Category Archives: African-American

Chick Talk Dallas on First White Homecoming Queen at Hampton

Posted on by
2

I thought this was a nice take by Joanna Cattanach, editor of ChickTalkDallas.com on the Hampton University’s new homecoming queen.  You can read the post in its entirety at Chick Talk Dallas.

  • What’s wrong with this picture? Um, the white girl in the middle has something to do with it. Earlier this month, Nikole Churchill,22, was chosen as 2009 Hampton University homecoming queen. Hampton U is historically black, and the main campus of 5,700 students has a  mostly black student body.
  • Churchill wrote a letter to President Barack Obama claiming he could relate to the racism she was facing at the university. “I am hoping that perhaps you would be able to make an appearance to my campus, Hampton University, so that my fellow Hamptonians can stop focusing so much on the color of my skin and doubting my abilities to represent,” she wrote, “but rather be proud of the changes our nation is making toward accepting diversity.”
  • So why shouldn’t Churchill win? She got accepted to the university. She paid tuition. Attended classes. She won fair and square. Complaining about her race now is a little like the pot calling the kettle black.

The White House Wire:News for the African American Community – First Edition

Posted on by
1

From the White House

Top News

President Obama on Passage of Senate Finance Committee Health Care Bill – “A Critical Milestone”

“Today we reached a critical milestone in our effort to reform our health care system. After many months of thoughtful deliberation, the fifth and final committee responsible for health care reform has passed a proposal that has both Democratic and Republican support. This effort was made possible by the tireless efforts of Chairman Max Baucus and the other members of the Senate Finance Committee. It’s a product of vigorous debate and difficult negotiations.” VIDEO/TEXT

“Restoring a Sense of Responsibility from Wall Street to Washington”

The President pushed one of the core pillars of his vision of a new economic foundation back to the fore. Reforming our financial system and restoring common sense regulation and oversight is the only way to ensure that the economic catastrophe that began a year ago never returns. Having met just before [the White House event] with those suffering as a result of abuse, fraud, and deception at the hands of financial institutions, the need was never more evident. LINK

Remarks by President Obama on Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

“I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee.  Let me be clear:  I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.” LINK

Navy Vessel Named for Civil Rights Activist

A U.S. Navy ship will be named in honor of late civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced the honor Oct. 9 at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. The ship is a 700-foot ocean liner that will supply food and ammunition to other ships at sea.  LINK

HHS Unveils New Features on Flu.gov

Evaluation Guide, Flu Myths and Facts, Flu Essentials Flyers Among New Resources

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today unveiled several new resources on the federal government’s one-stop resource for flu information — www.flu.gov.  The Web site now features a new H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation guide for adults 18 and older along with a new Flu Myths and Facts section, which provides the public with the latest and most accurate information about the flu.  LINK

Attorney General and Education Secretary Call for National Conversation on Values and Student Violence

U.S. Department of Justice to Release Study on Children’s Exposure to Violence

U.S. Department of Education to Provide $500,000 Grant to Help Fenger Community

Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan today joined with Chicago city officials to call for a national conversation on values to address youth violence in the wake of the fatal beating of a Chicago high school student. The announcement followed meetings with City officials, community leaders, students, and parents.  LINK

In Other News…

President Obama Nominates Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson for United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Judge Denny Chin for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Judge Chin currently serves as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. Judge Thompson currently serves as an Associate Justice on the Rhode Island Superior Court. LINK

Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes Thomas E. Perez as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation of Thomas E. Perez as the new Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Perez was confirmed today by the U.S. Senate.  LINK

A Small Town Doing Big Things for the Global Economy

Posted by Adolfo Carrión, Jr.

We believe that through regional collaboration we can bridge the urban-rural divide. We can invest in urban centers in a way that will benefit suburbs, exurbs, and rural communities, and vice versa. It does not have to, and can no longer be, a zero-sum game. Our fates are inextricably linked. As the Urban Tour (aka, the National Conversation on the Future of Cities and Metros) has continually demonstrated, smart regional plans succeed when there are strong public-private partnerships and everyone is brought to the table. LINK

U.S. Ambassador Susan E. Rice Delivers Lecture at Howard University

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice delivered the Clarence Clyde Ferguson, Jr. Annual Lecture at the Howard University School of Law on Thursday, October 8, 2009, in the Moot Court Room.

