AP: Obamas 'Resign' from Chicago Church

An update to yesterday's blog entry ...

The Associated Press is reporting that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and his family have formally "resigned" membership from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Of course, this appears to be`a casualty resulting from the massive spotlight that's recently been placed on the congregation (see yesterday's blog).

Read the AP story for more details on the Obamas' decision to part ways with the church.

Surprising? Necessary? ... Unfortunate?

What's your take?

Lee Hill

10:08 PM ET | 05-31-2008 | permalink

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Not Obama's 'Pastor Problem'?

So, you should know that today's program was almost entirely LIVE (with the exception of BackTalk). So, you can imagine that adrenaline levels around here were pretty high. Love it.

Also, in case you haven't heard, it seems Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is back in the hot seat with "breaking news" of a fiery sermon -- given by Catholic priest Michael Pfleger -- that contained a pretty strong analysis of Obama's rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

See for yourself:

So, here's the question: should Obama necessarily be implicated by Pfleger's words (both have since issues statements shunning the remarks)? Although the comments were made from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ, where Obama once attended and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright serves as Senior Pastor, Father Pfleger is not Obama's spiritual leader, never has been.

And, what more, if anything, do these types of sermons -- and, recently, the subsequent media attention -- say about traditions within the Black church (Pfleger, himself, leads a predominantly-black parish)?

Meet you back here on Monday.

Lee Hill

12:51 PM ET | 05-30-2008 | permalink

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Lee: ReMEDIAted

Lee, here ...

I'm back!

You might have noticed that I've been missing in action from the TMM blogosphere, and from the program's weekly BackTalk roundup. (If you hadn't noticed, consider yourself caught up).

In case you missed Michel's explanation a few blog entries back, here's what I have not been up to for the past two months:

a) Traveling across the country on a road trip, in an effort to "find myself"

b) On paternity leave (seems like something is in the water around here)

c) Enjoying the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the popular "bro-cation" destination

Yeah, not quite.

Truth is, I was working. I had the pleasure of participating in an exciting new project here at NPR. Twelve of us within our news division were assembled to be trained (which was pretty intense, but even more enriching) and think strategically about NPR's expedition into new media.

Our mission: find ways to integrate a cross section of multimedia tools (high-definition video, graphics presentations, and audio-visual software, just to name a few) into how we report and discuss the world around us, still clinging to the editorial standards for which we are widely known.

Our goal: master all the fancy the tools (eventually) and become disciplined in thinking more broadly about the many more ways an NPR story can be told ... or seen (yes, seen)

See for yourself! Visit the project's blog, which also dubs as a public laboratory for testing the waters of multimedia news production. Tell us what you think. I'm interested.

And, of course, it's good to be back home with Michel, the TMM crew ... and you! Also, a big thanks to my colleague Douglas Hopper. He did a fine job overseeing our online presence in my absence. Cheers, D!

Lee Hill

6:55 AM ET | 05-30-2008 | permalink

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TMM On-Location

Vicente Fox (left) sits for an interview with TMM's Michel Martin. Credit: Addie Whisenant, NPR

If you heard today's conversation with Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, we thought you might be interested in this behind-the-scenes snapshot, taken just before the interview at Fox's hotel in Washington.

Michel Martin

3:58 PM ET | 05-28-2008 | permalink

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Truth is Self Evident?

It occurred to me this morning that when I was growing up that I did not know you could buy melons in stores.

I thought you could only buy them off a truck or be given them from people's gardens. Why did I think that? Because that's the only kind I ever had. My mother's neighbors in Philadelphia where she grew up had a huge garden and since we spent many weeks in the summer there when we were little, that's where, I thought, melons came from. And growing up where I did in the inner city in Brooklyn, where there were really no supermarkets to speak of, fruit, vegetables - those came from stands, or bodegas, or even better, trucks - trucks where you pulled up and a guy whacked one with a machete and gave you a slice which you ate while your mom or dad argued over which was the best one.

So I had to laugh when at some point I must have seen melons stacked up in a supermarket and thought - wha? What's this? When did they start selling melons in stores? How long has this been going on?

Which brings me to the whole running for office thing.

If you never see anybody who looks like you doing a certain job, does it occur to you that YOU could do it? Even if you'd be good at it?

How long does it take or how many people have to do it before you realize you can? Or at least that you should try?

Here's a piece that Marie Cocco wrote for the Washington Post writer's group, arguing that the Clinton campaign has pointed out how far the US lags behind in advancing women in political leadership.

Others, like feminist writer Robin Morgan, have been arguing for months vociferously that but for sexism Clinton's accomplishments would be more visible and more appreciated.

Certainly others like Peggy Noonan argue that Clinton needs to get over herself - that her deficiencies are hers and that complaining about sexism is well ... whinny ... and in fact disqualifying. Let her tell you.

