'Sweet' Monday for TMM
Sweet Honey in the Rock (Aisha Kahlil, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson and Ysaye Barnwell) pictured with Michel Martin in NPR's Studio 4a. Credit: Jeeun Lee, NPR
Did you remember to turn your clocks back?
I loved my extra hour. I looked forward to it all week. I knew exactly what I was going to do with it -- in the same way that, if I find a crumpled dollar bill in my jeans I leave it there to later treat myself when I am ready ... a gift expected and unexpected at the same time.
Speaking of gifts expected and unexpected ... Sweet Honey in the Rock!!!! It was our first performance chat. How can I describe it? This incredible women's a capella group has been together for 34 years. How do you keep a group together for 34 years? And they continue to perform and produce new material. They were here with us in NPR's studio 4a to celebrate and perform pieces from their new CD Experience ... 101. The ladies even treated us to one of their best loved songs, Breaths
If you are in need of inspiration, comfort and joy today, this is the program for you. You might want to bookmark the link on your computer, or your MP3 player, to savor it.
It was a big day for us on any number of levels. NPR's new music site made its debut today and, a big deal for us, the concert is featured.
Take a listen. We do hope you enjoy it...
And, to begin the program, you know that we have been committed to following the immigration story. This week, Prince William County, Va., a suburb outside of Washington, D.C., holds local elections this week. You've probably heard that a number of local jurisdictions have been taking their own measures to fight illegal immigration, believing the federal government is not doing enough to protect their budgets and quality of life. We drove out to Prince William County to meet a candidate who's challenging a longtime incumbent with a write-in candidacy, believing officials have demagogued the immigration issue to distract from deeper fiscal problems. The incumbent wouldn't talk to us. He says he can't because of a lawsuit brought against the county for recent efforts to restrict services to illegal immigrants. But the head of a group organized to fight illegal immigration locally did talk to us.
People tend to know where they stand on this issue, but what stood out for me was the passion for a sense of community on both sides. Both sides seemed to be saying their community was changing in ways each did not like. It's a clich??, but it's true -- and continually interesting -- to see how people can live so close together and yet be miles apart.
Here's a documentary, posted on YouTube, about the fight in Prince William County:
And for tomorrow, we are chasing news about the allegations of abuse at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Last week, we brought you an update from a reporter who's been covering the story. She talked about how hard it was to get information. Today, just as we were headed for air, Oprah spoke publicly and at length (for the first time since the allegations arose) in a full blown press conference in South Africa. We hope to have more for you on this story tomorrow...
12:08 PM ET | 11- 5-2007 | permalink
