Take a Time Out!

iStockphoto.com

You know what's funny about this business?

You never know what people are going to respond to. I expected that we might get some feedback on our segment on "To Spank or Not to Spank," but the reaction was much more than I'd anticipated.

A lot of people were pissed. At least, those who consider the practice of corporal punishment barbaric. Some people equate spanking with abuse, period.

Judge Lynn Toler and I delved into this sensitive area, but spoke candidly and from the perspective of parents (we both are), who have spanked our children. When compared to the hurt that words or emotional abuse can also cause, spanking seemed to be at least worthy of consideration.

Or so I thought.

Now I'll admit when I asked the judge about "where" it was appropriate to administer a spanking, I didn't expect that she would answer "on the thigh." What I had meant, but hadn't made clear enough to her, was where "in public" a spanking might be appropriate, since in public is exactly where children are often at their misbehaving worst.

I think the location of spanking is an issue that some parents grapple with, both on the child's body (hands, behinds, legs -- but differently for boys than for girls), as well as when and where in public a spanking is the only way to get your point across.

I think a lot of this discussion is generational and cultural. When and where I grew up, adults were free to administer spankings and there was a tacit approval given to certain close friends and neighbors to give you a whack if you merited it.

Not now.

And that's why we had the discussion. And that, presumably, is why a number of listeners responded, suggesting that the judge and I perhaps needed therapy, or maybe something worse because we are clearly out of touch, and behind the curve of parental disciplining.

I'm not so sure about that. Maybe I need a time out to think about it.

Tony Cox

4:07 PM ET | 01-29-2009 | permalink

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I See White People

Supporters of then President-elect Barack Obama celebrate outside the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008.

Lawrence Jackson, AP Photo

Since the election and inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States, our show -- and countless others -- have talked ad nauseam about the issue of race, and what Obama's ascension to the highest office in the land means for America and its citizens -- especially for citizens of color.

But black folks aren't the only ones who have a stake in the success or failure of the new black president. In fact, although we have claimed him as wholly ours, the truth of his mixed-race heritage cannot and should not be over looked.

Is he, as so many have suggested, a post-racial figure?

Do white Americans have reason to fear him?

Today, we committed a major segment of our show to talk with people, whose racial views we too often take for granted. We wanted to hear what white folks think about race and the president, from white folks themselves.

Two bloggers -- a generation apart in age -- appeared on News & Notes to discuss Obama from the white perspective. A third scheduled guest fell ill at the last moment and had to back out.

Was the discussion insightful? Informative? Uncomfortable?

Yes, yes and yes.

It is not often that shows centering on black issues showcase white guests in this way. But we did, and we will again.

Check it out, and give us your feedback.

Has there been a paradigm shift on the discussion of race in this country?

There has on News & Notes.

Tony Cox

4:50 PM ET | 01-27-2009 | permalink

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Black Designer Rep. To Michelle Obama: 'That Was Our Moment'

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance together at the Obama Home States Inaugural Ball in Washington.

Charlie Neibergall, AP Photo

A group called the Black Artists Association is publicly admonishing First Lady Michelle Obama for not wearing works by black designers during the inauguration festivities.

The group's cofounder, Amnau Eele, unleashed her vitriol to fashion industry magazine Women's Wear Daily (emphasis ours):

... Cofounder Amnau Eele said Wednesday she will make a formal appeal to the First Lady's office on behalf of the BAA. "It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World' by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?" Eele said. The BAA leader was a runway model in her own right for Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Bill Blass and others.

Asked if perhaps the First Lady isn't looking at the world colorlessly, Eele said, "It's one thing to look at the world without color but she had seven slots to wear designer clothes. Why wasn't she wearing the clothes of a black designer? That was our moment."

The blog Michelle Obama Watch which -- as the name suggests -- tracks "anything to do with Michelle," writes in response:

"Funny. I thought it was HER moment after sacrificing her life and the lives of her children to allow her husband to run for and win the White House. I listened to the inaugural speeches and did not hear anything about the INAUGURATION being a moment for Black fashion designers."

What's your assessment? Do the Obamas, in fact, have an added responsibility to promote black businesses?

Geoffrey Bennett

12:51 PM ET | 01-26-2009 | permalink

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It Doesn't Matter That I Wasn't There

Beth Perry has this week's installment of "Speak Your Mind." The Los Angeles-based magazine writer says of yesterday's inauguration, "whether in the streets of Washington or the sofas of Westwood, it was impossible to deny the innumerable shift."