But our conversation today was not so much about sexism as posing the question of WHY the US is where it is in the percentage of women in elected office.

If you want the facts you can find LOTS here at the Center for the American Woman in Politics site. Debbie Walsh, its director, was part of the conversation.

Also Ellen Moran, executive director of EMILY"S LIST, a pioneer in helping women get the money to run for office. Emily's List supports pro-choice women.

And Ambassdor Swanee Hunt, who has her fingers in all kinds of pies related to advancing women in leadership around the world. She argued that in many cases women need to change their attitude about what they can do. Here's a piece by Ruth Marcus on this point.

I know some people will argue with all this, especially Ambassador Hunt's idea that men's and women's brains work differently. That thought makes some people - a lot of people - cringe. Hey, I have no dog in that fight. Could be true, could be false. I am not afraid of the question. In fact, makes me think there might be another show in there.

Finally, a CORRECTION ...

I need to correct something I said on the first "live" feed of the program today. I mistakenly awarded Ambassador Swanee Hunt a doctorate in PSYCHOLOGY. Her doctorate is in THEOLOGY. Big difference. Here's her bio. She holds two master's degrees, a doctorate in theology, and six honorary degrees.

I am sorry about that. I misremembered it from her biography, which I read a while ago.

Michel Martin

10:37 AM ET | 05-28-2008 | permalink

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What's a Memorial?

I hope everyone's Memorial Day weekend was some combination of 1) restful 2) mindful and/or 3) enjoyable.

As for me the weekend was filled with contrasts ... a visit to the water park and an exercise in trying to explain to four and a half year olds exactly what soldiers (sailors and airmen and marines, etc) DO and why we need to think about them on Memorial Day.

"What's a soldier?"
"Special people who try to protect us."
"Protect us from what?"
"People who might want to hurt us."
"Why would anybody want to hurt us?"

Well ... and then of course there's this:

"What's a Memorial"
"It's a way we remember people who have died."
"What's died?" ... which of course leads to "Are you going to die?"
Well ...

And then of course there was the weekend's political news. So far the kids' interest in politics is chiefly devoted to counting yard signs ("I saw three Barack Obama signs!" "I saw two Hillary signs." We are short on McCains in my neighborhood - sorry)

But I'm going to skip the explanation of the RFK assassination and why someone would want to bring that up unless and until they ask me about it ... and come to think of it, I don't think I understand it myself.

This sounds like a subject for a parenting class. Lucky for us we have a discussion about those on today's show (although the main subject seems to be discipline techniques) and our continuing series on INVESTING 101. If you have questions for Alvin, please don't be shy. Now's the time.

Also, a conversation with Loriene Roy, president of the American Library Association and a regular on our show. She offers picks of children's books for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. And hear Loriene read an excerpt from one of her personal favorites, The Whale Rider.

And our conversation with Rep. Hilda Solis (D-California). We won't be talking about the Presidential campaign because Republican voters are going to the polls in Idaho today and there's an NPR rule about so-called advocacy interviews on days when voters are going to the polls.

Michel Martin

1:46 PM ET | 05-27-2008 | permalink

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Remembering the Fallen

Douglas here ...

It's Memorial Day.

If you haven't already, take a listen as Michel makes a visit to a memorial being built to honor those who died on Sept. 11 at the Pentagon. They've come up with an intriguing design and Michel gets a tour of the work in progress.

Also a roundtable about why newsrooms are shrinking and what this means for minority journalists ... Shawn Edwards gives his take on Summer films ... and music saved for eternity.

We'll be back tomorrow with lots more.

... Douglas

Michel Martin

2:39 PM ET | 05-26-2008 | permalink

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McCain Reaches Out

We lead the Friday show every week with politics. Too bad we have nothing to talk about.

HA!!! Made you look!

What stood out for us was this interview.

Essence magazine Tatsha Robertson scored this sit down with John McCain. We think it's his first one on one with an African American oriented media outlet this campaign season. It was posted on Tuesday.

Now this comes after McCain, along with all the other GOP frontrunners during the active primary season, refused to participate in any debates with a focus on issues of interest to African American voters but he DID participate in debates and events other Republicans shunned - aimed at Latinos, like that sponsored by Univision. That was, as I said, during the GOP primary season. Now that that's over he seems to be making a point of hitting some touchstones important to blacks. He went to Selma, Alabama, for example and the Edmund Pettus bridge. He toured the Gulf region, so devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He used the Essence interview to make a couple of key points. For example, he went out of his way to say he would attend the NAACP convention - which President Bush refused to do during all but the last year of his presidency.