Ambassador Rice’s lecture, titled “America and the UN in a New Era of Engagement” discussed the approach the Obama Administration has taken in using the United Nations to advance the administration’s foreign policy goals and to keep America safe. The lecture is in honor of Mr. Ferguson, who was Dean of Howard Law School from 1963 to 1969. His legacy at Howard University School of Law is well-known. In addition, Ferguson was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and United States Ambassador to Uganda. LINK

Obama Administration Releases New Data On Making Home Affordable Program,
Achieves Key Milestone Weeks Ahead of Schedule

Almost one month ahead of a November 1 benchmark set earlier this year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new milestone of more than 500,000 trial loan modifications in progress under the Making Home Affordable program.  LINK

Recovery Act Changes to SBA Loan Programs Sparked

September loan volume highest since August 2007

WASHINGTON – Changes under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to U.S. Small Business Administration loan programs led to a rebound in SBA-backed loans for small businesses and greater access to much-needed capital.  LINK

MBDA Allocates Nearly $1 Million to Minority Business Centers to Increase Minority Businesses’ Access to Recovery Act Contracting Opportunities

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) today allocated a total of $900,000 to seven minority business centers across the country to increase minority business access to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contracting opportunities.  LINK

Secretary Shinseki Announces $17 Million in Homeless Grants

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced that 19 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will share more than $17 million in grants to community groups to create 1,155 beds for homeless Veterans this year.  LINK

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Administration Wide Effort to Combat Distracted Driving

WASHINGTON – At the conclusion of a two-day summit on distracted driving in Washington, D.C. today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a series of concrete actions the Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) are taking to help put an end to distracted driving.  LINK

Energy Department Announces New Private Sector Partnership to Accelerate Renewable Energy Projects
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $750 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help accelerate the development of conventional renewable energy generation projects.  This funding will cover the cost of loan guarantees which could support as much as $4 to 8 billion in lending to eligible projects, and the Department will invite private sector participation to accelerate the financing of these renewable energy projects.  LINK

HUD ANNOUNCES $118 MILLION IN GRANTS TO PROTECT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HEALTH HAZARDS
Funding helps to make low-income housing safer and healthier

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding more than $118 million in grants to 46 local projects to conduct a wide range of activities that include eliminating lead hazards in more than 9,000 homes; training workers in lead safety methods; increasing public awareness about childhood lead poisoning; and evaluating outreach on controlling housing-based hazards. The awards were announced by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan yesterday at the Council on Foundations conference in San Antonio, Texas. Lead is a known toxin that can impair children’s development and have effects lasting into adulthood and other materials in the home can trigger allergic responses and asthma.  LINK

In Case You Missed It…

President Obama Addresses the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner

President Obama – “Bringing hope and opportunity to places where they’re in short supply — that’s not easy.  It will take a focused and sustained effort to eradicate the structural inequalities in our communities — structural inequalities that make it difficult for children of color to make a success of their lives, no matter how smart or how driven or how talented they are.  That’s why we’re launching Promise Neighborhoods to build on Geoffrey Canada’s success in Harlem with a comprehensive approach to ending poverty by giving people the tools they need to pull themselves up.  That’s why I’ve created an Office of Urban Affairs to lift up our cities with a coordinated strategy to unleash their potential.  That’s why my administration — under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder — is serious about enforcing our civil rights laws and tearing down barriers to equal opportunity.” LINK

Things You Should Know…

· President Obama is scheduled to visit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast this week to see firsthand the status of the recovery efforts in the region.  LINK

· President Barack Obama is scheduled to join the Points of Light Institute and former President George H. W. Bush to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the vision of a thousand “Points of Light,” which catalyzed the modern volunteer service movement, by hosting a presidential forum on community service at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University. LINK

Stories of the Week

TheGrio.com – Interview with Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius opened up to theGrio. David asks questions from our readers about everything from H1N1 vaccinations to health care reform and HIV rates in the black community.  LINK

Insight News (NNPA) – The cost of health inequality

The notion that national health care reform will actually reduce health-related spending is turning out to be a tough sell for many Americans.  Just ask President Obama.   But the experience of racial and ethnic minorities under our current health care system serves as object lesson on how reform that improves opportunities for good health can actually be good for the nation’s fiscal health, as well.  Currently, not everyone in the United States enjoys the same health opportunities.  Studies show that minority Americans experience poorer than average health outcomes from cradle to the grave.  They are much more likely to die as infants, have higher rates of diseases and disabilities, and have shorter life spans.  LINK

