- Chelsea Handler at the Tallassee Now event where she interviewed people about slavery and southern heritage.
(File / The Tribune)
The Netflix original four part docu-series “Chelsea Does” began streaming Saturday. In the series the former late-night talk show host takes a look at marriage, Silicon Valley, drugs and racism.
For her racism series Chelsea Handler travels the world, pointing out how people tend to self-segregate. In her travels for the series Handler visited Tallassee during the Tallassee Now event last year.
In the Chelsea Does Racism series Jeanna Kervin with the Talisi Historical Society spoke to Handler on camera about her heritage. However, Kervin said Handlers “handlers” misled her before being interviewed.
“Her handlers came about 30 minutes before she did and they asked us if we wanted to talk to her,” she said. “We were told she was doing a documentary on barbeque and that she wanted to talk about the South some.”
Before agreeing to speak to Handler, Kervin said she made it clear that she did not want to paint Tallassee in a bad light.
“I even told them, a lot of people like to come in and poke fun of people from the South and if that’s what it’s about, I don’t want any part of it,” she said. “The whole interview process was based on a lie.”
One important piece of history and prejudice Handler completely overlooked in the series addressing race was the deep Native American history Tallassee holds.
Tallassee, or Talisi as the Native American’s named it, was one of four Creek capitols in the South. The Native American history in Tallassee predates the racism Handler came to Tallassee looking for.
“Right beside our booth, the Talisi Historical Society booth, was a Native American encampment,” Kervin said. “One of our Native American re-enactors, he’s nationally known and he’s well versed on Native Americans. She (Handler) asked him one question and it was about that (slavery).”
Kervin said she believes Handler came to Tallassee with an agenda.
“That’s all she was focused on,” Kervin said.
Since the release Jan. 23 Kervin has not watched the series and has no intention of doing so.
“I haven’t watched the video and I don’t intend to watch it,” she said. “I can just imagine what it is. I know people who have watched it and told me about, it’s very insulting. I think we’re all proud of our Southern heritage and I don’t want to see someone making fun of what we hold dear. Our heritage is a good and strong heritage and we should be proud of it. “
Furthermore, Kervin said she wants it to be clear that in no way was the intention to cast Tallassee into a negative light.
“If anything, I said was used to embarrass Tallassee I would be very brokenhearted,” Kervin said. “She (Handler) was intentionally trying to divide and cause strife.”
Pastor Adolphus Gauntt, was born and raised in Tallassee and was in the first grade when the Tallassee school systems integrated.
”It was a little strange, at first. But today, I am still friends with a lot of my white class mates.”
Gauntt has resided in Tallassee all of his life and said he believes Tallassee treats people of all ethnicities equally.
“Look at me, I was president of the Tallassee Rotary Club and I was voted in by an all white committee,” he said. “This is not a racist town. She (Handler) came here for one reason, money,” he said.
Gauntt points out Handler is making money every time the show is watched.
“She is getting what she wanted right now, by us watching this,” Gauntt said.