This led us to begin the conversation about outreach to minority voters. Who better than Tatsha Robertson to give us the behind the scenes perspective. And our friend Luis Clemens. Many of you will remember him as editor of Candidato USA - it was an online publication that focused on Latino politics and issues of particular interest to Latino voters. Now he's serving as producer of a political program for the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the McCain/GOP outreach efforts. As for me, I thought the Essence interview was very interesting. He made some key points, he made a point of noting his familiarity with Essence (I think it's fair to call it the premier black women's media outlet). He showed that he was going to run a tough campaign but also a respectful one and he signaled that he wouldn't be playing the race card. But there were also some, well, some moments that some might call kind of cringe worthy ( "I will never as long as I live forget the beautiful women of Gees Bend, Alabama, with the quilts. They were singing spirituals. On the first occasion I could find in the White House I would have them sing again. It was so moving")

Why do I say that? This might be one of those cross cultural things we should talk about in our DiversityInc series on THINGS NOT TO SAY to say to your colleagues of different ethnic backgrounds - and I am sure the singing WAS lovely - but, well, I'll just say it: it's kind of a clich?? isn't it? Kind of like that whole "you're so articulate thing." You can call it petty but these are the nuances that people pick up on.

We'll talk more about this in our DiversityInc series by the way. Next month, because June is Gay Pride month (LGBT pride), we'll talk about sexual orientation. We're interested in your feedback about what you'd like to ask Luke Visconti (whose column "Ask a white guy" is a popular feature in the magazine).

And speaking of cringe worthy - did the Barbershop guys cross the line or not this week? We were talking about whether sexism has been directed at Hillary Clinton. Some of you have already written to tell me how sexist you think THEY were. I confess I do not know that there is a bright line here but I am very interested to know if you think there is, WHERE it is, and whether, they - we - crossed it or NOT and why.

Let us know.

We have what we think is a fine Memorial Day show for you by the way. We hope - wherever you are and whatever you are doing - that you will tune us in. And we also hope you will take a moment to thank and remember the service men and women in whose honor and memory we pause on Monday.

We thank you for your service, we thank the veterans, and we thank all the family members who support those on the front lines.

Michel Martin

11:09 AM ET | 05-23-2008 | permalink

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Finding the Universal

On Thursdays as you know we try to focus on international news. Part of the reason we do it that way is we want to have a reason to "open up" stories that may not be making the headlines in the rest of the media but which are nevertheless important and interesting. But there was no way this week that we felt we could NOT talk about the earthquake in China ... even though all the other NPR programs are as well, and with great distinction I might add.

What we found ourselves thinking about and wondering about was how communities HERE are reacting to the terrible news. I know what it was like on 911 - I had friends and family who were out of the country at the time. And maybe it seems strange to some but they felt awful at being so far away. We wondered if some or many Chinese Americans might be feeling that way - relieved to be safe but guilty at being safe, frustrated at wanting to do something, not knowing quite what to do, despite all the reporting.

Which is NOT to say that only Chinese Americans or those with a family or ethnic tie would feel that way. Certainly many people around the world have deep attachments to China, or to parts of China. And on a human level - to paraphrase the Roman former slave turned philosopher Titian, if you are a human being, all things human pertain to you. But, at the same time, it IS true that immigrant ties, deep knowledge, family ties and friendship ties create a different set of emotions at a time like this, I think.

So that's why we wanted to go back to Sherry Chang. She's the Bay area radio host who hosts two call in shows where she taps into the particular concerns of the Bay Area Chinese and Chinese American community. We wanted to know what her callers are telling her.

We also of course wanted to hear from Louisa Lim. She's NPR's correspondent normally based in Shanghai. She is on the ground and of course has the most up to date information about the needs of the people there and how they are reacting to this terrible situation.

We paired them because one wants to have both conversations, and we thought in interesting to contrast the suspicions and concerns of people at a remove with those of a seasoned observer on the ground.

Another contender for this week that we hope to get to soon - the plight of immigrants to South Africa who, in troubled economic times, are being targets of violence and suspicion. We'll keep you posted.

In fact there are a number of stories pertaining to the immigrant experience around the world we want to get to ... time ... need the time.

And speaking of time enough for you, Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana on energy policy. You just have to listen.

And finally, a conversation we have been trying to bring you for a while, that we KNOW you've been having among yourselves for a while - about the content of BET and MTV videos and music.

I know that many of you are so over it, but many continue to struggle. They love the music, they hate it. They love that these companies have given voice to the expressions of the young, of African Americans, but they hate it. They think it's cheapening American culture.

Well, as part of ongoing dialogue on this point, our conversation with two activists who are immersed in the question of whether the content is too raunchy or not.

Some people say that critics of BET and MTV don't know what they're talking about because they don't actually watch or listen. But now they say they have the data to prove that the content is way too sexual and too profane.

Here's the study. And here is BET's response. MTV did not respond.

And to get the other side of the coin, why one listener believes in Hip-Hop.

And on we go ...