Washington Afro – Obama Bans Texting for Federal Employees

President Barack Obama has banned federal employees from texting behind the wheel while on the job, effective Oct. 1.  LINK

Insight News (NNPA) – President Obama extends Gulf Coast Rebuilding Office, pushes for improved long-term recovery following catastrophic disasters

Washington, D.C. – Signalling his continued commitment to Katrina-Rita recovery, President Barack Obama announced he will visit the Gulf Coast in mid-October and see first-hand the progress in the region.  President Obama also today signed an Executive Order extending the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Recovery and Rebuilding for six months.  The Office of the Gulf Coordinator was first established November 1, 2005.  LINK

And Finally…

The Obama Health Care Plan (in 4 minutes)

Learn the basic principles of President Obama’s health insurance reform plan as presented to Congress on September 9, 2009. LINK

American Airlines To Launch Social Networking Site Focused On Sharing Black Culture Experiences From Around The World

Posted on by
1

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines announced today it is launching a first-of-its-kind social networking site, BlackAtlas.comSM, which combines the best features of a travel site with the power of social networking to create a dynamic online community for travelers to share experiences unique to the black community.

User content will be anchored by travel video blogs and commentaries from author, filmmaker, television producer and world traveler, Nelson George, who will serve as the BlackAtlas.com travel expert at large. Unique travel content for the site is currently being collected at BlackAtlas.com. The site is scheduled to fully launch later this month.

“I love to experience new cities, new food and meet new people. I love the thrill of discovering black culture everywhere, and so many African Americans feel the same way I do,” said Nelson George. “I want to entice more people to hit the road by giving them a different, and hopefully fresh, angle on travel through BlackAtlas.com.”

Through blogs and discussion boards, users will be able to share travel stories, videos and photos and provide travel tips. They will also be able to rate or make recommendations of popular destinations and businesses, connect with other travelers with similar interests, answer questions based on their personal travel experiences and build travel itineraries based on user recommendations.

“We at American Airlines see BlackAtlas.com as an important connector, enabling an online community of travelers to share information about their favorite places for experiencing African-American and Black culture, food, music, literature, history and events across the globe,” said Roger Frizzell, American’s Vice President – Corporate Communications and Advertising.

“As we created the site, we also found a wealth of little-known facts about African-American and Black cultural and historical contributions in every corner of the world”, said McGhee Williams Ossee, Burrell Communications’ Co-CEO. “From a Jamaican restaurant in Milan to Santa Monica’s Ink Well Beach, there are uniquely African-American experiences enjoyed by travelers around the world. BlackAtlas.com is a forum that encourages travelers to share these stories and gives them the opportunity to better plan their next trip with a few key activities or places in mind.”

Site users will be able to share content across social networks, create profiles, rate content, save content to Favorites, create downloadable travel guides, contribute unique text, video or photos, and link to promotional fares on AA.com. Initial site content will be divided into destination/city-specific and category-specific information, such as travel tips, restaurants, nightlife, culture, arts and museums, historic sites, beauty and barber shops, and places of worship.

American Airlines developed BlackAtlas.com in partnership with Burrell Communications and Juxt Interactive.
For more information, please visit our electronic press kit at http://media.blackatlas.com.

Navy Names Ship After Civil Rights Activist Medgar Evers

Posted on by
1

From the wire

The Navy announced today the newest Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ship (T-AKE) would be named USNS Medgar Evers. The announcement was made by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus during a Jackson State University speaking engagement in Mississippi.

Continuing the Lewis and Clark-class tradition of honoring legendary pioneers and explorers, the Navy’s newest underway replenishment ship recognizes civil rights activist Medgar Evers (1925-1963) who forever changed race relations in America. At a time when our country was wrestling to end segregation and racial injustice, Evers led efforts to secure the right to vote for all African Americans and to integrate public facilities, schools, and restaurants. On June 12, 1963, the Mississippi native was assassinated in the driveway of his home. Evers’ death prompted President John F. Kennedy to ask the Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill.

Designated T-AKE 13, Medgar Evers will be the 13th ship of the class, and is being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. As a combat logistics force ship, Medgar Evers will help the Navy maintain a worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel, and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea.

As part of Military Sealift Command’s Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, Medgar Evers will be designated as a United States Naval Ship (USNS) and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners and 11 Navy sailors. The ship is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea, can carry a helicopter, is 689 feet in length, has an overall beam of 106 feet, has a navigational draft of 30 feet, displaces approximately 42,000 tons, and is capable of reaching a speed of 20 knots using a single-shaft, diesel-electric propulsion system.

Additional information about the T-AKE class of ship is available on line at http://www.msc.navy.mil/factsheet/t-ake.htm. Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342.

Genma Holmes: Home training must become popular again

Posted on by
2

By Genma Holmes cross posted at nonprofit news organization DallasSouthNews.org

I wrote this while wiping away tears rolling down my cheeks and yelling at my monitor. I watched a few minutes of the video of the senseless beating death of the Chicago teen, Derrion Albert, 16, who was an A student at his school. I could not get my mind around the fact that no one intervened.

No one. I could not believe that no one yelled out or ran to get help. As I listened to “fonevideograper” give commentary while the life of a young man, who had many possibilities , life slipped from his ravaged body, I literally got ill. I could not watch the entire video.

I thought of the parents whose son has been immortalized on YouTube dying while doing what young people should be doing; going to school and making good grades. My heart goes out to them. The details and the “whys” of this vicious crime have been lost among the cries of outrage and righteous indignation.

An epidemic of criminal activity committed by young males has terrorized our nation. Chicago has become known for being most dangerous city for school children, where going to school can literally get you killed!

Chicago is not alone in grabbing headlines. Florida’s horrendous rape and beating of a mother and son in the notorious Dunbar Village case left many calling them savages. Mainstream media by-passed the story that was covered in depth by blogs like What About Our Daughters and Dallas South. After two years, the young men were finally sentenced last month.

Teens killing teens have made the news in my hometown of Nashville. In the last two weeks, two teens have been involved in shootings. Reading through the month of September’s press releases issued by MNPD, teens made up a third of the crimes reported. The number of teens that were nabbed from truancy sweeps in a one month period was staggering.

Not attending school during school hours is a recipe for disaster. As I counted the number of children who were arrested for not being in school in just one month, I wondered what they were doing if they were not in school. Looking for trouble? What can we, as a nation, do to help end the violence and get help for young people who find happiness in pulling a trigger or beating another to death?

It is going to take more than a few people. It is literally going to take a village, city by city. Working together across race, gender, or religious affiliation to find solutions and to implement changes must start sooner than later. This should be top priority for everyone; parents, schools, and congregations. We cannot point to one particular situation or group to blame because the violence that has entangled our youth does not care about situations or groups.

This week, everyone on radio, television and the blogosphere is talking about the condition of our youth. I heard one DJ complain that it was the musical lyrics that our young people listen to and a TV pundit suggested it was the glorification of rappers and stars who behave badly that influences young folks to act out. Those suggestions may be true but parents must step up take ownership as well.

Home training must become popular again. We disown the popularity of Nene cursing out her “friends” at every turn and the Kaynes of the world showing out then blaming his foolishness on his mother’s death. This only adds to the discord that our country has embraced so proudly. We have glamorized ignorance.

Add to that a Facebook poll asking about the assignation of the President and teens are trading nude pictures via phone and internet like marbles and we get an indication of the “condition” of our youth today. Our national discord is fast becoming anarchy.

We must support community heroes who are trying to make a difference. We are not Somalia with teen pirates under the leadership of drug lords who kill for a dime and a pack of cigarettes. We are not Haiti, a country absent of leadership and nearly 75% of its population are under the age of 19. This America, so why are we accepting abnormal gruesome behavior from our youth as if they are living in wild? I refuse to believe that our young people cannot be helped, even though I feel helpless at times and overwhelmed by the constant stream of ghastly news.

We must work together…we can do better!

Genma Stringer Holmes is an actress, model, and speaker turned entrepreneur who owns an environmental pest control company. She blogs at Genma Speaks.

Edited by Shawn Williams

White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes on healtcare reform: The stakes for African Americans

Posted on by
Reply

Melody Barnes, White House Domestic Policy Advisory has a couple of entries worth noting in the Health Insurance Reform Debate. First, a few excerpts from an Op-Ed for AOL Black Voices:

As with so many issues, if the state of our health care system is a crisis for America, it’s a catastrophe for black America. On average, African Americans spend a higher percentage of their income on health care costs than their white counterparts. Yet despite that spending, we also suffer from higher percentages of chronic diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. That’s due, at least in part, to a lack of access to quality affordable care.
For too long, Washington has talked about fixing our broken health care system, only to allow the same old partisan politics and special interest lobbying to block change. But this isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican one – it’s a moral imperative. That’s why President Obama has put forth a health insurance reform plan that borrows good ideas from both sides of the aisle, even from his opponents in both the primary and general elections.

This plan does three basic things:

*If you have insurance it will provide you more stability and security.

*If you don’t have insurance, it will provide you affordable options.

*And it will slow the unsustainable cost of health care for American families, businesses, and taxpayers.

If you don’t have insurance – and one in five African Americans don’t – the President’s plan will provide you affordable options the same way Members of Congress get them: by creating an exchange where you can leverage the purchasing power of a large group to get reasonable prices and choose the option that’s best for you and your family. If you still can’t afford coverage, we will provide you a tax credit to help.

Barnes also participated in a BET News Special called “Critical Condition: What’s at Stake In Health Care Reform.” Below you can view the discussion hosted by Jeff Johnson.


U.S. Rep Clyburn/Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Host Social Media Forum w/ Shawn Williams & other Leading African American Social Media Strategiests

Posted on by
Reply

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), chaired by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, will debut Digital Fusion – CBCF 2.0 at a first-of-its-kind forum of the leading African American social media strategists called Black Power 2.0 – Social Media and Digital Content Mobilizing the Masses. The convening will address opportunities to engage communities through social media increasing rates of Internet adoption by the African American community.

When:

2:00-5:30 p.m. September 24th, 2009

Where:

Room 146A

Washington Convention Center

801 Mount Vernon Pl NW

Washington, DC 20003

Why:

54 percent of the African American community is not online. Underserved communities are excluded from opportunities to access job applications, health care information or financial services. Black Power 2.0 will feature the nation’s elite African American social media experts at the cutting edge of digital movement.

A special session, “The World as We See It: Recreating Communities with Public Purpose Content,” will feature Rey Ramsey, CEO of One Economy, and award-winning director and producer, Robert Townsend. They will address the role of public-purpose media—online content that engages, informs and facilitates action—in stimulating demand for broadband among those who need its resources most. Townsend produces and directs Diary of a Single Mom, a ground-breaking online Web series that chronicles the lives of three single mothers trying get ahead despite obstacles that all single parents face.

Interviews:

Diary of a Single Mom Cast Members present at the session include:

* Monica Calhoun (“Sister Act II,” “Love and Basketball”),
* Janice Lynde (“Six Feet Under,” “General Hospital”)
* Valery Ortiz (“South of Nowhere,” “Date Movie”)
* Richard Roundtree (“Se7en,” “Shaft”)
* Billy Dee Williams (“Star Wars,” “Lady Sings the Blues”)
* Leon (“Cool Runnings,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Temptations”)

Participants:

Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, U.S. House of Representatives*

Donna Brazile, Principal, Brazile & Associates*

Farai Chideya, Founder, Popandpolitics.com; Power to Pen Media Group (Moderator)

Robert Townsend, Actor/Director/Producer, Diary of a Single Mom

Rey Ramsey, CEO, One Economy Corporation; Founding BBOC Member

Donna Byrd, Publisher, The Root at WashingtonPost.com

Eric Easter, Vice President Digital & Entertainment, Johnson Publishing/Ebony Jet

Gina McCauley, Founder, Blogging While Brown, What About Our Daughters, Michelle Obama Watch

Carmen Dixon-Rosenzweig, Founder, All About Race; Editor, AOL Black Voices

Angela Conyers-Benton, Founder, Black Web 2.0

Shawn Williams, Editor, DallasSouthNews.org

Gary Mack, CEO, Dacodo

James Andrews, Co-Founder, EveryWhere

Navarrow Wright, Founder, Global Grind

Kristal High, Founding Co-Chair, Innovation Generation Broadband Policy Summit

African-American unemployment rate 14.5% in July, down for 3rd straight month

Posted on by
2

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the U.S. unemployment rate was virtually unchanged for the second straight month, down .1% from June to July.  The 9.4% unemployment rate fir July is identical to May, but another 247,000 jobs were lost during this period.

The African-American unemployment rate declined for the third time in as many months, dropping to 14.5% from 14.7% in June.  The unemployment rate for African-Americans reached 15% in April. Black males saw a .6% drop in unemployment to 15.8% and down from 17.2% in April.

Click here for the employment situation summary by the Labor Statistics Bureau.

AUDIO:Caller in Henry Gates case never mentioned suspects were Black

Posted on by
5

I’ve been critical (privately) of the caller in the Henry Louis Gates case.  This was due to my assumption that the caller was someone who couldn’t believe that two black men would have a reason to enter a house in this neighborhood. The 911 tape of her phone call released today tells a different story.

Gates arrest 911 call –

“One looked kind of Hispanic but I’m not really sure, and the other one entered I didn’t see what he looked like at all,”  the caller tells the dispatcher on the line.  You can listen to a portion of the tape here but click the link withing the player to listen to the entire call which lasted nearly 3 minutes.

From the jump I believed that the phone call which was made was in order, and if she had indeed said that two black men entered the house, then that’s what she saw.  But in listening to the tape, this caller went out of her way to say that she didn’t know if there was a break-in happening, and never said that the subjects were black.

Racial profiling is real, but where is it in this case?

CNN looks for different angle in Black in America 2

Posted on by
4

One of the biggest complaints that I heard regarding last year’s groundbreaking spcecial Black in America on CNN, was that it painted the African-American community with a negative brush.

Struggling fathers and mothers, Black women who can’t find a man, people in prison, the argument was there for the making.  But it was also the place I remember hearing that White Americans with a felony have a better chance of getting a job than African-Americans without one.

This time, CNN is touting a solutions oriented approach with Black in America 2 that airs Wednesday night at 8 PM Central, and Thursday night at 7 PM.  Without directly responding to criticism of their generally well received first attempt, marketing for the program has promised something more.

Last night my family and I sat down to watch the 40 minute screener sent to us by CNN.  There were five impactful segments which were included:

  • The story of “Journey for Change,” a youth empowerment program founded by activist Malaak Compton-Rock
  • A segment on Black Marriages and one couple’s fight to stay together
  • A look at the Tyler Perry phenomenon and the success of his studio
  • Steve Perry and Capital Prep, a school he founded in Hartford, Conn.  Capital Prep has mostly African-American students in an urban setting and 100% of the students go on to attend a four year college upon graduation.
  • John Rice, brother of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, and his program which grooms minority executives

I was captivated by the stories of Rice and Steve Perry.  These two young men identified a need and are working to meet that need.  It’s a route that more individuals are going to have to take if our communities are to succeed.

The same can be said for Tyler Perry.  For people like me familiar with Perry from his stage play days, there really wasn’t anything new here. But it was still good to see the model of a man not just  complaining about lack of African-Americans on T.V., but employing African-Americans on camera and behind the camera.

Rock’s program didn’t strike me the same way, but some of the kids highlighted in the piece did.  One young man (I think he was 15) was a tall and outstanding basketball player, yet when Rock interviewed him for the program he was barely audible.  He constantly looked down and mumbled as he spoke, a far cry from the confidence he displayed in clips shown of him on the basketball court.

Similarly I was impacted by a young lady from Capital Prep who said when she was 15 her only goal was to get her G.E.D. and move into an apartment.  How many African-American girls across the country have also set such a pitifully low bar for themselves?  She’s now on track to attend college due in large part to her time at Steve Perry’s Magnet School.

I applaud CNN and Soledad O’Brien, as I did last year, for attempting to highlight the unique challenges that face African-Americans.  I also welcome their decision to focus on solutions and highlighting those who are out busting down walls, myths and stereotypes.

It’s easy to forget that prior to 2007, a show like Black in America barely made it to the idea phase, less known onto the screen.  NBC Nightly News  kind of got it rolling in November ’07 before Black in American in ’08.  Now show’s like TV One’s Stand in 2009 don’t not seem like outliers anymore.  Now that we see a Black President on TV everyday, it’s easy to forget that just a couple of short years ago -before Jena 6- Black folks on television was a rarity.

I will be locked in tonight (after the President’s Press Conference) at 8 PM Central to support CNN’s Black in America.  I hope it will inspire people to do more than just keep score, but to also get in the game and work to make a difference.