Fred Rogers Took a Stand Against Racial Inequality When He Invited a Black Character to Join Him in a Pool
Though segregation was no longer the law of the land in America by the end of the 1960s, Black citizens were still not embraced as equal participants in public life. This status was reflected at many community pools across the country, with white people preventing Black people from sharing the water with them. It was in this atmosphere that Fred Rogers performed a simple but meaningful act in episode 1065 of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which aired on May 9, 1969.