Michel Martin

3:57 PM ET | 05-22-2008 | permalink

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Because She's a Woman, or the Woman She Is?

Obama takes Oregon and says his victory is near. Clinton sweeps Kentucky and vows to stay in the race. Game over? Not yet. We talked about the latest developments at the top of the show today. Washington Post reporter Jose Antonio Vargas and Des Moines Register columnist Rekha Basu talk about what's next. Take a listen.

Also a passionate conversation - a roundtable -- about how sexism (if at all) has affected Hillary Clinton's campaign. Four women, each with different perspectives, broke it down. And they didn't mince words. Listen and let us know what you have to add.

Tomorrow, a conversation with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. And an update on recovery efforts in China. Stay tuned.

Douglas Hopper

3:21 PM ET | 05-21-2008 | permalink

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The Dreaded Question: Where Are You From?

Later, some thoughts about today's show and a peak into tomorrow's. But first, we want to continue the conversation about the segment about what to "Never Say" - from yesterday's show. The co-founder of DiversityInc magazine and Asian American executive Anna Mok talked about what to "never say" to Asian-American colleagues. It was the first of a series of conversations we have planned. Next up, what to "never say" to a co-worker about their sexuality.

At the editorial meeting after the show, we got into a discussion about some of the issues raised, one of which had to do with the sometimes dreaded question, "Where are you from?" Two of the show's producers, Arwa Gunja and Jasmine Garsd, had a lot to say at the meeting about their own experience. They had some deep insights ... thoughts we thought worth sharing on the blog, so we asked them to jot down a few words.

Here's what Arwa had to say:

As an Asian American, it often does offend me when I am asked where I am from. I was born in New Jersey, lived in New York and now work in the nation's capital. Eventually I'll answer the question, and I do understand why people want to know. But it offends me because when I am asked, I can only think the question is being posed because it is a convenient way to categorize me, to put me in a grouping - one that is separate from the rest of the American identity.

Ultimately, it is all about how you label yourself and what label - if any - you're comfortable with. My mother, for instance, is Asian, not just in nationality but in identity. She is proud to declare it, offers that information at any opportunity and finds companionship in those who too share that identity. The question would not insult her; it is one she entertains and often poses to others. Perhaps it is generational, but more plausibly it is about understanding what is about a person that adds up to defining their "identity." And it's not for any us to decide that nationality, heritage, skin color or dialect alone equal that equation.

And Jasmine:

I get asked where I'm from practically everyday. I'm a white Latin American, of mixed heritage. My mother is of Spanish descent, my father is of Russian and French ancestry. I look a lot like my father, in that I'm pale, so every time I open my mouth to speak my native Spanish to a stranger, somebody inevitably makes a comment along the lines of "where are you from?" ... "you look so white" ... or, "you speak Spanish very well."

Race has always been on my mind. Even growing up in Argentina, where there's a large Spanish and Italian population. I was always considered to look different. I was the tallest, I had very kinky hair, and I was always one of the fairest complexioned kids in my neighborhood and school. I've been reluctant to talk about this experience because I had friends who were the only black kids in the neighborhood and school. The black kids or kids that looked very indigenous in Argentina, a country with deep racial problems, experienced racism beyond what I ever had to confront.

I have light brown, long hair. My eyes are green and often I felt I was sexualized by men on the street. This began at a very young age. It made me very uncomfortable. Comparing notes with Afro-Latina friends, they had this same experience of being 'fetishized.' And when I started school in the working class neighborhood I lived in, I think a lot of the kids expected that I would be snooty, and preemptively bullied me. I had a lot to prove.

I got a scholarship to study English at a really fancy school when I was a teenager. Many of my new classmates were from the white elite and suddenly, I felt I wasn't white enough. On a few occasions, I overheard my classmates call me the racial slur 'Negra/Nigger,' which in Argentina refers to indigenous people. I remember I became very angry. One time, when a girl made a comment regarding my socio-economic background, I got into a bad fight with her. She was scared and later she wrote me a letter explaining that she meant no harm. Near the end of her note, she said "I have Negro friends too you know."

When I look back, I think I made people uncomfortable because I was unwilling to accept racial norms. When I moved to the US five years ago, I was again the white Latina. When Latinos ask me where I'm from, I get upset. I think I've figured out that it's because I feel like I'm being told I don't belong to my culture ... Latino culture. I also think there's a negative connotation associated with being a white Latin American. Whiteness is traditionally associated with elitism and oppression.

I've learned to be okay with the question, "Where are you from?" and "Why do you look that way?" I've come to accept that when another Latino meets me for the first time, I'll have to shatter some stereotypes. I'll have to prove that all Argentines of European descent are not racist. I'll continue to prove that's the case, through my actions and my work.

Thanks for reading.

