Episode Adopted by: Becky
Additional info provided by: Brian Greene

Teaser:

When Sam leaps into a newly inducted member of the Ku Klux Klan, he must find a way to prevent the lynching of a black community activist. But due to his moral upbringing, it becomes very difficult to act like the person he has leaped into to avoid his own lynching.

Audio from this episode:

Sam: Time passed them by.

TV Guide Teaser:

Sam leaps into a member of the KKK who's struggling against a group of good old boys to save the life of a civil-rights leader. Gene: Noble Willingham. Nathaniel: Michael Beach. Lilly: Lisa Waltz. Tom: Dirk Blocker. Ada: Fran Bennett. Sam: Scott Bakula.

Synopsis & Review:

May 11, 1965 - Alabama, Sam leaps into Clyde (Glenn Edden) just as he is finishing his initiation into the KKK. He is horrified but knows that he has to play along until Al comes along and tells him what's going on. He's even more shocked when the initiation is over and the members start behaving as if it is a social gathering. One of the members couldn't make it because he needed to work on his farm and it didn't seem like he'd get all the work done in time so they decide to go over there on Sunday after church and help him out. When Al arrives and Sam goes over to talk to him, the leader of that chapter of the KKK follow him. It turns out that this man is Gene (Noble Willingham), his father-in-law, and he tells Sam how proud he is of his decision to join and how he is like a son to him. Al orders Sam to take the man's proffered hand.

Sam then runs into the forest so he can freak out in peace. The KKK is deeply offensive to him as it goes against everything that his parents taught him when he was younger. Al doesn't have any data for him yet but wanted to make sure that he was alright after Clyde popped up reciting the oath of the KKK. Al tells Sam that he must continue to pretend to be one of them because he's probably there to stop them from carrying out a violent act and he won't know what he's supposed to do and when if he's not in on their meetings.

Sam's father-in-law drives him home and his wife Lilly (Lisa Waltz) talks about their ‘hunting club.’ Clyde's son is playing with a gun and when Sam chastises it for him he says that his grandfather said that there were black people in the woods (though that wasn't the word he used). Their black maid, Ada Simpson (Fran Bennett), is right there and a horrified Sam makes his son apologize even if the son doesn't really understand. Lilly is more annoyed than anything because she thought him joining the KKK meant that he was past that.

Sam works at a government job that oversees voter registration. Black activist Nathaniel Simpson (Michael Beach), Ada's son, has brought his father to register to vote. Sam's all ready to get the paperwork but his boss insists on giving him a literacy test. Despite the fact that the man knew the nineteenth president and the eighth amendment (Rutherford B. Hayes and no excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment respectively), he wasn't able to read the preamble to the constitution fast enough. The boss claimed the man was reading at twelve words a minute and had to be reading at thirty words a minute. Sam initially sides with Nathaniel, but Al pressures him to stay in character so that he can do what he needs to do, and so, Sam reluctantly sides with his racist boss.

When Sam walks Nathaniel and his father to the car, he tries to apologize but Nathaniel isn't hearing any of it. Apparently the two were friends in college and Clyde wrote him a lot of letters about how skin color doesn't matter. He was even the one who urged him to come to register and Nathaniel thinks he set him up. He said that it doesn't matter if Clyde really meant it because he still said it and angrily drives off. According to Al, this is the man that Sam had come to save and the KKK is going to lynch him soon.

When Sam gets back after a long day of being forced to reject all black people who wanted to register to vote, he volunteers to help Ada with dinner. Sam again tries to apologize for what his son said that morning but Ada isn't upset by that because she knows he doesn't mean it and is just parroting his grandfather. She is extremely proud of her son and says she's going to try to register to vote tomorrow. Sam promises to help her but wants her to talk Nathaniel out of protesting and getting himself killed. Ada says that nothing can change Nathaniel's mind once it's made up and, offended, walks away from him.

The son goes out pretending to be a ghost with the KKK hood on his head. Angrily, Sam takes it away from him and the son doesn't understand because his friend's father lets him play with his all the time. Sam takes him out to the backyard to teach him to shoot (though the kid is better with the gun than Sam is) and gives him a lesson about tolerance and how skin color doesn't matter. Lilly overhears this and is growing even more frustrated with what she sees as her husband's regression.

