Thread by @janehongphd

Billy Graham was a steady presence in my Korean immigrant household growing up. He was a clear example of white evangelicalism impinging on my family beyond our Korean imm. church (others: Hosanna & Vineyard music, Focus on the Family). 1/n #BillyGrahamPBS tinyurl.com/mwpev8xe

I vividly recall sitting on ice-cold bleachers & hard concrete at BGEA crusades at Shea (RIP) & Giant Stadiums with my mom. Graham’s 1952 book “Peace with God” sat on our family bookshelf my entire childhood. By age 18, I'd read it a half dozen times or more. 2/n #BillyGrahamPBS

That's probably why I found #BillyGrahamPBS so hard to watch. In clips of 1950s Graham, his similarity w/recent televangelist hucksters so disturbed me I actually turned the TV off. It's one thing to read about his early career. It’s another thing to watch Graham firsthand. 3/n

By contrast, I knew little about other evangelical figures like Jerry Falwell or Bob Jones before becoming a historian so nothing I learned about them fazed me. I've learned from the work of @kkdumez, @AntheaButler, Balmer & others in #BillyGrahamPBS 4/n
tinyurl.com/2p3afxmr

I went to this excellent webinar w/@AntheaButler, @KevinMKruse, @mboorstein. I could only stay for half, but the comments were angry. People going at it. & I get it. It’s hard not to feel betrayed by Graham’s grasping for power + political influence. 5/n

Some standout moments from #BillyGrahamPBS:

When in the 1950s Graham claimed he can swing 16 million evangelical voters with one word. "Whether it’s true or not, it’s a remarkable thing to say.” - @nancygibbs 6/n

Billy Graham calls violent backlash to civil rights activists in Birmingham “isolated incidents” & not reflective of the "mood of the country." Coming out in support of civil rights would have lost him supporters, popularity, & mass acclaim. So he won’t do it. -@jemartisby 7/n

“Graham advocated for power. Power for himself" - @AntheaButler #BillyGrahamPBS 8/n

With Nixon’s election in 1968, Graham had what he had long wanted: “a voice in the White House.” And then Watergate happens. Graham turns outward to repair his reputation & image.

“He became less American and more global.” - @nancygibbs #BillyGrahamPBS 9/n

But Graham's entanglement w/Nixon & partisan politics had lasting consequences we're still contending with today. See this great piece by @AntheaButler. msnbc.com/opinion/how-bi… #BillyGrahamPBS 10/n

As a historian writing a book about race & evangelicalism, I 100% believe it’s better to confront hard truths and histories like these. It’s not easy. It can actually be kind of painful. But wouldn’t you rather know? #BillyGrahamPBS is streaming now. 👍 11/end