Let us know what you think. What does being American mean to you? Where is the line between race and culture? And who's business is it?

Douglas Hopper

2:03 PM ET | 05-21-2008 | permalink

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A Competition of Suffering?

So I'm back (thanks to Cheryl Corley for sitting in these past two shows from Chicago) and I am watching the TODAY show while I am getting ready to go on the air and Geraldine Ferraro is there telling us about sexism in the campaign. She reiterates her view, previously stated, that Hillary Clinton has been a victim of sexism in a manner that would not be acceptable were it racism directed at Barack Obama. Her evidence among other things is that some young men at a campaign rally (back in New Hampshire - what year was that again?) held up a shirt and yelled at her to iron it. She didn't like Obama brushing off his shoulders either after he was subjected to attacks many of his supporters considered unfair.

Ah, competitive suffering. Let me introduce into the conversation an email I received last week forwarded by my friend and colleague Ruben Navarette, a Barbershop regular. The message was sent to him by a reader of his column, where he talked about the racism directed at Obama. It's a bit long but I think you have to read it all to get the point. Here goes.

It's not racist to NOT want a black president just yet. The black community first has to clean up its own act to be accepted as "responsible" citizens. Yes, there are many who have done that. But most, unfortunately, still cling to an attitude of "entitlement" (come on, it's been a long time since the days of slavery -- get over it!)! Know what I see on the news about the black community? Hate-mongering preachers, black women on welfare spawning baby after baby, black gangs killing each other, black hoodlums stealing purses from elderly women, black superstars horribly abusing animals, drug dealing, murder, jails filled with black individuals.

You'll probably say they haven't had the same "opportunities" as whites. OH, really! My parents immigrated from Europe in the 50s. They arrived with NOTHING except the will to work hard, to abide by the law, and to improve the lives of themselves and their children. They worked two jobs, went to night school to learn English, proudly saluted the American flag, paid their taxes, LOVED assimilating into the American mainstream, and would have been ashamed to accept welfare.

So you really wonder why some whites find it a little "problematic" to vote for a black president?

So there you have it. And don't get confused that these are isolated exchanges. Ruben and I get them every day. But, for now, let's set aside all the ignorance of historical reality - like slavery, Jim Crow, and restrictive covenants that kept black people out of the neighborhoods some immigrants were welcomed into - in other words American Apartheid which was only legally dismantled in the 1960's. Let's set aside all the factual errors and the fantasies about the noble white immigrants which are too numerous to rebut in the short time you'll be likely to spend on this post (but just a few include: the idea that somehow previous generations of white immigrants refused welfare - what does that mean exactly? Welfare as we know it is a very recent phenomenon but there were plenty of mutual aid societies and the church and benevolent associations and believe you me, people did take advantage when they had to because they weren't going to let their kids starve or die if they could help it, though many immigrant kids DID starve and die, the mortality rates in some of these immigrant neighborhoods at the turn of the century was horrendous). No, let's move on to the fact that this letter writer presumes to know the facts of the ENTIRE black community, as well as the core assumption that ALL black people have to be accountable for the acts of a few, and that NO black person can be worthy of consideration for leadership in society until all black people straighten up and fly right.

So, no racism here, right?

I am not going to tell you that this one email writer represents a majority opinion in this country. In fact, an equally compelling argument can be made that the 80,000 people who came out to see Barack Obama in Oregon last week represents a far more compelling portrait of the state of our country than this one (or two or seven emails) does.

That leads me to our lead conversation with Benajmin Todd Jealous, the new president of the NAACP. His selection was announced over the weekend. He is 35 years old, a career human rights activist, Rhodes Scholar, a father, a husband, and now the head of one of this country's most venerable civil rights organizations.

So now what?

Some people, even some on our own staff, wondered whether we needed to devote two days to coverage of this leadership change, even at an organization as venerable as the NAACP (My colleague Cheryl Corley talked to the immediate past president Bruce Gordon yesterday as well as political science professor Melissa Harris Lacewell).

My argument is that this is not a conversation about the NAACP but what it means to make racial progress in this country.

Who are we? What do we want? What do we need to do to get there?

The conversation continues ...

Michel Martin

2:07 PM ET | 05-20-2008 | permalink

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Keep On Keeping On

Hello everyone, its Cheryl Corley ... keeping the seat warm for Michel another day. She'll be back manana. In the meantime, we had a lot to talk about.

First the big changes at the NAACP. The civil rights group elected a new president over the weekend. 35 year old Ben Jealous - the head of a San Francisco Foundation and a former news executive - is the youngest to head the organization. We talked to former NAACP President Bruce Gordon and Princeton University Professor Melissa Harris Lacewell about what the change will mean and about the relevancy of the NAACP. There'll be more tomorrow when Ben Jealous, himself, joins Michel.

