Karl Rove Visits Again

Politics, faith, Barbershop - that's essentially the rundown for Fridays. Karl Rove in the house! That would be the former deputy Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush ... the "architect" of the President's election victories in the President's own words. He's making his second visit to TMM. I know some of you dig him and I know some of you don't. But he had a very interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about the Presidential race and we thought you should hear what he had to say.

As for the conversion issue in Israel ... We have covered the question of conversion before from a personal perspective - this is a religiously fluid country after all - but in some countries the personal, the religious IS political. As Israel marks this important milestone - the 60th anniversary of its independence and founding as a sanctuary for the Jewish people - it is fascinating that there is still this ongoing struggle over who belongs and who does not. It is a very complicated question. We plan to have more about the Independence of Israel next week. It is a far more ethnically diverse country that is obvious to some and we will bring you some stories about that.

PLUS ... the diva of divas ... the chief story teller of them all. The one, the only Barbara Walters. You have already heard the deep dish about her relationship with former Sen. Edward Brooke on shows like Oprah and an ABC news special. We'll only talk a tiny bit about that BECAUSE we have actually have bigger fish to fry ... such as how Barbara views diversity in the media and what she's tried to do about it. We hope you'll tune in.

And to all the MOMS out there - Happy Mother's Day! And to all the people who help the Moms do what they do (in addition to the Dads, because you know, that's a whole different thing), the girlfriends, the gal pals, single and otherwise, who help keep the Moms UPRIGHT, who come over to keep you company, take you shopping, take a walk with the kids, give you a break ... the babysitters, the grandmas ... you know who you are (Athelia, Gwen, Wendy, Sandra, "Sis," Sabrina, Enj, Miss Ros, Trevvie, Coreen, Jonna. Yes it takes a village). Love you!!!

-- Michel Martin

2:41 PM ET | 05- 9-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

Back from Jackson

It was good to make that trip to Jackson, Mississippi and it's good to be back.

The trip made a profound impact on me. One of the reasons was that it forced me to read Unita Blackwell's marvelous memoir "Barefootin'"

This book was one of the first that landed on my desk when I started this program over a year ago. We started actually in podcast form and I desperately wanted to talk to her but for a variety of reasons it did not work out at the time, so I put the book on my shelf and there it sat. I knew Unita Blackwell's name but I confess that I did not know much about her other than that she was the first African American female mayor in the STATE of Mississippi, that in that job she was able to bring running water and municipal sanitation services to her town, she was close to Fannie Lou Hamer ... and that she was, well, a character.

What I did NOT know was everything else: she was born to sharecropping parents, she picked and chopped cotton alongside them as soon as she was able. She dropped out of school in the eighth grade (and went on to get a master's degree, teach at Harvard! and become a MacArthur Fellow). That she was friends with Shirley MacLaine (another story!). And that her courage and that of her husband and countless other less well known women and men are a very large reason why this country is a better place today.

Why?

Here's a passage from Barefootin.' It describes a time she and 1100 other people were arrested after a PEACEFUL march in support of voting rights in June 1965. Notice I said 1965, not 1865 . The men and women were separated. They were held for days crammed into a municipal livestock barn. Do I need to help you with that metaphor? Here is some of what they experienced.

"Nobody even had a change of clothes. We'd all wash out our underwear every night and hang it in the bathroom--hundreds panties hanging everywhere. Police would pull up the women's dresses. Just a lot of filth went on, you know. They brought in doctors and they opened everyone of the women's legs, mine included. We had to undress and they looked up our vaginas, put their hands up in there and stuck things in them. They said they were examining us to see if we had some terrible disease. It was not even done privately, but with a whole bunch of women in a big room at the .same time. It was terrible to see hundreds of naked humiliated women all standing in a row. So depressing and sad and repulsive. we did not have any blankets or anything to lie on. We slept on bare concrete floors. And the police walked up--kept us moving. They wold walk us all night long. Just about time we'd nod off to sleep somebody would come in and say, "Niggers move up." and the guards worked in shifts to keep us awake, to harass and torture us. They would go to hollering at one or two o'clock in the morning. They'd say things like, "something is stinking here. Do you see any niggers?" then they would come in and move us again."

It went on like this for ELEVEN DAYS.

Now, as I said, Unita Blackwell went on to do amazing things. I was so grateful to have the chance to talk to her yesterday, even though our circumstances made it impossible to meet in person (she lives in Mayersville, about 90 minutes from Jackson and just was not up to the drive and we could not get there and back in time to meet our other obligations.) I appreciated the interview; she was so lovely and warm and gracious.

