The Washington PostOpinions section will distribute the animated shortHow to Rig An Election: The Racist History of the 1876 Presidential Contest, which recently premiered at theSXSWFestival in Austin.
Tom Hanks narrates the project, which was written and produced by Jeffery Robinson, founder of theWho We Are Projectand former ACLU deputy legal director.
Its directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler and was animated by Reginald William Butler
The project is the story of the 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Republican Samuel Tilden, which was ultimately decided in a backroom deal that effectively ended Reconstruction in the South.
The Who We Are Project
Hanks and Robinson will publish an op-ed accompanying the film when it launches on April 3 in the PostsOpinion section.
They also will appear on Washington Post Live for an interview on April 6, moderated by Post Opinions Kate Woodsome.
Registerhere.
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The 1876 election turned into a bitter battle over 20 electoral votes, with allegations of electoral fraud and voter suppression.
It ended in a deal in which Tilden would concede the vote to Hayes, in exchange for an agreement that he would remove federal troops from the South.