If you're a teenager and getting ready to look for a job this summer, it may be somewhat discouraging. A new study out today from the Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies in Boston expects the unemployment levels for youth to be especially brutal this summer - especially for black and Latino teenagers. Rallies are being held throughout the country in an effort to get lawmakers to pay attention to youth unemployment. We talked to Shay Richardson of Urban Alliance and Jack Wuest of the Alternative Schools Network.

How do you rebuild a country? Washington Post reporter Anthony Faiola joined us to tell us more about the incredible story of women in Rwanda who are making a new life for themselves and their villages by growing coffee crops. These new farmers inherited farms from their late husbands or fathers who were killed in Rwanda's bloody genocide. They are using new techniques and microloans to earn enough money to reconstruct their houses, help children go to school and birth hope.

We continued the discussion about women in non-traditional roles with an interview about guns, from Annie Oakley to Macho Mammas and beyond. Michel spoke with author Laura Browder about her book, "Her Best Shot: Women and Guns in America."

And lastly, we commemorated the birthday of one of the country's most famous civil rights leaders. Malcolm X would have been 83 today.

It was great hanging out with you. Keep on keeping on.

Cheryl

Michel Martin

2:53 PM ET | 05-19-2008 | permalink

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Greetings from Cheryl

Hi everyone, it's Cheryl Corley sitting in for Michel today.

All this week, Tell Me More has been talking about the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding. Jews from Ethiopia and Argentina talked with Michel earlier in the week, and today we heard from a Palestinian Christian who now lives in Virginia. Nina Bazouzi Cullers was a young girl when Israel became an independent nation. In 1948, her family lost their home and their way of life.

In this country, there are about six and a half million Jews - a small portion of them are black. Their numbers are on the rise, though, in Cairo, Illinois - a small town that sits nestled between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers at the southern tip of Illinois. 55 African-American residents of Cairo have converted to Judaism and more hope to do so.

Of course, there was lots of national politics this week. Mary Mitchell of the Chicago Suntimes and Pamela Gentry from BET have their say about Hillary Clinton winning a big contest in the presidential race along with some coveted endorsements that rolled in for Barack Obama - including one from Senator John Edwards. Of course our Barbershop Guys have their take on it as well. They also weigh in on how to talk to your Mama - ala LeBron James - and if these guys were on the jury for singer R.Kelly during his trial for child pornography, he'd definitely have to worry.

I'll be sitting in for Michel again Monday - so talk to you then. Have a great weekend!

Cheryl

Michel Martin

10:51 AM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink

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Who Should be Heard?

Today we began with the provocative question of whether the world community has a moral duty to intervene in Myanmar when the military regime has demonstrated a clear willingness to allow people to suffer rather than to allow foreign aid - and more to the point - aid workers into the country.

Here's the question, as posed by Washington Post Editorial Page editor Fred Hiatt: "When a parent abuses or neglects a child, government steps in to offer protection. But who steps in when government abuses or neglects its people? " (You can read Fred's full piece here).

But the short answer, according to Hiatt, is the United Nations. But how exactly would that work? And does that really make sense. And if the UN refuses, what then? This is one of the tortuous segments that raises more questions than it answers I am afraid, but it is a conversation that I think one wants to have. Where does moral responsibility begin and end? Our house, our neighborhood, our state, our shores? Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power was our other guest. We invited her because of her remarkable work considering the question of genocide. It raises terribly important theoretical and practical questions. Our sister program Talk of the Nation, considered this topic earlier in the week. I read some of the blog postings on the show today. Here they are. You can see the consensus seemed to be, who the hell are we to even think about intervening? But what about Darfur? what about Rwanda? What lesson of history should guide our discussions here?

Speaking of interventions, I think we can all agree that the burden of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not equally borne. Many people find themselves wanting to do something to support the families on the front lines. The folks at Sesame Street realized they could contribute something they already do well - by helping kids make sense of what's happening to them. They have developed a new set of DVD's aimed at military families to help them talk to their kids about issues like redeployment and a parent coming home injured. You can find out more here. I must say I thought these DVD's were a powerful tool, even for folks who are not in the military, dealing for others who are also going through similar things. The discs are free, by the way, to service members and their families.

A word about last week's program. We are getting QUITE a lot of feedback about our interview last week with Karl Rove. Here's a typical example:

I admit, I would like to consider my NPR news a place where one would not have to encounter Karl Rove. If he is considered a credible person because he managed to get Bush elected or at least helped him steal two elections, I am a monkeys uncle.

