Hi all. Busy day here at TMM. We're putting together some great segments for later this week. We'll continue our coverage of the late Michael Jackson. A group of musicians whose careers were influenced by The King Of Pop plan to play us some of their favorites from the Jackson catalog!

In the same spirit, one of our listeners June Jeffries, sent this in after she heard the news of MJ's death. Thanks for sending June ...

I was driving back from Detroit - land of Motown - today when my husband called to tell me they were reporting that Michael had died. I was stunned. Later, when I was 90 minutes or so outside of DC, I put on the radio. I could then receive WHUR and WMJC. Both were playing non-stop Michael. It was evening; I opened the sunroof, rolled down some windows, drove at 65MPH, and sang along with Michael as loud as I could. I felt so alive. I remembered youth and good times. When I was 16 and Michael was 11, Mary Street, Henri Varner, and I went to Olympia Stadium where the Jackson Five performed as part of their first tour. That was the very first concert I ever went to. Years later, in 88 or 89, I went to the Capital Center here in Maryland and saw Michael as a solo artist. He was electrifying!!! I know Michael was supposed to perform 50 concerts in London. I was hoping that he'd be wildly successful and then do like Celine Dion and Prince and hook up with a casino and perform in Vegas. (Of course I was hoping he'd give up the weird stuff as well.) I wanted to go see him in Las Vegas. I just went to YouTube and saw the Thriller and Billie Jean videos. Since I'm retired and have some time...I think I'll learn those dance routines. I will be sure to wake up set my clock for 6 a.m. tomorrow morning so I can listen to Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner. Ciao ... JMJ

Jackson performs Dec. 1, 1984, on the opening night of his Victory Tour at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.Lennox McLendon/AP

 

Marie here, with some thoughts about MJ ...

You know what they say about best laid plans. Every now and again, we have the next day's program sown up and put to bed. This was the case yesterday, when news broke about the death of Michael Jackson. All of a sudden, I was using my blackberry and my cell phone at the same time, trying to keep up with the flurry of calls and email updates. I must admit that most of the calls were from family and friends, expressing their shock and dismay. It was one of those "where were you when" moments. It became clear that the show we planned simply would not do.

Michael Jackson was not just any pop legend. As a colleague put it "he changed the cultural fabric by bringing music and people together across race." He is embedded in our social consciousness and today's program examines the man and the music.

We rounded up black pop culture scholar Mark Anthony Neal and Bryan Monroe, the former editorial director of Ebony magazine who interviewed Jackson for the 25th anniversary of the release of Thriller. We also caught up with R&B singer Howard Hewett, a longtime friend of Jackson's who performed with the star on several hits from the Thriller album and legendary producer Kenny Gamble, who produced The Jacksons.

Michael Jackson had an incredible fan base in Africa, so we decided to check in with NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton in Dakar, Senegal. Of course, the Barbershop guys were chomping at the bit to talk about the legend. And in a rare moment of brazen self-revelation, I decided to share my memories in a commentary. Keep your lighters up, and we'll talk more on Monday.

- Marie Nelson, Tell Me More Executive Producer

It's one of those days--actually, weeks--when we are definitely trying to take a sip from a fire hose. The question is, "What to focus on?"

-Gov. Mark Sanford's big news about his extramarital affair (we'll get to it tomorrow in Barbershop, but I want to know--is there something in the water)?

-The Metro accident (maybe later if there's more to say about infrastructure, but for now we're just glad our Jasmine, who was on the train, is safe and recovering)?

-Iran? We'll keep looking for unique voices...

-Shaq moving to Cleveland (Go, Lebron!)?

In the end, we decided to stick with our international stories for today, to focus on the places and people who are not necessarily cresting the headlines elsewhere but which we think you want to hear about. To that end, Amnesty International's Secretary General just returned from Zimbabwe. Why do we care? Because a year ago, Zimbabwe was more or less where Iran is now, dealing with disputed elections that the authorities say propped up the regime but which many people on the ground refuse to accept as legitimate. So we decided to call upon her.

