 1990 U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and Democratic opponent Harvey Gantt.

The similarities in messaging between a 1990 US Senate campaign in North Carolina and current campaigns has roots in how the Republican party has changed since the 1970s.

Leoneda Inge talks with Ben Bradford about that transition and the infamous 'White Hands' TV ad used by Jesse Helms against Harvey Gantt in 1990.

Bradford is the host and creator of several podcasts, including shows that trace historic political campaigns and underscore their relevance to the present.

Guest

Ben Bradford, Host of the Landslide podcast from Nuance Tales and WFAE

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Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Cole del Charco

Cole del Charco is an audio producer and writer based in Durham. He's made stories for public radio's All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. Before joining Due South, he spent time as a freelance journalist, an education and daily news reporter for WUNC, and a podcast producer for WFAE in Charlotte.

See stories by Cole del Charco