Do you folks not realize that the man belongs in jail? Just because he escaped the White House by the skin of his teeth of being indicted in the Valerie Plame affair, and now has been embraced by the right-wing propagandist Rupert Murdoch, you are going to treat him as acceptable? Disgusting

Ok. My turn. I am hearing that many of you don't like him. I am hearing that many of you disagree with his politics and tactics. But let's get real here. He was the deputy chief of staff to the President of the United States and one of the most influential political strategists of this era. So his influence and significance - his legitimacy if you will - are not a function of whether he appears on NPR or not. You are certainly free to disagree with his politics and tactics, you are certainly free to say you don't like anything he stands for. But to say NONE of our listeners should hear him because many people (you) disagree with him is just wrong. By that standard, Martin Luther King Jr. would never have been on the air.

Yes I said it.

Do I think Karl Rove will have the same place in history as MLK? No. But don't get confused. Many people considered MLK a traitor, many considered him destructive and yes "disgusting." Many of the white reporters who put him on the air were thoroughly abused for their efforts. But history shows that that was a voice we needed to hear.

A better analogy for some of you might be aides attached to such controversial political figures as: Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Slobodan Milosevic, etc. Would we put them on the air? Of course we would. We interview people because they are interesting and important. I know those comparisons/analogies will be offensive to some if not all the people reading this post but that's the point. One person's traitor is another person's hero and in a country like this one - with competitive elections and a reasonably free and open media it is just not for us to say - this person should not be heard because I think he's wrong and I don't like his politics and what he has participated in because of his office.

I am frankly disappointed that some of you don't see that. Our program is a primary news source in a number of markets and as such as we have a responsibility to present our listeners with a range of views and information.

I think a more compelling question is raised by those of you who say that his views can be heard elsewhere - like Fox - so why do we need him here? I think that's a valid question. I would argue that that is because he is choosing to speak to an audience that most Republicans are AVOIDING right now, that is to say the diverse audience of listeners who comprise and characterize the TMM audience. And the fact that he is engaging in these conversations and giving that perspective TO that audience is important. As always, I thank you for your feedback - all of it - except that which includes personal invective and these juvenile "I dare you to read my post" nonsense. I mean, really. (But, you know, I even need to vent sometimes so ... you know, do your thing). Let's keep the conversation going. And I love the fact that this Friday's political chat will be of a very different ... er ... hue. But that's what we're here for. That's what we do.

Michel Martin

3:55 PM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink

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Drawing the Line

Not long ago, an update on Myanmar crossed the news wires: The UN estimates nearly 2 million people are in need of emergency aid in the Southeast Asian country. And recent reports say as many as 100,000 may already be dead. But despite the widespread devastation, Myanmar's military government has repeatedly refused to let foreign governments send aid workers or distribute aid. The junta has recently made some concessions, but most reputable aid organizations say not enough. To make matters worse, weather predictions say a new cyclone could hit the country in the next few days.

If it is true that Myanmar's government is negligently denying its people necessary aid, should that warrant a military intervention? Should the world wait, as hundreds of thousands die? Or are the potential risks of an invasion just too high? Where should the line be drawn? And how should draw it?

We'll be talking about this tomorrow with two people who've studied and written about the issue. Stay tuned. And let us know if you have questions to contribute. I'll be checking the blog before we go LIVE. Speak up. We're listening.

Also, check out today's show. Two fascinating conversations with Israelis, one from Argentina and two from Ethiopia. And the LEGEND ... Barbara Walters talks to Michel. Plus, the first white valedictorian of at Morehouse, an historically black college.

Douglas Hopper

3:49 PM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink

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Absolute Power Corrupts, Absolutely?

As I mentioned yesterday weather - or perhaps I should say natural phenomena - played a big role in so many of our lives yesterday. One of our staffers houses sustained serious flooding, another had a tree fall on her roof.

But that was minor stuff compared to tornadoes in the Midwest and south that left about 20 dead. Then there was the earthquake in China. Some 10-12,000 people are believed to have died there. We have a team of reporters there who've been doing some amazing reporting ... but how well I remember how hard it is. They actually lived through the earthquake and were right on the scene (we are glad to know they are all safe) . When I reported on natural disasters for Nightline there was always the time lag - we had to get to where the story was - and that could take 5-10-12 hours at least. You had half a day to collect yourself and to prepare yourself for what you were about to see and do and even then it's hard. For them, one minute they're doing stories about whatever and then you're out in the street watching women clutching babies wondering if their families are still alive under an apartment building rubble. And we cannot forget the ongoing crisis in Myanmar (Burma) where as many as 100,000 people might have died and hundreds of thousands more at risk because of the cyclone last week and then their military junta's reluctance to accept international aid. Hard to wrap your head around that, but perhaps it is simple after all: who was it who said that absolute power corrupts, absolutely?

Today, speaking of power, we wanted to talk about the whole issue of the kind of medical care that people receive while in immigration detention. Now I know some people are going to say that these people are illegal so what do they expect? But it's important to remember that administrative detention exists so that the question of status can be adjudicated. Some might be asylum seekers and some might be criminals. The issue is what standard of care is appropriate? Is there any standard? We would like to have had a representative from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to talk about this; they declined. But they did send over a statement, it is mainly a response to a New York Times piece about deaths in detention. Here's the article. And here's the ICE statement in response, point by point.