But I want to ask you: Would you blame her if she were angry? Would you ask her to defend it, to insist that she should "let that go?" Do you see any connection to the treatment of others, being done in your name, as citizens of the United States? I ask you.

Once again I want to apologize for the noticeable technical difficulties we experienced throughout the Jackson remote. We did our best to fix them and we are having a meeting today to help us understand how to avoid those problems in the future. But we thank our friends at WJSU AND Mississippi Public Broadcasting who also helped us get on the air. It's good to get out of the office and we are so glad you invited us.

-- Michel Martin

3:48 PM ET | 05- 8-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

Rough Morning in Jackson

Michel broadcasts from WJSU in Jackson, Miss.

Freddy Norman

If you've heard our show today, then you know we had some pretty serious technical problems. I won't bore you with all the complexities of what it takes to broadcast from another studio -- this time WJSU in Jackson, Miss. Suffice to say that we had some issues. But, we don't want the snafus to take away from what we believe was a very strong show -- and a very important visit we made down south. So I'll just ask you to be patient and forgive our very 'raw' show. Hey, it's LIVE radio, right? I'll let Michel tell you more about the trip when she gets back in the office.

We started the show with a conversation about last night's primary results in North Caorlina and Indiana. Obama swept North Carolina, Clinton took Indiana with a small margin. What's next? Take a listen -- and note what William Raspberry had to say about the Wright / Obama issue.

Also, a conversation about the rising Latino population in Mississippi -- and concerns that lack of access to healthcare may be making the newcomers vulnerable to HIV.

Then, a talk with a Sudanese refugee in Mississippi and one of the state's former first ladies, who explains what made her take on the cause of the Sudanese refugees.

Mississippi's first African American mayor and long-time civil rights activist Unita Blackwell shares her wisdom.

And fashion designer Hilton Hollis, a native of Natchez, Miss., explains how his southern roots influence his designs. He says the gothic architecture in his hometown inspires many of his ideas. Do you relate? Do you ever think the very surroundings you grew up around influence your style?

We're having a meeting about our A segment for tomorrow. More on that soon.

-- Douglas Hopper

3:12 PM ET | 05- 7-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

All the Same in the Classroom?

And we're off to Jackson, Mississippi, to visit with the folks at member station WJVS - right after the show. We'll be broadcasting from there tomorrow. But for today, the customary election day "Blackout" on election coverage is in effect. We avoid - and I do mean avoid because we are tearing ourselves away from it - political or campaign news on a day like today for a whole host of reasons, the main of which is to avoid saying something which might be incorrect, which might have an affect on the voting but which we then would be unable to correct in time. Anything containing "advocacy" is verboten until the polls close. But until then, here's an interesting article about why some people can't get off the whole Jeremiah Wright thing. We have been talking about this in the office (of course some of it is partisan ... people who want to beat Obama are obviously going to grasp on anything they can to make him look bad. Unless of course they are guided by some inner moral compass. But who are we kidding?). What we've been debating here in the office is why is it that white politicians like John McCain aren't being forced to account for similar relationships, like with John Hagee who has made what a lot of people consider offensive comments about Catholics and Muslims? PBS's Bill Moyers, who interviewed Wright on his program, said, it comes down to race after all. But here's another idea about WHY it comes down to race:

Researchers suggest that it comes to the way people associate people of other races or appearances as being more alike then they do members of their own group. Putting it another way, we all want to be judged as individuals and can judge members of our own group as individuals. But we have a tendency to associate people of different races as being more similar to each other. Anyway don't take my word for it. Read this and see if it rings true to you.

Speaking of decoding Wright ... we just could not help but revisit one of the issues he raised in one of his now infamous appearances before the Detroit NAACP - which is: do black kids and white kids have different learning styles? We decided to ask one of the people he cited in his speech, Wayne State's Dr. Janice Hale what she thinks. And another scholar who's spent time thinking about the way kids learn. See what you think.

Both of the educators we talked to, Pedro Noguera of New York University and Janice Hale, of Wayne State University, have done extensive work on this question of whether kids of different ethnic backgrounds learn differently and they have come away with very different views. If you want to learn more, here are books by each of them:

Pedro Nogeura:
His latest book, published just this April is The Trouble with Black Boys.