At first, I was so disappointed that I didn't want to watch.

Due to an overbooked hotel, a delayed cross-country flight, sold-out train tickets and an all-access pass that turned out to be unusable, my plans to witness President Barack Obama's inauguration firsthand fell apart.

And so it was with a measure of dejection and frustration that I turned on the television at 7 yesterday morning to watch the festivities from 3,000 miles away.

I saw clusters of hooded faces stretched for what looked like miles behind the Capital. I watched Aretha Franklin power her way through a feathery rendition of "My Country, Tis of Thee," festooned with a giant grey-knit-and-rhinestone bow that rivaled the mammoth Bible Jill Biden held as her husband took the vice presidential oath.

I marveled at the showmanship of a coatless Yo-Yo Ma, wielding his bow like a majorette's baton, smiling widely even as the 20-degree chill turned his face maroon. And then I saw the future First daughters, dolled up in double-breasted coats, ribbon sashes and puffy gloves, careful not to touch their freshly curled hair. I thought of myself on childhood Easters, covered in ruffles and struggling to focus during seemingly interminable church services.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk the inaugural parade route in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.

Charles Dharapak, AP Photo

I saw Michelle Obama, a vision of French silk and Swiss wool lace, standing tall in her ivy kitten heels cradling a Bible that existed when her great-great grandparents were slaves. She beamed at her husband, all curves and confidence, not a hair out of place, and I thought of my mother, a no-nonsense physician who integrated her tiny Ohio grade-school when she was six.

When I saw Barack Obama -- proud, poised, and presidential -- strolling down Pennsylvania Avenue a few feet away from a replica of the city bus Rosa Parks rode in 54 years ago, waving at the world with one hand and faithfully holding his wife with the other, I thought of my grandfather, who spent his teenage years taking my grandmother to movies in the "colored" part of town.

I was with him on election night when, dying of lung cancer that had spread to his brain, he woke up from a nap, heard that Obama had won, and said simply: "I knew this was possible." I thought of the blind fear my father felt as a child riding in the backseat when his family drove through Mississippi and remembered the day, shortly after I'd been named valedictorian of my Tennessee high school, that I stopped in a suburban ice cream shop and a 7-year-old boy called me a n-----.

When I saw our new president clap his hands in the parade reviewing stand and laugh as our new first lady bounced her shoulders to her high school's marching band, I lost my breath. Suddenly, the most powerful family in our nation reminded me of my own. Was this possible? My culture, my undeniably black experience of pin curls and pantyhose, of edge-ups and electric slides had become presidential.

President Barack Obama's daughters Sasha and Malia watch the inaugural parade in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.

Jae Hong, AP Photo

The pillars of a happy, loving, unadulterated, successful black family had morphed into unrivaled cultural icons. With a touch of swagger in his gait, Barack Obama had stepped squarely into the annals of history, bringing the consciousness of every person of color with him. I was immediately struck by a visceral sense of validation, an intangible feeling of belonging, when before that moment I hadn't realized I'd felt like I didn't belong.

I am not, as they say, drinking the Kool Aid. I realize that like all before him, President Obama is a politician. The systemic cesspool facing his administration will not be easy to fix; some promises will not be kept, and some supporters will be disappointed. But yesterday, as he made "hang-ten" gestures and she two-stepped to Stevie Wonder, when the girls pressed their noses to the bulletproof glass and giggled without self-consciousness, when all of a sudden the public face of my country actually looked a little like mine, none of that mattered.

The great James Baldwin once wrote that "there are people in the world for whom 'coming along' is a perpetual process, people who are destined never to arrive." On Jan. 20, whether in the streets of Washington or the sofas of Westwood, it was impossible to deny the innumerable shift, the core feeling that after two centuries of coming along -- of getting better and then falling short, of learning from our mistakes and then repeating them -- that our country, our wonderful, vibrant country, had in some fundamental way finally arrived.

-- Beth Perry is a magazine writer living in Los Angeles.

Geoffrey Bennett

12:52 PM ET | 01-21-2009 | permalink

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Open Thread: Hail To A New Chief

President Bush, (center right), and first lady Laura Bush, (center left), welcome President-elect Barack Obama, (far left), and his wife Michelle Obama, (right), on the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP Photo

Share your thoughts about today's presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.

