Catonsville resident Gus Russo, a documentary filmmaker and author, has written a book and filmed a documentary chronicling the stories of American citizens and where they were when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The 50th anniversary of the assassination is November 22nd.
History Assistant Professor George Derek Musgrove was interviewed for an article in The Baltimore Sun about Russo’s documentary and the impact of Kennedy’s assassination on the American people. He said television played a significant role.
“Large numbers of Americans saw the motorcade and the fatal shot, his wife scrambling out of the car and much of his funeral was on TV live. That in and of itself was a remarkable departure from past political events,” he said. “There was both a national trauma, and a national attempt to come to terms with what had just happened.”
Musgrove said nothing in modern day history except the terrorist attacks of 9/11 has had a comparable impact on the American people.
“Everyone has come to understand that the event was so jarring and so important that anyone that was alive when it happened can say exactly where they were when it happened,” he said.
You can read the full article in The Baltimore Sun here.
