The image misses part of the story. He was a character on the show, officer Clemmons, and wasn’t just on this episode. And what’s more, he was gay and Fred Rogers knew and accepted him for it at a time that that was uncommon. This image makes it seem like a single random act of impersonal kindness but it was much more than that.
Lovely interview with (Officer) Francois Clemmons. Clemmons grew up during civil rights unrest and was firehosed and beaten by cops and did not want to play one on TV. I don’t know if making kids less scared of cops was a good thing or not, but I know Mr. Rogers’ heart was in the right place.
The song at the end is the one Clemmons sang while they were hanging out in the pool the second time they did this scene 20 years after the first one: “There are many ways to say I love you.” In this one Mr. Rogers dried Officer Clemmons’ feet as they were getting out of the pool.
The image misses part of the story. He was a character on the show, officer Clemmons, and wasn’t just on this episode. And what’s more, he was gay and Fred Rogers knew and accepted him for it at a time that that was uncommon. This image makes it seem like a single random act of impersonal kindness but it was much more than that.
Lovely interview with (Officer) Francois Clemmons. Clemmons grew up during civil rights unrest and was firehosed and beaten by cops and did not want to play one on TV. I don’t know if making kids less scared of cops was a good thing or not, but I know Mr. Rogers’ heart was in the right place.
https://youtu.be/UD7Z-O7U33c
The song at the end is the one Clemmons sang while they were hanging out in the pool the second time they did this scene 20 years after the first one: “There are many ways to say I love you.” In this one Mr. Rogers dried Officer Clemmons’ feet as they were getting out of the pool.