If you aren't near a radio or TV, you can listen to NPR's coverage online or watch the live Webcast of the swearing in.

Geoffrey Bennett

10:37 AM ET | 01-20-2009 | permalink

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Revisiting King's Iconic "I Have A Dream" Speech

As we mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are revisiting his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C.

How are you observing King Day? What does King's message mean to you, on the eve of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration? Has King's dream been fulfilled?

Geoffrey Gardner

12:10 PM ET | 01-19-2009 | permalink

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Hello, Goodbye

Outside of News & Notes' Studio B

Geoffrey Bennett, NPR

While all eyes and ears are on the Inaugural festivities in the nation's capital this week, we're undergoing our own changing of the palace guard here at News & Notes.

Farai Chideya has left the program, effective today, but will be back in a cameo role during our inauguration coverage on Tuesday. We're all going to miss her deeply, not only because she's an outstanding communicator, but because Farai is one of the good people in the business.

She cares, and her ability to connect with folks on-air, and off, is in no small measure what has made News & Notes the show so many of you have come to appreciate.

I've also been privileged to be a part of this show's history, and, along with the other members of the News & Notes staff, I'd like to assure you that we're not gone. Yet.

Until March 20, 2009, News & Notes will continue to air every day as it always does, with new shows. As host, I promise we will continue to bring to you the same insightful, sometimes controversial, but always relevant stories of and by people who often slip below the mainstream radar.

There has never been a program quite like ours in the history of National Public Radio. It was a bold experiment that, unfortunately, has nearly run its course. So, until the "On Air" light goes out nine weeks from now, we're gonna play on.

I invite you to stay with us.

Tony Cox

4:24 PM ET | 01-16-2009 | permalink

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The Best Audience Ever

Farai Chideya

Geoffrey Bennett, NPR

You guys are the best audience ever. I cannot tell you how much it means to wake up with your e-mails every day and go to sleep knowing that somewhere, someone is listening to News & Notes.

Today is my last day as host of NPR's News & Notes. I will always be a friend to the show and to public radio.

I've worked for magazines, television, and as an Internet consultant. I've freelanced and written books. Sometimes I've had money in the bank; sometimes I've run myself into credit card debt when a check didn't come. In other words, I have seen the ups and downs of the media world from a lot of different vantage points.

This is a tough business ... and it is a business. But for most of us who make a go of it, it's also a calling. We are entrusted with being truth-tellers and bridge builders. Journalism is the connective tissue that holds together our collective public body.

Today, I see how hard audiences are fighting to make sure that there is still community-minded news that brings people together.

Don't give up.

Please keep listening to News & Notes, which will be hosted by the fabulous Tony Cox until the final show on March 20th.

In the meantime, and always, you are powerful. Public radio and public media are here because of you.

With love and appreciation,

Farai

Farai Chideya

4:15 PM ET | 01-16-2009 | permalink

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Grandmaster Flash's Inventive Genius

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are synonymous with the birth of hip hop.

Flash was the group's mastermind, and in the late 1970s, the group's performances in New York public parks and nightclubs helped give hip hop its identity.

He chronicles his life and career in the book, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats. Listen to more of the interview here.

In the video excerpt below, Grandmaster Flash explains how he first became curious about the mechanics of sound and how his pioneering nature led him to revolutionize the DJ scene.

Geoffrey Gardner

2:24 PM ET | 01-16-2009 | permalink

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Open Thread: Inauguration Inundation

Stacks of Barack Obama T-shirts sit on a shelf at the Official Inaugural Collectibles store in Washington.

Jose Luis Magana, AP Photo

It's your turn.

If you are planning to attend next week's inauguration of President-elect Obama ... or watch the festivities while ensconced on your couch, we want to hear from you.

Share your thoughts, expectations, and concerns about Obama's inauguration and subsequent first term in the White House.

Geoffrey Bennett

2:32 PM ET | 01-14-2009 | permalink

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Have A Question About Book Publishing?

On today's show, Farai Chideya guided a conversation about African-American authors and the future of book publishing.

Our guests -- Haki Madhubuti, Quincy Troupe, and Nakea Murray -- covered the finer points of editing and quality control, self-publishing, and literary marketing. The three agreed to continue the conversation online.

So, if you have a question or comment about book publishing, leave it below, and we'll have our guests respond.