And Janice Hale: You can find out about her books here.

This is a very interesting issue. We will have to return to it.

-- Michel Martin

11:14 AM ET | 05- 6-2008 | permalink | comments (15) | e-mail post

The Barbershop Revealed

Jimi, get ready for your close-up.

Lee Hill, our resident web producer, is out for a few weeks doing a multi-media training. But he swung by last week to offer up some of his new skills. We had four of the Barbershop regulars in studio (Jimi Izrael, Arsalan Iftikhar, Nick Charles and Lester Spence) ... a perfect time to catch some live action video. So Lee came by to shoot them taping the segment and then talked to the guys afterwards. Here's the video.... (thanks Lee, you've taken the Barbershop to the next level!)

-- Douglas Hopper

3:35 PM ET | 05- 5-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

The Presidential Playoffs

Coming up, another day of presidential primaries! I'm excited. Are you?

At the risk of seeming like I'm editorializing, let me offer my two cents...

I know there are a lot of people out there who are CRAVING some closure in this race. I understand that. Its kind of like being in a conversation that's spinning in circles (at least on the substantive points of difference between Obama and Clinton.) And there's no doubt things will shake up once the Democratic nominee starts debating John McCain. But in the meantime, I can't help but think this extraordinarily long primary season is actually GOOD thing, especially for the states that previously had no influence in the process. I grew up in Indiana. Only the die-hard I'll-never-miss-a vote types went to the polls on primary day. Sure, I commend those Hoosiers - it's the principle, right? But really we all knew - we just didn't matter (and this horrible feeling of irrelevance was made worse on the actual Election Day, when the networks used to call elections earlier). I grew up believing my vote would never be more than just an act of good will.

Presidential candidates stumping in Indiana and North Carolina ... in MAY? This must be a good thing for democracy, right? The primaries were, after all, created so each state would have a stake in the nomination.

What do you think? Are you still tuned in? Or is the back and forth bringing you down?

I just asked our resident political expert Beneva about the potential outcome of tomorrow's primary in North Carolina and Indiana. Could a presumptive nominee emerge tomorrow? Well, maybe, but not quite ... here's what she had to say:

If Obama wins Indiana then you'll see a big bunch of superdelegates break his way and then he will be the presumptive nominee (which doesn't mean she will drop out....) But pressure for her to do so will GREATLY increase.

Since so much of the rest of the game rests on the superdelegates, we thought it was appropriate to talk to superdelegates from Indiana and North Carolina - one for Obama, the other for Clinton. They both gave us their take on how the contest is shaping up in their state (and seemed to be just as excited as I am).

Also, in our weekly Behind Closed Doors segment, we talked about the prostitution industry in America. It's an especially relevant topic, given the recent suspected suicide of the so-called "DC Madam," Jeane Palfrey, who apparently thought it would be better to die than go to prison for running an escort service.

And one of our producers Arwa Gunja has a commentary about Cinco de Mayo. She taught me something about the origins of the holiday. Next time I squeeze a lime in my Corona, I'll be thinking about what she had to say.

Stay tuned. The Barbershop video is being encoded by our online team and will be posted soon. I'll have an update shortly.

-- Douglas Hopper

3:32 PM ET | 05- 5-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Secrets Worth Keeping?

How much do you know about your parents' past? My mom always told me she'd tell me all her crazy stories "when I was old enough." Well, mom... I'm still waiting! Come on, dish it up. I want to know everything (at least I think I do).

While I wait for my mom's BIG reveal, I wonder whether she has kept some of her secrets for my sake ... or for her own. It occurs to me that sometimes parents keep their pasts hidden to salvage their own innocence, not just their children's.

Take a listen to today's segment with Liza Mundy, who wrote about her dilemma about what to tell her children in this week's Washington Post Magazine.

And let us know what you think. When should a parent lift the curtain on their past? And how much should they reveal?

I'll be back later today with a post you won't want to miss - a video of the Barbershop! You'll meet the guys who you hear every week.

-- Douglas Hopper

3:31 PM ET | 05- 5-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Thanks again to all those who called to wish us well on our week of first anniversary shows. We loved it. I loved it. I loved the surprise visit from the Marcus Johnson trio (and did I mention that I don't like surprises?).

And I loved our visit with Holly Adams Sherman, who is one of the most, how shall I put it, luminous people I have ever met. Having lost her daughter in the Virginia Tech shooting last April she is somehow able to share that experience in a way we can all understand without minimizing the grief.