Continue reading "So Much To Say, So Little Time" >

Spike Lee (left, with Danny Aiello as Sal) both directs and stars in Do The Right Thing. Lee's character, Mookie, works at Sal's Famous Pizzeria in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Universal

 

Lee Hill, here ...

Can you believe it? It's been 20 years since the big-screen debut of film director Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing?

We decided to join forces with the online magazine theRoot.com to commemorate the anniversary. Together, we're exploring why the film remains an artistic heavyweight for many, and whether this country has made progress when it comes to respecting differences in an increasingly multi-ethnic nation.

In other words, do collisions of class, race and culture remain so profound that the 20-year-old message of Do The Right Thing still resonates?

If you've even remotely followed Spike Lee's career in film, then you know that this particular project was no exception to his earlier suite of films. Many would agree that his trademark, if you will, in Hollywood has been using the cinema as a vehicle to speak out (and loudly) about issues he thinks are too commonly unspoken of and under-explored by some of the big thinkers of our time -- interracial and interracial divisions, for example (School Daze, Jungle Fever and Bamboozled come to mind)...

So here's a question for you ...

If you remember watching Do The Right Thing when it first debuted in 1989, is the focus on stubborn cultural perceptions and complacent ignorance still relevant in the of this country's first black president?

Or have we moved forward? ... Or nowhere?

And we know that Spike Lee is only one such filmmaker to explore these issues, and that he enjoys a much larger profile than others who also use the arts to examine these realities extensively, and with a much smaller spotlight. So, please, if you think of others whose work line of work lies within the same vein, do share.

(And, I can't resist, what's your favorite -- or least favorite -- "Spike Lee joint"? And for what reason?)

Obviously, reading is very important to all of us in the news business. Even those of us in broadcasting must read to keep up, however we read.

We read the newspapers, of course. Now, we also read blogs and online publications and we find ourselves turning increasingly to -- as we've seen in covering the Iranian political crisis -- social media. So yes we will cop to self interest in being very interested in keeping kids reading. Because who else will be our next generation of customers and colleagues? That's why we have tips from our guests, Sari Feldman, president-elect of the Public Library Association, and Jolene Ivey, our regular parenting contributor, on keeping kids interested in literature, along with a nice list of suggested books.

And, now, on a very different note ...

Rescue workers respond to the site of two Metrorail trains that collided during the evening rush hour in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images

 

You may have heard about the Metro train crash yesterday in the Washington, D.C. area. There are nine known dead and 70 reported injured. The catastrophe is the deadliest accident in the transit system's history.

What you may not know is that one of our own, Tell Me More producer Jasmine Garsd, was on that train. Thankfully, a few cars back from the impact.

We are very sorry about the loss of life, and, as you might imagine, very thankful that our friend and colleague walked away -- a little shook up but, otherwise, okay. But we've asked her to tell you about it.

Jasmine, how are you? ...

Thanks, Michel. Jasmine Garsd, here ...

I'm doing okay. The adrenaline has worn off and my back and legs are sore from the impact and the walking, but I'm okay.

The train collision was like a very fast movie coming to a screeching halt. I think in moments like these you come to realize two things: how tiny and vulnerable we are in this world of massive machines we've built, and how ignorant we are of that vulnerability.

For a long time now, I've been wondering if the east coast is my home. Yesterday, I received so many calls from concerned friends. My train never made it home, but in a strange way, I suddenly feel like I am.

Thanks, Jasmine. We're glad you survived the wreckage.

Supporters of Iranian Presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi hold placards and pictures depicting injured protesters of the recent election results in Iran. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

 

One more time, Happy Father's Day, if that applies (and if we didn't catch you last week).

We are still watching the situation in Tehran, as you might imagine. The degree of difficulty has now ratcheted up as the ruling authorities now blame foreign media for fomenting the discord. (So what else is new? This is just like the southern racists blaming "outside agitators" for the civil rights movement. The story never changes does it?) But we will get back into the story as soon as we have something to add that we feel you are not hearing elsewhere.

