AC 361°: Kids On Race

April 4th, 2012
10:32 PM ET



.. Post by: Leah Smith.

AC361: The making of AC360's Kids on Race study

Editor's note: Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Anderson Cooper and AC360° producers created a study exploring kids' views on race, and tune in tonight at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.

It had been a while since our production team hung out in elementary or middle schools, but while some things change, others remain the same. Some kids were still cliquey, the bells still rang when it was time to change classes and the students still walked in single file lines. But students today seem to be more affected by the constantly changing world around them, in a way many from my generation weren't. There was talk of bullying, Martin Luther King and equality - and those comments came from both 6-year-olds and 13-year-olds. From the mouths of babes!

Spending time with young people is always invigorating. However, for our team, working 12 hours starting at 4 and 5 a.m. left us pretty depleted by the end of some days. Also, we were on an early morning school schedule which is something members of our late-working AC360 staff aren't used to normally.

The team had great discussions as we watched the sun rise from the New Jersey Turnpike, and even better conversations while we waited in daily hour-long Lincoln Tunnel traffic to return to the city. But the experience is one that I certainly will never forget. As we watched kid after kid participate in the study, hidden from their view, it was comforting to know that no matter what they said in terms of the test, almost all the children had interesting answers and each had their own unique personality.

When the final day of shooting arrived, we returned to an elementary school we'd been to before. As the setup process and the testing came to an end, we reflected on our experience. I was hopeful that the results would lead to thoughtful conversations between parents and their children. But most of all, I enjoyed just being part of the team that produced this study. Please continue to watch each installment of "Kids on Race: The Hidden Picture” on AC360° at 8 and 10 p.m. ET, and don't miss our hour long special airing at 8 p.m. ET Sunday night.