A Story of Interracial Love
Originally aired 1992
(story inspired by the non-fiction book "Different Worlds" by Janet Bode)
Noelle was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Best Female Actress category for her performance in this CBS Schoolbreak Special. She plays Christine Laughlin, a student at a high school that is seemingly integrated, but whose social and racial dividing lines are invisible until a tragedy highlights them. A clerk at a local conveniance store, a mutual friend of Christine and Jordan Murray (Duane Martin), a black classmate, is gunned down before their eyes. Christine is questioned and allowed to go, but Jordan is treated with suspicion by the police. Though the whole town is talking about this horrible incident, the two students have no one to share their real experience of it except with each other. As Christine and Jordan become friends, they face the usual objections from friends and family. Their biggest problem isn't a hostile community, though. It's navigating all the little misunderstandings that result from their separate experiences. For Jordan, everything has political meaning, he assumes the system is naturally working against him. He's surprised by Christine's lack of resentment towards it. She refuses to be thought of as a symbol, which he finds refreshing. For her part, Christine doesn't realize the significance of his coming to her house and the danger he brought on himself being in a all-white neighborhood fearful of crime. She's not even sure what to call him: "black", or "African-American". Eventually they realize neither of them are experts on this, and agree to make a go of it, however imperfectly. "Just call me Jordan", he finally says.
Jordan Murray is played by Duane Martin (husband of Tisha Campbell, his "Woo" co-star, in real life).
The community's racial lines are drawn when a crime is committed by a masked gunman, whom the police assume is black (even though the policeman himself is black).
Accessory watch: teardrop earrings, for her slain friend?
Christine's friend is played by Meredith Scott Lynn, an actress who also co-produced "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" and "I Love You Don't Touch Me!".
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