And finally ... ok, not final final, sort of final:

The Mocha Moms. I am already sensing that some of you want to weigh in on the whole question of giving kids more freedom. Lenore Skenazy wrote about this for the New York Sun. But a lot of people's attitude was: she's nuts! What do you think? When you had a chance to hear her logic? Does it make sense? Or do you still think ... she's nuts! She's actually starting an organization to promote the idea of giving kids more independence, here's that link.

And INVESTMENT 101. Believe me I KNOW that this is going to be way too basic for some of you. But it isn't for some of you, and in trying to figure out how to be helpful we decided we would think about the new college grads out there just starting out and perhaps knowing a very great deal about their areas of study but very little about how to invest that hard earned cash.

Trust me, we will take it up a notch later. But we can all use a basic set of references. Consider this our graduation gift. We're proud of all of you.

No politics today, people are voting. Tomorrow we'll talk more about West Virginia and whatever happens next.

Michel Martin

1:18 PM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink

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Finding the Right Start

Hello again. I hope your Mother's Day was lovely if you celebrated such. I hope it was tolerable if you find yourself in that place of longing, of pressing your nose to the glass of mother-worship, wondering when your time will come. I remember. I was there, and all I can tell is what I learned which is a) service to others really does help, taking the time to brighten somebody else's day really does help, whether it's taking charge of giving the moms a break or arranging brunch or visiting a nursing home ... it helps ... and b) where there's a will there's a way.

So, moving on ...

We debated today's lead story: do we go with more on Myanmar and the ongoing effort to get supplies in there? Do we take up the Presidential race? A lot of talk over the weekend about Sen. Clinton's "hardworking white Americans" comment - clearly it seemed to some reporters that the comment was under reported. Here's a Richard Prince column on that subject.

We talked about that on Friday both in the political chat and in Barbershop. Over the weekend the Sunday talk shows did seem to pick up on it, but some of our listeners told us they think Sen. Clinton is getting a pass on race in a way that Sen. Obama never could. Is she being allowed to engage in race baiting and getting away with it? Here's an interesting essay from Peggy Noonan for example.

Or is she just stating the obvious, or rather restating other people's analyzes? So our question - Should we do more on this story?

But then we thought - what's an important story that perhaps is not getting the attention it deserves? Part of our mission is to tell the story that ISN'T getting told elsewhere ... which led us to Haiti.

Simply put, respected journalist E.R. Shipp who has been on this program before sent us an email last week telling us she was just back from a fact finding trip and wanted to know if we'd be interested in what she saw. What set it off for me was the pictures. You can see those below.

So the question was, do we pick up a thread that many of us are talking about, or try to open up a conversation that we had been having but has been pushed to the wayside? Haiti is in our hemisphere, and as our other guest, the Rev. Jesse Jackson told us, could easily be a staging area for the drug cartels and even Al Qaeda. It was a provocative argument, and I hope you agree that it was a worthwhile lead.

We're interested in your take either way.

And we most certainly want to know ... what you BELIEVE. Check out our conversation with Jay Allison for information on how you can contribute to this latest iteration of the famous radio series, This I Believe. We want to hear from you. And yes, as Jay told you, it isn't as easy as you might believe to know what you believe or rather, to write it down in 500 words.

But do try.

And because we always try to leave you with hope, here's Regina Belle, sharing her thoughts about her latest CD, which is GOSPEL. You know her from her lovely duet with Peabo Bryson (from Alladin) perhaps now she'll have you tapping your feet in the car.

As for us, we're dealing with heavy rains here in DC. One staff member has a flooded basement, another had a tree fall on her house, another lost power, had to dress to scurry in here by candlelight. But we are thankful that that's the extent of it. Deaths and injuries across the south and Midwest from tornadoes, not to mention the fact that a team from ATC is in Chengdu, about forty miles from the epicenter of an EARTHQUAKE in Sichuan province. They are all okay too.

Our thoughts go to those who are suffering.

Here are a couple of the photos from Haiti -- Rev. Jesse Jackson's photographer Adrian Burrows took these shots during their visit to Haiti.

Rev. Jesse Jackson meets with Haiti's President Rene Garcia Preval during a recent trip to Haiti.

Adrian S. Burrows/Rainbow PUSH Coalition

 

Rev. Jesse Jackson tours one of Haiti's slums, Cite Soleil. The food crisis, unemployment and political unrest have destabilized the country.

Adrian S. Burrows/Rainbow PUSH Coalition

 

Douglas Hopper

10:26 AM ET | 05-12-2008 | permalink

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!)