Then Sam is taken out by the KKK for some important business and Al says that this must be when they grab Nathaniel after he tries to lead a peaceful protest for voting rights. It turns out that they are actually having a party to celebrate Clyde's initiation. Sam is fine with this, though, since that means that they aren’t out killing Nathaniel. In the middle of the celebration, they get word of Nathaniel's planned march and go out to ambush him. Sam hurriedly drives down to the church to stop Nathaniel. Nathaniel accuses Sam of being a member of the KKK and Sam admits it, begging Nathaniel to reconsider and save his own life. Nathaniel is reluctant but ultimately agrees to stop...just for that night. He warns that he will march again and that he will ultimately win and Sam sincerely agrees with both of those statements.

When Sam gets home, he makes the mistake of trying to talk Lilly over to the side of racial equality while KKK members are in the area listening. They knew that someone had warned Nathaniel and they believe that Clyde joined to spy for the federal government or just for the black community and so they decide to make them pay. They take Sam down to KKK headquarters and tie him up and plant a bomb in the church. Ada, another adult, and fifteen children are there for choir practice. One of the members threatens to kill Sam when the church was destroyed for lacking proper white pride. Sam tries to plead with his father-in-law to reconsider, saying that he'll go to jail for the church and if Sam is killed then no one will be able to take care of Lilly and the kid. The father-in-law insists he's just trying to protect his way of life and that if Sam thinks he would kill him then he doesn't know him at all. Sam says he doesn't know any man who would kill innocent people.

Sam tries to break glass to cut his ropes but he is running out of time so he sends Al to the church to warn the children. Unfortunately, the children can't decide what Al is and start running around once he tells them to leave. Sam isn't having much luck escaping but then his son shows up and frees him. The pair race down to the church just in time to see it explode. The KKK slowly approach the church and Sam is devastated until he sees Ada leading the children towards safety; Al was able to get through to them after all.

Nathaniel shows up, furious, and charges at the KKK. They respond by putting a noose over his neck and attaching the other end to a truck. They are about to lynch him after all when Sam announces that he agrees with his father-in-law and place a noose around his own neck and stands neck to Nathaniel. He gives a stirring speech about how they may die but the old way of the KKK will die as well and that no one present will ever forget what they’d seen. He tells his son to remember to not be racist. One of the KKK members is eager enough to kill Sam as a traitor but his father-in-law punches the man out. He takes off his hood and frees both Sam and Nathaniel, saying that he already lost one son and wasn't about to lose another.

Sam, and the son reunite as do Ada and Nathaniel. Nathaniel, who goes on to be the first black mayor in Alabama, laughs and hugs Sam. Source

Personal Review by Becky:

I think this is a very serious episode and educational. It makes you want to learn about the USA's past. It is both disturbing and interesting to see the KKK characters portrayed as normal everyday folks living normal everyday lives while belonging to a hate group. How you are raised definitely shapes your beliefs, right or wrong.

Sam Trivia:

Sam’s parents taught to fight against people like the Klu Klux Klan when he was a kid.

Sam said this is the most confusing person he has ever leaped into.

Sam’s parents were farmers, simple people that cared about their families and each other.

Sam doesn’t have very good aim with a rifle.

Sam remembers that little kids can see Al.

Miscellaneous Trivia:

Al only uses the imaging chamber twice in this episode. Al appears ten times, on the other hand.

Cody is the name of Scott Bakula's son.

During the filming of the church explosion, the gas inside built up so much that when the explosion came, it knocked down Diamond Farnsworth (Scott Bakula's stunt double) and burned the hair on the back of his legs!

Kiss With History:

Ku Klux Klan, either of two distinct U.S. hate organizations that employed terror in pursuit of their white supremacist agenda. One group was founded immediately after the Civil War and lasted until the 1870s. The other began in 1915 and has continued to the present.

Regular Cast:

Scott Bakula
Dean Stockwell

Guest Stars:

Dirk Blocker as Tom
Fran Bennett as Ada Simpson
Glenn Morshower as Grady
Lee Weaver as Mr.Thomson
Jacob Gelman as Cody
Lisa Waltz as Lilly
Michael Beach as Nathaniel Simpson
Noble Willingham as Gene/Grand Dragon
Steve Blackwood as Leon
Charlie Holiday as Sheriff Otis
Michael Craig Patterson as Jim
Glenn Edden as Clyde (Mirror image)
Jullian Roy Doster as 1^st child
Ashley Woolfolk as 2^nd child
Jesshaye Callier as 3^rd child

Guest Cast Notes:

Dirk Blocker as Tom: Dirk began working in film and television while he was still in high school and didn't look back until the early 2000's when he took some time off from his career and fulfilled a long held promise to his father to obtain his college degree. His dad, who passed away when Dirk was 14, valued an education, and often counseled Dirk as he grew up to, "do what you want with your life, but get a liberal arts education no matter what else you do." Dirk took a few acting jobs during this period when his academic studies allowed, but didn't actively pursue a return to work until he obtained his degree in Liberal Arts at Antioch University 2010.

