By CLAY MURPHY
Union County Bureau

UNION, S.C. (7/18/95) -- The people of Union were given a chance Monday to clear up some misperceptions of their community on national television ... and they took it.

About 100 people came to the auditorium of the University of South Carolina-Union to express their views on various aspects of the Susan Smith saga.

But, surprisingly, much of CNN's "TalkBack Live," which broadcasts from Union all this week, was devoted to discussing racism.

It became an issue after Smith confessed that she, not a black carjacker, was responsible for the disappearance of her two young boys. But little has been said about racial overtones in recent months.

So callers from around the country attempted to fuel a debate on the subject by criticizing Smith and those who believed her initial story.

A man calling from Colorado said Smith's lie about the kidnapping suspect was "more evil" than the murders of her children. And a woman from Georgia accused those willing to forgive Smith of being hypocritical.

"I've never seen a community pray for a killer like this," the caller said, adding that the carjacker wouldn't have received any mercy.

But local people, both black and white, sought to defuse the situation by calling Smith's lie an unfortunate and isolated example of racism.

Union City Administrator Charlie Potts called Smith a "very clever young lady" for choosing a popular stereotype.

"To the everlasting goodwill of this community ... we were able to get past it," said Potts, who is white.

Marion Byrd, who is black, agreed. Byrd, a retiree who recently returned to the community from Chicago, praised Union's race relations.

Byrd, however, did acknowledge that Smith's false accusation struck a chord in the black community that resonates today.

"This still hurts some people," he said after the show.

Carolyn Jeter is one of those who still resents Smith for the carjacking story. She told the audience that she, as a black woman, could sense the anger and distrust among whites after the Smith children were reported missing.

"You could go into a store and feel the eyes upon you," Jeter said, adding that she heard "nigger this and nigger that" under people's breaths.

"The town separated," she said.

But even Jeter says race is no longer a prevalent issue in the Smith case or in the Union community. In fact, she said she has grown to feel sorry for Smith.

"TalkBack Live" host Susan Rook said the show was successful in dispelling some of the beliefs people may hold about race relations in Union.

"I think it's a larger issue nationally than it is locally," she said.

The studio audience also touched upon the death penalty, which Smith may face, and the media attention this story has attracted.

But those issues will be explored further in future shows, Rook said. Today's show will focus on the media. It is scheduled to air from 3:30 to 4 p.m.

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