Orson Welles and the Blind Soldier 2: Officer X

The podcast episode delves into the story of Isaac Woodard, a black soldier blinded by a white police officer in 1946, and the efforts to bring the perpetrator to justice. It highlights the NAACP's benefit concert featuring prominent artists like Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday to raise awareness about Woodard's case. Orson Welles's involvement is central, as he uses his radio program to investigate the crime and pressure authorities to identify the responsible officer. Despite the dangers of speaking out in the Jim Crow South, witnesses like Corrine Johnson eventually come forward, and a letter from a fellow soldier helps narrow the search to Batesburg, leading to the identification of Police Chief LL Shaw as the assailant.