Fran Bennett as Ada Simpson: Fran Bennett graduated from the University of Wisconsin with an M.A. and subsequently spent twelve years acting and as voice and movement director with the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Her Broadway debut was a leading role in the short-lived play Mandingo at the Lyceum Theater in 1961. Thereafter, Bennett concentrated on stage acting and education, serving for many years on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts, latterly as head of acting and director of performance at the CalArts School of Theater (1996-2003). Her credentials included a teaching spell at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and voice production workshops at several American universities. As an ensemble member of the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company, her dramatis personae tended to be powerful individuals (Othello, King Lear, Oberon, and others). Bennett's screen work has likewise shown a predilection towards sober, resolute authority figures: doctors, judges, head nurses, community leaders and family matriarchs, even a Fleet Admiral on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). Her TV debut was as early as 1952 but she did not become prolific in that medium until the late 70s. From then on, she regularly guest-starred in episodes of popular fare, ranging from soapies (The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), Dynasty (1981)) to crime drama (Simon & Simon (1981), Crossing Jordan (2001), NCIS (2003)) and science fiction (The Twilight Zone (1985), Quantum Leap (1989)). The Arkansas native was a 2005 inductee into Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. Her honours have included an NAACP Theatre Award and the inaugural AEA/AFTRA/SAG Diversity Award.

Glenn Morshower as Grady: Glenn Morshower was born on April 24, 1959 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Resident (2018), Bloodline (2015) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). He has been married to Carolyn Elizabeth Lindsley since December 30, 1978. They have two children. As an actor he has played the role of no less than 53 different law enforcement/military personnel: 22 police/law enforcement officers; 21 military personnel; and 10 government agents. Recently, he has played the role of quite a few Secret Service agents. Other than Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), Morshower's character (Agent Aaron Pierce) is the only one to appear in all seven of the first seasons of 24 (2001). Has played characters who have served two of television's most famous fictional Presidents: President Jed Bartlet on The West Wing (1999), and President David Palmer on 24 (2001). He started his acting career in 1975 with the leading role in the movie Drive-In (1976). See Glenn in "24" below:

Michael Beach as Nathaniel Simpson: Born and raised in Roxbury, a Boston neighborhood, by a single mom with four children, Beach was an athlete who never expected to be an actor. After performing in a few plays at Noble and Greenough School, he auditioned for, got accepted to and later graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School Of Drama in NYC. For the past forty years, Beach has worked with many acclaimed actors, producers and directors on over 70 feature films and hundreds of hours of television. He continues to love his job and is grateful to still be doing it after all these years. Watch a 2022 interview with Michael Beach below:

Lee Weaver as Mr.Thomson: Lee Weaver is known for Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Quantum Leap (1989) and Our Summer of Song.

Jacob Gelman as Cody: Jacob Gelman is known for Uncle Buck (1990), Quantum Leap (1989) and I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989).

Lisa Waltz as Lilly: Lisa Waltz was born on August 31, 1961 in Limerick, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress, known for Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986), Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462 (2015) and 2016 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2016). She has been married to Mark Morocco since 1986.

Noble Willingham as Gene/Grand Dragon: Noble Willingham appeared in more than 30 feature films, including Up Close & Personal (1996), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Chinatown (1974), City Slickers (1991), and The Distinguished Gentleman (1992). He was born in the small town of Mineola, Texas, east of Dallas. After graduating from North Texas State College in 1953, he earned a master's degree in educational psychology from Baylor University. Willingham was a teacher before following his long-time dream of becoming an actor. Willingham auditioned for a part in the Academy Award-winning film The Last Picture Show (1971), which was filmed in Texas. He won the role, which led to another, in the Academy Award-winning comedy Paper Moon (1973). On television, he had recurring roles on Home Improvement (1991) and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), and appeared as a guest star on other television series, including Matlock (1986), L.A. Law (1986), Quantum Leap (1989), Murder, She Wrote (1984), and Northern Exposure (1990), as well as such films and made-for-television movies as Men Don't Tell (1993), Woman with a Past (1992), The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987), and Unconquered (1989). Died on January 17, 2004 in Palm Springs, California, USA.Watch Noble in these clips from the movie Good Morning, Vietnam:

Steve Blackwood as Leon: Steve Blackwood was born on May 13, 1956 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Stuck (2020), Private (2022) and Meet the Author (2018).