Geoffrey Bennett

4:18 PM ET | 01-13-2009 | permalink

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Farewell, Freddie Hubbard

This June 14, 2008 file photo shows Freddie Hubbard and his band perform at the 10th Annual Indy Jazz Fest at Military Park in Indianapolis, Ind.

AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger

Timing is everything in this business, so it was an unfortunate twist of timing that prevented us from airing the incredible "Legends" interview we did with the great jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard before he died last December 29th.

Producer Roy Hurst and I have done many of these in-depth interviews with jazz greats over the last half dozen years here at NPR, and on occasion -- this is one of them -- the experience is quite extraordinary.

Freddie came into our NPR West studios hobbling on a cane, slightly pudgy and seemingly a bit faint of breath. But, as he sat behind the microphone to re-live his life and career as one of the premier jazz performers of the 20th century, he came alive.

He didn't duck any questions, admitting his substance problems that robbed him of his talents, and that he was once afraid of the challenge of going against Lee Morgan and Miles Davis, but pushed on anyway, driven by his own competitive spirit.

There was much more to the interview than we had time to air this week, but we tried to give you a sense of who he was and what drove him to make the music he made. Hopefully, before our show goes off the air March 20th, we will be able to bring you the remainder of that interview, including the fascinating story of what I consider the finest live recording Freddie Hubbard ever made: "The Night Of The Cookers" live at the Club La Marchal.

That night was on an on-stage heavyweight battle between two budding jazz giants, Freddie and Lee Morgan, frantically, breathlessly going head to head. It is a rare, hard-to-find recording, but we have it.

If you are a lover of jazz, you won't want to miss this.

Tony Cox

2:11 PM ET | 01- 9-2009 | permalink

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Obama Joins Bush, Three Living Former Presidents

U.S. President George W. Bush (center) meets with President-elect Barack Obama (second-left), former President Bill Clinton (second-right), former President Jimmy Carter (right) and former President George H.W. Bush (left) in the Oval Office today.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

Geoffrey Bennett

1:02 PM ET | 01- 7-2009 | permalink

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Federal TV Converter Program Goes Broke

We hope you got yours early. The federal program which provides vouchers for digital television converters has run out of money.

More via PC World:

The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration's TV Converter Box Coupon Program, with a $1.3 billion budget from Congress, has been depleted, the NTIA announced. Starting last Sunday, U.S. residents applying for a digital TV converter box voucher were put on a waiting list, the agency said.

On Feb. 17, U.S. television stations will stop broadcasting analog signals and switch to digital, as required by Congress. Many U.S. residents who own TVs receiving signals over the air, through an antenna, will no longer be able to receive TV signals, although some newer TV sets are capable of receiving digital broadcasts.

Customers of cable or satellite TV service will not be affected; they already have digital converter boxes as part of their service.

Flashback: Will Your TV Go Dark In February?

Geoffrey Bennett

12:38 PM ET | 01- 7-2009 | permalink

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Should Burris' Senate Appointment Be Honored?

Illinois U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris leaves the U.S. Capitol, seen right, in Washington after he was turned away when he appeared to take his seat.

Charles Dharapak, AP Photo

Amid a chaotic scene on Capitol Hill today, the Secretary of the Senate denied former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris from taking the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Burris, 71, said he was told "my credentials are not in order and will not be accepted." Speaking to reporters, Burris added he was "not seeking to have any type of confrontation."

Here's more from the Associated Press:

It was a spectacular demonstration of political gridlock at a time when the Democratic-controlled Congress has been eagerly awaiting Obama's inauguration while nervously anticipating tense work on a much-discussed stimulus program to steady the faltering economy.

An attorney for Burris, Timothy W. Wright III, said that "our credentials were rejected by the secretary of the Senate. We were not allowed to be placed in the record books. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath. All of which we think was improperly done and is against the law of this land. We will consider our options and we will certainly let you know what our decisions will be soon thereafter."

Asked what his options were, Wright said there possibly could be a court challenge and he said that Burris also would continue to talk to the Senate leadership.

Should the Senate honor Burris' appointment by embroiled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich? What do you think of Burris' Senate pursuit?

On today's show, Farai Chideya gets an update from NPR's Cheryl Corley and professor Sherrilyn Ifill.

Geoffrey Bennett

12:10 PM ET | 01- 6-2009 | permalink

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