What do people think of the CNN "Black In America" series

[Bread and Circus]

and the timing of it during this campaign?

[vaberella]

1. I'm having a few issues on it. No one cared about Blacks in America (really) until Obama.

Now all of the sudden "my life in America" is up for grabs. Most people always used the comments like "can't they just get over it"...now we're being studied. Meh, don't know how I feel really, but I do know that it won't make much difference in the end.

[Avalux]

5. I agree. CNN wouldn't have done it if it wasn't vogue.

The best to come of it is that it might open the eyes of some people. That would be a good thing.

[snooper2]

26. To their CNN's credit...

Obrien (sp?) has been working on this series for like 18 months..

[Avalux]

29. I didn't know that - thanks.

Good to hear. I like Soledad OBrien; she gave up a cushy morning job to do more in-depth feature reporting.

[Tim4319]

2. I think it is a good idea.

I believe some of these issues needed to have been aired for a long time. These need to be ongoing discussions to expose what is really going on in the black communities.

[Cha]

9. Good to hear from your perspective,

Tim. I don't think it matters what the catalyst is as long as it came along.

[bigwillq]

3. Haven't watched a second of it

Is it any good? Is it worth watching? :shrug:

[tishaLA]

4. I saw Soledad O'Brien talking about it today

She said it has been in the works for 2 years, long before Sen Obama even announced. It was made to coincide with the 40th anniversary of MLK Jr's death.

She was taking questions and comments about it and, to her credit, she admitted that it has shortcomings because it's only 4 hours and cannot possibly address the heterogeneity of African Americanness because of those time constraints. She said it is designed to (re) start a conversation rather than pretending to be the first or last word on the issue. So, after hearing her, I felt better about it than I felt going into it.

[Bread and Circus]

6. Thanks for that information. I have been really confused

about what to think. I actually find it interesting however the way I feel about CNN right now makes it so hard to just take it for what it is.

[ecstatic]

7. Oh ok. I was wondering about the timing too nt

[Whisp]

11. Soledad is actually doing a good job with that I think

I don't have much respect for most of those CNNers and had lots of issues with her in the past but she done good here.

[goclark]

24. Soledad is of Afro- Cuban Heritage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soledad_O'Brien

I feel that her heart is in the right place and she is trying to present quality work. Realize that she is not in complete control of the segments --- CNN is behind that wheel and they must not show Black America as we see it.

I am African American and it is difficult to watch presentations of this nature because it hurts so much to see the negative images when we know how much we as a group have contributed in a positive way to this country.

That said, Soledad did excellent work with "Katrina" and the MLK's Memorial Tribute in my view.

Before she spoke out so strongly about the racism regarding Katrina etc., she was the Morning anchor for CNN.

To be perfectly honest, I think that is part of the reason that she lost her anchor spot.

I think her behind the scenes encouragement of CNN to build more bridges to the Black community is a tribute to Soledad.

There are few others on "MSM" who will seek to understand the beauty of our culture.

On MSNBC all we see of our RACE is their constant reminders and "reassurance" that White America is working as hard as they can to keep our Men in Prison!

I hate MSNBC for that, just hate them to the core. Hours and hours are devoted to the Prison Issues. Why does that continue to stand? I call MSNBC PPS, the Prison Plantation Station.

:mad:

[adoraz]

8. eh... I really don't know what to make of the ads

At first, I was really surprised when I saw it being advertised. I had to rewatch the ad just to make sure I heard it correctly.

I doubt I will watch it. Not saying the issue isn't important, of course, just saying that I don't watch much TV and when I do I rather watch comedy or the news.

[stray cat]

10. What I've seen I've liked and thought was well done.

I don't care if they are doing it because of Obama - if it educates Americans and brings things to our attention.

[uponit7771]

12. The whole thing is demeaning in a way IMHO, they talk around the root causes of issues in the black

...community and for some reason they have this IGNORANT teaser that wouldn't be viewed as positive for any community.

I don't like it, I don't like CNN talking around the root issues of the black community being racism and poverty.

[CitizenLeft]

13. the concept is good, but they can only scratch the surface...

...in 4 hours - actually, 5 1/2 hours, if you count the townhall-like special over the weekend (which I do, it was a prelude). Good attempt, though. I thought Soledad O'Brien did a good job.

As to how I "feel" about it... I don't know. I'm a little wary of "experts" explaining things to the rest of us, no matter what color we are. That sometimes annoys me. There's no one African-American voice, no one perspective, no one way of being black. If anything was taken from this, I hope it was that idea.

[old mark]

14. Soledad seemed unaware that blacks in the US had any problems.

She appeared sceptical when a father stated that he taught his sons how to respond to police if they were stopped for any reason when he stated that blacks had more problems with unjustified police attention, Soledad looked as if she had never heard of such a thing.

