NPR: Cheryl Corley Steps In

Cheryl Corley Steps In

Hello everyone, it's Cheryl Corley. I'm in from the windy city of Chicago ... subbing for Michel for a few days, so its nice to be with you.

We had a couple of top notch financial gurus on to talk about a fascinating study that has some pretty startling information about middle class black Americans. The report from the Pew Charitable Trusts says that nearly 2 out of 3 black children of middle class African-Americans earn much less than their parents. Our guests, Angela Glover Blackwell of Policy Link and Alfred Edmond, the editor-in-chief of Black Enterprise have interesting thoughts on why and what can be done about it -- including thoughts about marriage and financial literacy. Their primary message though is it's not how much you make, but what you do with that money. We'll be talking much more about this tomorrow.

Today we took some time to remember the life of Rev. John H. Cross. He was the pastor of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, which is famous for the 1963 bombing which left four young black girls dead and several people injured. We also heard from current civil rights activists who marched on the Justice Department in Washington last week.

Have you had an "odd-couple" friend -- somebody you never thought you'd be close with? Howard Parnell joined us to talk about the pen-pal relationship between his grandmother and a Viriginia prisoner. We also had to talk about the holidays -- Thanksgiving is just a few days away. So, if you're dreading any upcoming holiday function or gathering, sociologist Bertice Berry had some hilarious advice for all of us. Take a listen and let's talk more tomorrow.

-Cheryl

Michel Martin

5:04 PM ET | 11-19-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

I am responding to the 11/15 segment about race (Pew Poll, College Round-table)
The way I see it, the forcast is bleak for Blacks. We are increasingly becoming
a source of contempt and mockery. Latino people, most of whom passed as White until their numbers improved are particularly prejudiced against Blacks. In an effort to identify with their european lineage, they never miss an opportunity to scorn Blacks. They are NOT in the struggle with us but rather are content to let us break down the barriers and then waltz in to reap the benefits--looking down their noses at the very Blacks who paved the way. Whites have never respected us. We allow Asians to exploit us. When we straighted our Afros or hid them under weaves, we basically told God, "No thank You; I want the hair texture, eye color and skin color of the enemy." And God has left us to our own reprobate minds.

Sent by blackremnant | 9:27 PM ET | 11-20-2007

Hi Cor:
At first Tatsu was upset when he heard Bertice respond to your question about thanksgiving clean-up and shook his fist at the computer, but then he heard her add the part about paying the kids to clean-up and he was pretty cool with that. thanks for the tips, we'll try them here at the Farwell.

Sent by lauren sugerman and tatsu cornegan | 8:13 AM ET | 11-21-2007

You know, I have not made an odd-couple friend, but I have made a friend and then thought, we're an odd couple. By this I mean that somehow our hearts touch, but then after, oh, a year or so I realize how different we are on the surface. I am a straight married woman, but I'm not all that girly and I'm not into decorations and I have only my wedding ring. After about a year of serious, good close friendship with C, I began to see her on the outside and realized, DANG she's girly - jewelry, no crew-neck t-shirts, never wears sneakers except to play tennis, and a beautifully decorated house! Of course by then it was way too late. ;)

Sent by Sarah | 11:53 AM ET | 11-21-2007

thanks for this wonderful report this has inspired me to want to learn more about my history and where come from

Sent by E Wafer | 10:53 AM ET | 02-01-2008

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