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Monika Evstatieva here...

Happy Friday, everybody! Hope you all had a good week. On Friday, we usually air Backtalk - our weekly segment, where we get to hear from you - our listeners and bloggers. This Friday, though, we are shifting the conversation to the blog.

This week, we spoke to writer and social critic Barbara Ehrenrich. And she said it's time for Americans to get a little more angry and a lot more politically involved, when it comes to the economic recession and the large number of lay-offs.

The discussion prompted us to ask whether you think unemployment is a chance for personal growth, or an opportunity for political empowerment. And if you've lost your job, do you think retraining programs are a solution, or a waste of time?

Randy from Chesepeake, VA says he is currently undergoing retraining, but this is a good thing.

"I believe it is a good idea to re-train, because it does help a person re-educate and re-think about what they want to do."

But, Joe from New Jersey does not completely agree with that.

"The job market is designed for retraining, for one job after the other, after the other. I've been through myself and it does keep you busy while you are unemployed, looking for a job and trying to get re-trained for a job that you do not know how long it will last for and what the demand is going to be."

Janet Carpenter says she has been laid off many a times, but advises we should remain optimistic, even when we get laid off.

"Give yourself some time to mourn. Get up. Move on. And find something new, because you never know where that door will leave you."

I second that Janet.

This, week we also had a discussion about the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). We spoke with the new president of Howard University Sidney Ribeau and Michael Lomax, the President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund.

We've asked you whether you think that Historically Black Colleges and Universities still have a role to play in the future of higher education? And if you attended an H-B-C-U, what did you find valuable about that experience?

Many of you said HBCUs are not only still needed, but there is a pride derived from such an education.

Jabari, a senior at Morehouse College says he is glad he is attending an HBCU, although he was also accepted at the University of California, Berkeley.

"That instruction as an African American male, not just as a regular student is something that is essential and is something that is usually overlooked and something that when you have black students that go to predominantly white institutions they don't gain that, you know messes someone with their confidence."

Listener Snyder George attended Prairie View A&M University and thinks HBCU's serve an important purpose:

"It is not always that easy for us to get into major universities...Not everybody is good at taking exams. And a lot of people have connections at these universities (HBCUs) because different people's parents may have attended there and they are more equal opportunity."

Mr. George, however, says attitude is a problem at HBCUs.

And finally, on Monday Reverend Miguel Rivera, Chairman of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders and Reverend Luis Cortes, president and CEO of Esperanza, a network of Hispanic churches in the United States shared their opposing views on should illegal immigrants be counted in the upcoming 2010 census.

Reverend Rivera wants the undocumented to boycott the census, unless Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform. But, Raul E. Cisneros from the U.S. Census Bureau stated that no organization should urge their members not to participate.

Here is the official statement: "Our job is to count every single person. We are disappointed that any organization would urge anyone to not participate in the 2010 Census."

Annette Lynn blogs: "As a health care professional I spend much of my time wrestling with an under funded indigent-care provider system in efforts "extend the net" for many children of immigrants. Does Rev. Rivera not realize that funds will not be allocated, for health care or education, to cover presumptive populations? In his effort to make a stand he is excluding and dooming those who most need to be counted."

Thank you, Annette.

And let me tell you, before I sign off how grateful we are for all your comments...we read them all (it's true). So, stay tuned for more and as we always like to say here: PLEASE, TELL US MORE.

Blog to you soon.

categories: 'Behind the Curtain' at TMM

1:59 - May 15, 2009

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