Reading over the blog posts this week has been a joy. What's most remarkable about it, to me anyway, is that it is a a reversal of the usual pattern. Having been in the media my entire career in one form or another - except for couple of brief flirtations with academia - I am used to people burning up my phone to tell me what I did wrong. I am not used to people burning up my phone to tell me what I did right. And this week has been the most wonderful thing - here's a sample:

"As a white person I first thought it was a "black show" that might not offer me much. But I was quickly drawn in by the stories that were relevant to me..."

"I think it is wonderful that this show talks about the history of African Americans and about the current issues that affect the community.."

"I loved the interview with Regina King.."

"... thank you for dealing in a real and also intellectual way with the food crisis that is all around us."

"This week I was anxious to hear some intelligent discussion of the Wright/Obama stuff and BINGO - you delivered."

"Your program brings intelligence, truth, compassion and raises our consciousness to a much higher level."

You told me you are: men and women, and young and old, college professors and college students and doctors and cab drivers . You told me you are: white Americans and African Americans and Latino Americans and and Asian Americans and Native Americans - and citizens of countries from around the world. You have told me: you listen on military posts and in the car pool lane and on your ipod on the long bus ride home. You have told me you love to hear stories that are not your own - but that sound like your own - that you can make your own. You have told me that you want to know what your neighbors are thinking and feeling, even when you don't like what they are thinking and feeling.

It is amazing and humbling to be at the center of these conversations. We hope to do even better by you as time goes on.

And if you are curious about us, we have a little something for you - a DAY in the LIFE of Tell Me More. Check it out - an audio slide show produced by our very own Tell Me More staff.

Have a great weekend. And we'll start YEAR TWO next week.

-- Michel Martin

4:52 PM ET | 05- 2-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

TMM Turns One, the Show Goes On

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!!

It's here ... the anniversary of our first over the air broadcast!!!!

To celebrate, we do what we do.

A news lede that discussed the Wright/Obama controversy from a faith perspective. Two prominent African American clergy gave their take on what was going on with WRIGHT.

And then we talked about the broader issue of diversity in the news media with Journalisms editor Richard Prince, Loretta Rucker of the African American Public Radio consortium and Marc Fisher of the Washington Post.

And then ... this was crazy ... they hustled me into an adjoining studio. Who was there? The MARCUS JOHNSON TRIO. CRAZY! A performance chat. Who knew you could have as surprise performance chat!

I should learn to stop complaining - I fussed all morning about how I HATE surprises.

But the last time people made me do something I didn't want to do my boss made me go to the Radio and TV Correspondents' Dinner - where I won the Joan Barone award for excellence in Washington-based reporting - and met my husband. Maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere.

I have to go catch my breath.

Tomorrow, a jam packed day. My interviews with former President Jimmy Carter, and Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer in her only interview on Zimbabwe.

-- Michel Martin

9:45 AM ET | 05- 1-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

Obama Denounces Wright

What a day!

Last minute ... we shuffled the board and decided to top tomorrow's show with a conversation about Obama's denouncement of his former pastor Jeremiah Wright. Obama gave a speech today in which he passionately responded to Wright's recent comments (after week's of silence, Wright has been publicly defending his controversial sermons). Here's a quote from Obama's speech in Winston Salem, NC.

"His comments were not only divisive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate."

Obama also said he was offended by Wright's suggestion that he had distanced himself only for political gain.

Our booking team started working the phones right away and set up a great segment for tomorrow. Rev. Harry Jackson will join us, along with Rev. Renita Weems - two prominent African American religious leaders.

In the meantime, we want to know what you think... if you haven't already, take a listen to the conversation we had today. How do you feel about Rev. Wright's recent comments? And what about Obama's reaction? Did he make the right move by publicly criticizing him? Will this affect his campaign?

We're curious to know what's on your mind about this - I would say unexpected - turn of events.

And tomorrow, TMM turns ONE! Surprises are in store. Michel, don't ask me ... I don't know anything.

Thanks to everyone who's sent us birthday wishes. I always forward to the staff and I can feel their smiles even over the cubicle walls. It really makes a difference to all of us that the show is reaching so many people (actually, shameless plug, we'll be talking about the show's mission tomorrow - TMM is getting a report card ... on air!)

-- Douglas Hopper

5:46 PM ET | 04-29-2008 | permalink | comments (29) | e-mail post