I wonder where she lives?

mark

[AspenRose]

18. You might want to look here; your assessment isn't quite accurate

"It happened to my brother Orestes. A Harvard medical student at the time, he was visiting a friend in Brooklyn, New York, when he was stopped and searched by officers late one night. He "fit the profile" of a robbery suspect. They dumped his belongings in the street and made him lie face-down. What infuriated him was that no apology ever followed when it became clear the cops got it wrong. It seemed no one felt that one was owed. My brother was seething when he told me the story. It happens all the time.

And it happens across the geographic and socioeconomic spectrum: rich, poor and in between. What surprised me most often during our production of "Black in America" were the universal stories of blacks followed or profiled. It was shocking to me.

So many parents told me of sitting down with their sons starting at 12 years old to tell them what to do if pulled over by the police so as not to get shot. I don't imagine many white parents even think such a conversation is necessary with their teenage sons."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/23/btsc.obrien/index.html

I think what she's shocked about is that it happens SO OFTEN and UNIVERSALLY among folks who have any visible african ancestry, regardless of socioeconomic class. It's happened to me, for sure. And it's happened to her brother.

[vaberella]

27. Well I can't agree. She is of African American lineage as well.

So in some way shape or form she's dealt with something similar.

[AspenRose]

33. Technically her lineage is Hispanic and Australian

Specifically, Black Cuban and Irish Australian. She was born here.

But yes, you're right. Which is why I had emphasized anyone with noticeable african heritage, so as to include people like her whose ancestral lineage wasn't American to begin with.

[Diamonique]

15. I haven't watched any of it.

I already know what it's like to be Black in America.

[Apollo11]

16. I saw about 30 minutes. Did not like it.

They switched from issues of racism and discrimination to issues of crime and drugs almost in the blink of an eye.

I think the way it was done could have the effect of reinforcing some of the negative stereotypes in relation to black men.

But on the plus side - it is very rare that you will see black men talking about their own experiences on TV.

So I guess I have to welcome the idea of doing this series (even if it is filling airtime in the summer vacation).

[Hepburn]

17. I am an elderly white female...

...and I watched some of this. IMO, it came across as a puff piece to me ~~ like a primer on black people for white people who had never realized that being black was different than being white in regard to treatment received and opportunities for advancement. Basically a superficial job ~~ but then there are probably people who do not realize that blacks have come from a place where they have had one hell of a struggle to get even minimal basic rights in this supposed "land of the free." I heard Whoopie Goldberg say the other day that her grandmother was born in the USA and did not have the right to vote for most of her life. That hit home to me more than anything I have seen in the series.

Good idea ~~ but just too superficial IMO.

[wvbygod]

19. What was whoopie trying to say?

Women got the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th amendment. Prior to that, some states
granted the right to women with CO being the first in 1893.

Black men got the right to vote when the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870.

So, I'm not sure what her point was that could not be made by any other woman.

[Hepburn]

21. It appeared to me that she was referring to the Voting Rights Act.

That took place in the 1960s ~~ well after when women were suppose to be guaranteed the vote in 1920. Seems like that applied to only whites and not to minority women. That was the point I got from that.

[awoke_in_2003]

23. "the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870"

But in many parts of this country, they were not allowed to excercise that right. Whether it be poll taxes, voting tests, or outright intimidation, they were kept from voting.

[tishaLA]

25. you've got to be kidding with this

if you don't know that we passed the Voting Rights Act in 1964 because many African Americans never got to exercise their franchise, I just don't know what to say.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

30. Ever heard of Jim Crow?

[Fire_brand]

28. I'm a young black man, and I agree

[Hepburn]

31. Thanks for the reply....

...at least for an elderly woman some of my radar on issues is still working!

:hi:

[uponit7771]

34. I'm a young black male also and agree with this assesment, it seemed to go nowhere in the realm of..

...solutions due to Soledad not focusing on the root cause of issues in any poor culture.

[Supersedeas]

20. I can't stomach So-so-bad, so I passed over this one

[BklynChick]

22. I watched a little last night and find it extremely deficit-centered. No surprise, CNN sucks.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. CNN has Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs.

CNN airing a show called "Black in America" is kind of like a klan member getting on Jerry Springer and saying "I don't hate all niggers, just the bad ones."

[cyndensco]

35. I think the series was ill-titled.

Rather than "Black in America" I think a more fitting title would have been "Black Americans' Stories" or something of that ilk. It taught me nothing about being black (not that I need any lessons), but did highlight struggles and successes some of us face.

My husband and I felt the presentation was rather elementary, rather simple. We were not sure who their target audience was. Since there were no revelations for us, we assumed they were trying to educate people who have little experience with blacks. Their use of the poet who introduced each vignette, though, seemed to be geared towards their black viewers. I was not impressed by him.

I ~guess~ it was a noble attempt by CNN, but at the same time, they need to realize black life in America can not, and should not, be so easily quantified.