Racial injustice in rural Hearne, Texas

That's the topic of a just released move, "American Violet." Listen to the NPR story about it here. An excerpt from Wade Goodwyn's NPR report follows:

The movie is based on the story of Regina Kelley, a woman caught up in a misguided drug raid that took place in Hearne, Texas, about 120 miles north of Houston. More than two dozen public housing residents — most of them black — were arrested and charged with selling cocaine.

As national civil rights organizations got involved, it became clear that the arrests were based on tips from an unreliable informant — a drug addict. Most of the charges were dropped. A civil-rights lawsuit followed.

After viewing the film, one African-American resident of Hearne commented, "Maybe now, people will open their eyes to what's going on in these smaller towns."

Hearne's population is 4,690. It is in Robertson County, which has a population of16,000.