Oprah Episode About W.Va. Airs: ; Williamson Residents Discussed How Their Views Regarding Aids Changed

Summary

---

Unlike the raucous town-hall style show about Williamson that aired in 1987, the Oprah Winfrey Show on Wednesday portrayed a more intimate portrait of how key persons involved had changed their attitudes over time.

Oprah first came to Williamson 23 years ago, after the town gained media attention when the city pool was closed after Mike Sisco, an openly gay man with AIDS, jumped into the water.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

Oprah Episode About W.Va. Airs: ; Williamson Residents Discussed How Their Views Regarding Aids Changed

Sisco eventually succumbed to the disease in 1994.

The 1987 episode portrayed people's reaction during a time when there was little public education and much fear over the growing AIDS epidemic. The town hall format created an atmosphere where people ope...

See the full content of this document

---