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By Cynthia Gwynne Yaudes

====Did Woodrow Wilson share author Thomas Dixon Jr.'s worldview?====

Dixon was a Baptist minister from North Carolina, serving churches in the North while also working as a lawyer and an author. More specifically, he was “a professional racist who made his living writing books and plays attacking the presence of African Americans in the United States. A firm believer not only in white supremacy but also in the ‘degeneration’ of blacks after slavery ended, he thought the ideal solution to America’s racial problems was to deport all blacks to Africa. In the short term, his goal was to proselytize a southern view of Reconstruction to the rest of the country. In his mind, white southerners were the victims, not the villains, in American history, and ought to be portrayed as such.”<ref> Raymond A. Cook, “The Man behind The Birth of a Nation,” <i>North Carolina Historical Review</i>, 39 (Oct. 1962), 519–40; Corliss, “D. W. Griffiths The Birth of a Nation 100 Years Later.”

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Historians disagree on the extent of Wilson’s endorsement of Birth of a Nation, and whether he uttered “It is like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true” may never be decided. Nevertheless, as president, Wilson demonstrated racist views and supported segregationist policies. Although calling Wilson a fan of the film is presumptive, the production did a tweak and reflect his dismal record on race.<ref> Joe R. Feagin, <i>Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, Future Reparations</i> (New York: Routledge, 2000), 86.</ref>

====References====

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[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:United States History]] [[Category:20th Century History]] [[Category:Political History]] [[Category:Film History]]