Charlie Holiday as Sheriff Otis: In addition to his more than 50 movie and television credits, Charlie has appeared in dozens of National and Regional Commercials. Charlie has also appeared in over two dozen live theatre productions. They range from wacky British farces like Ray Cooney's "Run for Your Wife" and "Chase Me Comrade," to the works of Sean O'Casey and William Saroyan. Although he and his wife Holly now live in the Sacramento, California, suburb of Rancho Cordova, he continues his career in motion pictures and television, returning as needed to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Charlie also owns and operates the Mosaic Acting Studio, where he teaches the Mosaic Acting System and his popular "Acting for Camera and Theatre Workshops" as well as training and certifying other Mosaic Acting instructors. He also taught acting and directing at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco for several years, and works as a dialog/acting coach for the BBC and films.

Jullian Roy Doster as 1^st child: Jullian Roy Doster is known for Menace II Society (1993), Quantum Leap (1989) and Out All Night (1992).

Ashley Woolfolk as 2^nd child: Ashley Woolfolk is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Delta (1992) and Camp Wilder (1992).

Jesshaye Callier as 3^rd child: Jesshaye Callier is known for Quantum Leap (1989) and Dutch (1991).

Say What?

Lilly is seen in the background before she leaves the house.

Quotable Quotes:

Yours is just one voice in a hurricane.
Sometimes one is all it takes.
- Aida and Sam, "Justice"

It's an angel!
Not in those clothes!
- Children in choir practice upon seeing Al, "Justice"

I don't want to live in a world where fear and hate hide behind a call for justice.This is not justice. This is merely a desperate attempt to hang onto the past - a shameful past that can never and should never be restored.
-- Sam, "Justice"

Yours is just one voice speaking in a hurricane.
Sometimes one voice is all it takes.
-- Aida and Sam, "Justice"

This stands for everything my parents taught me to fight against.
-- Sam, about the KKK, "Justice"

There's a ghost!
It's NOT a ghost, it's an angel.
No way, not with those clothes!
-- little kids at choir practice, about Al, "Justice"

It's the Lord!
No, I'm not the Lord!
It's Abraham Lincoln.
No, he's got a beard, that's some crazy white man.
-- little kids at choir practice and Al, "Justice"

I don't know a man who would dynamite a church.
-- Sam, "Justice"

Best Scene:

When Al goes to the church and all the little kids can see him and can talk to him:

"That’s right, that’s right, that’s right, they’re kids, God bless the children."

"There’s a ghost!

It’s not a ghost, it’s an angel.

No way not with those clothes."

"It’s the Lord,

What???????

No, No, No, No I’m not the Lord.

It’s Abraham Lincoln!

No it’s not he has a beard.

That’s some crazy white man."

"Listen, I may be crazy but you got to tell the big ones that you got to get out of the church, out of the church."

Production Credits:

Theme by: Mike Post
Music by: Velton Ray Bunch
Co-Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt
Co-Executive Producer: Michael Zinberg
Supervising Producer: Harker Wade
Produced by: Jeff Gourson, Tommy Thompson
Produced by: Chris Ruppenthal, Paul Brown
Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Written by: Toni Graphia
Directed by: Rob Bowman

Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producer: James S. Giritlian
Coordinating Producer: David Bellisario
Story Editor: Paris Qualles
Director of Photography: Michael Watkins, A.S.C.
Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited by: Michael S. Stern
Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
First Assistant Director: R. John Slosser
Second Assistant Director: Kate Yurka
Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky
Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox
Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Costume Supervisor: David Rawley
Art Director: Ellen Dambros-Williams
Sound Mixer: Barry D. Thomas
Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth
Sound Editor: Greg Schorer
Music Editor: Bruce Frazier

Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®

This motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.

Copyright © 1991 by Universal City Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Bellisarius Productions and Universal, an MCA Company

Podcasts:

It’s a Leap for Justice!

Join Quantum Leap Podcast hosts Allison Pregler, Matt Dale and Christopher DeFilippis as they discuss this racially charged episode in which Sam leaps into a member of the Ku Klux Klan and must prevent the
lynching of a young black man.

Listen to The Quantum Leap Podcast on this episode here: