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Black In America: CNN Investigates

By Carmen D. on Thursday, June 12th, 2008, 11:46 pm Comments

Black In America- A CNN Investigation-Airing July 23rd &24th

On July 23rd and 24th, CNN will present “Black in America” a six-hour look at the role race plays in the lives of many black Americans. From CNN:

Black in America: The Black Man, Wednesday, July 23, 9 p.m. (two hours)
Perhaps the most misreported group in America today, black men are often stereotypically depicted in the media as convicts, gang members and absentee fathers. Told through the personal stories of graduates of the 1968 class of Little Rock CentralHigh School, their sons and grandsons, for The Black Man, O’Brien seeks to determine whether life is better for black men now than it was 40 years ago. She reports on the disparities between blacks and whites in educational, career and economic achievement and factors leading to the devastating rates of black male incarceration. Contributing expert analysis are Harvard economist Dr. Roland Fryer, Princeton professor Dr. Devah Pager, journalist/social commentator Ellis Cose; and Georgetown University professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; and others. O’Brien reports on successes and dissects myths to explore the state of black men in America today.

Black in America: Black Women & Family, Thursday, July 24, 9 p.m. (two hours)
In this installment of Black in America, O’Brien, examines the unique and varied experiences of black women and families in America. O’Brien looks at the reasons behind the disturbing statistics on single parenthood, disparities between black and white students in the classroom, and the devastating toll of HIV/AIDS on black women. The Black Women & Family yields insights into black achievements and struggles and perspectives on King’s hopes for progress. The documentary is told through the experiences of the Houston-based Rand family with expert commentary from economist and Bennett College president Julianne Malveaux, Essence magazine editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray, Dallas-based preacher and life coach Bishop T.D. Jakes, TV/radio personality Michael Baisden, entrepreneur and activist Russell Simmons, actor Vanessa Williams, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher Dr. Camara Jones and others.

I am still gathering information, but the trailer is quite good. I would like to see some new names on the list of the interviewees, but I look forward to seeing how the series plays out.

  • Stella
    Nadine,

    You are SO RIGHT re: how they only showed Black women for a mere like, 25 minutes, out of a two-hour show, ostensibly based around "Black Women & The Family." The first segment (which after close to an hour of having not seen a single black woman I figured was "The Family" edition), dealt with a single father of two (touching), and a host of other predominately featured men... but if this is about the FAMILY, where was coverage on the woman?

    Ah, cut to the next segment: young black girls getting pregnant out of wedlock, Soledad's condescending questioning and "reporting", young black women with AIDS, the "alarming" statistic that more and more successful and educated black women are single (the horror!), and the black woman who married a white man and is in disagreement with him over raising their children exclusively black. That last bit really bothered me, as a multiracial Canadian myself. I mean, why have children with a WHITE MAN if you want to raise them as exclusively black instead of what they are-- mixed? But I digress.

    The Black woman was severely and blatantly ignored by large, the centre of discussion as usual being about the Black man, the drug and crime epidemic, men as "leaders" in the family, and men being unable to find jobs. This was featured strongly in both programmes. Forget the Black woman-- apparently that's what CNN is telling us. She is, by and large, insignificant and forever a victim.

    I can't belive how incredibly flawed this "documentary" is.
  • John Ricciardi
    Timing is everything and I was exposed to something really wrong on Thursday in NJ. I was so glad this show was on Thursday night, because I was just five hours before that I watched a New Jersey State Trooper pull over a car on the New Jersey parkway at road sign 81.2 at appox. 11.00am that was driving normal and a spedd limit along with three other cars mine being one of them and this NJ State policeman car passes all of us by , than slows down and goes behind the front car to pull it over. I was like what did this car do we were all driving safely down the road not speeding. As I pasted the car I saw that the driver was Black, and I new that guy was pulled over because of that. I was so mad I wanted to call the 911 and complain but I didn't want to get myself targeted so I just drove on.
    I swear that that car was profiled and pulled over because the driver was black. I am a white american and I am so pissed that this guy was treated this way.
    If there was a way to contact the person and the state police and file a complain I would, on behalf of this person.
  • Nadine
    I have a couple of questions...

    Why was an entire show dedicated to the plight of Black Men when Black Women received little to no significant coverage in the 1 hour they were allotted (I assumed 1 hour black family/1 hour black woman)? There were more black men in the show about black women and families than black women.

    Did anyone else notice how the wives and daughters of the black men featured on both days were completely ignored?

    Why weren't the very same issues addressed for Black men not covered for black women the previous night? Apparently, all we do is walk around with HIV and birth babies...um...how did these women get HIV by the way?

    How could O'Brien ignore the DEVASTATION of the COMMERCIAL NON-RAP media images of black women (MAMMIES, MAMMIES EVERYWHERE) and the fact the most casting agents are white women advancing their own deified agendas? The effects of commercial media images on black women in their day to day experiences -- struggles with African HAIR textures in this country -- Black women's BEAUTY or lack thereof according to the media -- all issues that were COMPLETELY IGNORED! ISSUES THAT IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIATED BY STUDIES ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN YOUR SHADE AND YOUR WEALTH. ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES REGARDING THE BIG, BLACK, FEISTY, ANGRY, BLACK WOMAN PEPPERED THROUGHOUT THE AMERICAN CONSCIOUSNESS.ISSUES THAT EFFECT THE SOULS...THE SPIRITS OF BLACK WOMEN ON A DAILY BASIS!!! WE ARE DYING OF STRESS...CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT SOL, OR do you not identify?!?!

    ...and ANGRY BLACK MAN...I'M SOOOO GLAD YOU PEEPED IT. I saw an earlier clip and called all my friends to alert them of the Michael Eric Dyson segment.

    Who would have "thunk" that the one and only time COMPLEXION, a HUMONGOUS, DEBILITATING issue for darker-skinned blacks in America, is brought up in a series about being Black in America only one minute before the end of the last installment ONLY TO BE SHOT DOWN BY A MISERABLE SOLEDAD WHO SAW EVEN THE IDEA OF A COLOR COMPLEX AS UNBEARABLE.

    No I'm not going to just be thankful they did a show on Black folk. Soledad...I get it.

    This race pimping by the privileged people of color whose struggles in the white world wore them out -- wears me out. Faux academics, black economists used as sociological experts, Charles Barkley who lost his membership years ago and the supposed black elite who have all rallied around the idea that the working poor is responsible for a revolution as opposed to every classical philosopher who knew that revolution could only come from the middle class.

    I'm tired of it. Soledad should be ashamed of herself. Dyson should be pissed.
  • V Dwight
    Shall I begin by apologizing for blogging-in with white comments on a seemingly-predominantly black site? No, don't think I'll go there because this should be an open discussion to be effective. Besides, I learned from some good black friends long ago that it's not my apologies, but my understanding, that you prefer.
    Programs such as this, when viewed by open-minded people, can almost always bring better understanding, even if they fail to address subjects as deeply or succinctly as many of you feel they should. Although the necessary distractions of caring for an aging/ailing parent kept me from total attention to the two segments, I was glad I paid attention to most of the post-commercial break intros to them. The young man's words, the camera-angles & the added emphasis of the graphics offered the most salient points to the entire program & should have better directed the following content of each part. When they didn't, it probably WAS the fault of too many white hands on the directing & editing.
    "Andre" was quite correct when he spoke to the "priviledges of being white." Few whites, if any, myself included, can ever hope to wholly understand the experience of blacks dealing with this white world unless we fully & intentionally immerse ourselves in the life as did John Howard Griffin in the 60s (white author of "Black Like Me"). We whites in America just don't get it, because we've never had to try to live within a society ruled by another race. Therefore, we've never been challenged to understand the complications our own domination causes for others. White people, for all our supposed intelligence, have never quite grasped the concept that those forced to live within our societal bounds will always know more about us than we ever will about them, even if we care to try! Our almost automatic priviledge in this country nearly guarantees that we won't even try! Our dominance breeds arrogance, which fosters ignorance, which thus produces fear, prejudice, anger & bigotry. And THEN, we're totally amazed when young blacks are bent to lives outside our understanding when faced with such attitudes!
    I'm not certain yet that I'll be voting for Obama this year, but I am overjoyed that we've come far enough to finally have the choice of someone besides an old white dude! We are, after all, the only major democratic nation in the world to never elect anything but! My only objections to him are his comparative inexperience in national affairs & his youthful exhuberance in calling for immediate CHANGE. With all of his intelligence, charisma & articulate speachmaking, could he REALLY convince Congress to implement such?? I also worry that he would be an almost immediate target for an unthinking assassin. Every ground-breaking President this country has ever had has been cut down in his prime... would he be yet another?? I'd rather see him lose & live to run another day!!
    But I have digressed, as I'm prone to do. Back to the "Black In America" discussion. Much as I hate to say it, I have to put the onus back on the black community to try to improve things in the great racial divide. Not to say that there are not a lot of whites who are willing & able to listen & perhaps understand, but we need far more "schooling" than you do. You discuss race relations on a regular basis, among yourselves. We do not, but need to. I challenge everyone out there to reach out to just one person of another race and/or religion, become honest & open with them & try to begin to understand their hearts. Just one good, honest effort can have exponential effects that could finally begin to heal a divide that is sure to defeat us if we deny it!
    I have been lucky in my life. I was never reared with open prejudice & have made quite a few lasting friendships with blacks over the past 40+ years. My closest ones have always been quite open about helping me understand our differences, my mere acquaintances however, have always seemed suspicious of my questions. I may never quite learn, but I'm always open to more education & I think that's one major key.
    Remain as open as you can to educating us. We're slow learners because of our priviledge, our arrogance, and yes, our fears. And while I think that the "Black In America" program was okay, I truly feel that several reruns of the old film "Black Like Me" would have much more impact for us white folks, as would reruns of that program from several years ago which portraid whites & blacks changing colors & living in their opposite cultures. THOSE were riveting!! They demonstrated, as nothing else can, the inherent problems, differences, cares & needs of us all... just as PEOPLE, not as blacks or whites.
    To this very day, no matter how much I might wish otherwise, I'm sure I still make remarks which some find offensive. I can't remember the last time I ever did that intentionally, so if many people are like me, it may simply be a matter of ignorance, not prejudice. Give us a break, give us an ear & give us some better education!
    'Nuf said??
  • I do appreciate the broadcasting of issues related to the black community (especially on CNN) but I just feel like it was all too cliche'. How many times do we have to see the poor black people on drugd/welfare/single parents? This is painting a picture to our youth and white america that our future and present for that matter is hopeless.

    They missed the ball on a fairly large sample of successful african americans who do not come from such compromised backgrounds who don't date white men/women. I applaud the light skinned brothers for their successes, but let's be honest... do they even really identify as being black? Probably when it's convenient and gets them on tv. I dislike when people say someone sounds white/black because of the words they choose. But voice tonation appears to be a better correlate and with the tones of those guys' voices... not representative of the people.

    Once again, I'm glad they showed the program because it opens discussion but I just hope we can increase accuracy of representativeness in the future.
  • Angry Black Man
    My first question, why did Soledad O'Brien get slightly defensive when Michael Eric Dyson said, that he may have had colour advantages that his darker skinned brother may not have had, hmmm....Many of our lighted skinned brothas and sistas are in denial of this notion, like white folks are in denial about racism.
    Secondly, why did't somebody ask why those brothas in Arkansas can't find no successful black female companions. The DA said it was a class issue....his white inlaws look like blue collar white folks to me. Maybe they should have watch segment one.
    Thirdly, how many WHITE FOLKS actually watched this program and took note. Ah, its the niggas bitchin again about race, POOR timing Soledad, especially when we are tryin to get OBAMA elected.
    I'm sorry I just found this program to be nothing more of the rehashing of the Black Misery Index.
  • Cautiously Optimistic
    I have to say upon viewing the commercial for the first time, I was filled with so much disgust. I feel as if CNN is exploiting the complex problems within the African American community for rating purposes. Though it "attempts" to show both sides of spectrum, much of the issues discussed are overwhelmingly negative. What does CNN attempt to accomplish in airing such a program? Because, by simply airing this program, it will not solve the array of issues plaguing the African American community. My fear is that this program will reaffirm the stereotypes held by white Americans who have long held biases toward the African American community. How can we as a people culturally & intellectually progress in society, when we are being constantly bombarded by such negatives images about a particular group of people. It only justifies biases held towards African Americans and makes it more difficult for these people to progress in society, because they have these grand labels that they must carry with them every where they go. They do not get a break from these labels, and feel enormous pressure to disprove them every minute they are awake. What kind of existence is that?
  • Carl L.
    Carmen, My first question is was this show funded by white people? Cause I honestly feel this show was not only made to show the seperation of black men and black woman and families but also how powerful we as black people really are. But our power is constantly downsized to keep us in the position we are in by keeping the black man and the black woman seperated! Hence the two different segments...We as a race are nothing without the black man and white people realize that so what does White America Do? Throw us in Jail, prevent us from getting jobs, and stereotype us as if we are all good for nothing criminals, who are pimps, drug dealers and dont take care of our kids when that is far from the truth!!!
  • Kat
    The first part was interesting. I'm looking for to the second part.
  • A FREE AMERICAN
    THIS IS GOOD.

    The Show(even it's title), Producers, and CNN have done exactly what they were set out to do.... Start conversation, self reflection, and the desire for MORE change. I appreciate the stories being told and the amount of work it took to put a segment, this in depth, together. It allows an outlet for America to see the struggle that many Blacks are put through. America would be blind towards these stories without them being aired, and the awareness/change we desire would be hard to accomplish.

    I agree with Denise(above): If you desire quicker change "what can you do to help the situation".


    "Change happens only when you elimininate your excuses and pursue your own interests to the fullest."
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