Local, USA

Silence in Sikeston

The story of how the 1942 lynching of Cleo Wright - and the subsequent failure of the first federal attempt to prosecute a lynching - continues to haunt the small city of Sikeston, Missouri. Then, in 2020, the community is faced with the police killing of a young Black father. The film SILENCE IN SIKESTON explores the necessary questions about history, trauma, silence and resilience over 78 years.

Silence in Sikeston | Meet the Makers

16m 10s

WORLD's Chris Hastings talks with KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony about SILENCE IN SIKESTON. They discuss how the film and podcast examine racial violence, trauma and silence following the deaths of two Black men in one Missouri community, and exposes how the health of residents were affected. Anthony also opens up about her own family's intersection with police violence.

Previews + Extras

  • Silence in Sikeston | In the Aftermath of Trauma: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Silence in Sikeston | In the Aftermath of Trauma

    S8 E12 - 56s

    Rhonda Council talks with her grandmother Mable Cook about the lynching of Cleo Wright and her response to witnessing the violence while fellow Sikeston resident Larry McLellon shares his experience as a young Black man during that time.

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