Until then, we turn to our own national and cultural concerns, and other stories ...

The National Organization for Women held elections over the weekend. It was a hard fought campaign between two aggressive and experienced contenders. We're trying to get a hold of the winner, Terry O'Neill. She's a lawyer and a long time board member and we'd like to hear what she has to say about where she wants to take the organization.

In the meantime, we decided to talk with two writers who have written quite a bit about what women are all about right now -- one is Katherine Spillar, editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine, and the other is Robin Givhan, the Pulitzer-Prize winning Washington Post fashion editor who has (great for us!) just moved back to D.C. from New York.

Continue reading "Blame The Media?" >

Marie Nelson, here ...

There are some mornings when things couldn't possibly run any smoother -- guests are in place, scripts are in order and then ... all systems go.

Not.

Today, that wasn't quite the case. During our first (and what we usually hope is our only) broadcast feed, we experienced difficulty with today's Faith Matters segment, which focused on the Southern Baptist Convention and a debate over reconciling the mega-denomination's racially tense past with the election of Barack Obama as this country's first Black president. Our two guests -- both Baptist ministers -- were kind enough to join us from affiliate studios in different parts of the south.

First, the Rev. Hershael York's studio line dropped from the conversation. Silence.

But no need to fear, right? The Rev. Dwight McKissick, our other guest, was still on the line.

... Until his line dropped, too. Both guests were now gone, leaving Michel as the lone voice on-air in TMM radio wilderness.

Now this is where it gets tricky in a live production format. Michel could've either:

a) panicked and lost her cool, or

b) spent the next 5 minutes vamping - desperate to fill precious airtime, as engineers scrambled to restore the connection, by giving listeners regional reports of the weekend weather forecast, or

Continue reading "When Things Fall Apart" >

The protests in Iran, health care reform, being a Dad -- we covered it all. But if you only have time for few minutes of great radio, then I'd love for you to listen to our closing segment, where a group of men on our staff (we had a couple holdouts) offered their thoughts on fatherhood.

You will not be disappointed.

And if you have a few more minutes, then you should listen to our opening segment about Iran where we bring you some voices I don't think you often hear. We had both a representative of the Baha'i faith community and a young woman who supports Ahmadinejad -- a voice I think you want to hear because, as we and everybody else has reported, Iran is a very young country and most of the protesters we have seen are young (the way it usually is). But what about those who take a different view? And even though Iran is an overwhelmingly Shia Muslim country, what about those who are not? What role do they play?

I also think you might be interested in how we found those folks to interview, so I am going to turn it over to Jasmine Garsd, one of our segment producers (but don't tell them all our secrets!):

Thanks Michel. Jasmine Garsd, here ...

Today's show exemplifies how social media is really changing the face of journalism. Based on my interviews with Iranian professors, there is no shortage of Ahmadinejad supporters, even here in the U.S. But for obvious reasons, someone who lives in the U.S. and supports Ahmadinejad might not want to publicly discuss politics. So how do you capture that point of view? On Facebook, I found dozens of pro-Ahmadinejad groups and many people willing to talk. I finally got a hold of a pro-Ahmadinejad Chilean man living in Japan, who is friends with the very passionate young lady we interviewed today. Talk about the World Wide Web!

Thanks, Jasmine.

Thousands of people continue to protest the recent Iran presidential elections in the streets of Tehran. Getty Images

 

Lee Hill, here ...

We're here hammering away at tomorrow's program. I won't spill all of the beans, but here's a sneak preview of what we have (so far):

After the disputed elections in Iran last week, thousands have taken to the streets to protest against the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But missing among the protesters is Iran's largest religious minority, members of the Baha'i faith. The group has been persecuted by the Iranian government and their religious beliefs prevent them from choosing political alliances in the majority-Muslim country. But tomorrow, we speak to an official within the Baha'i faith community, who offers a reaction to the recent elections. (Produced by TMM's Arwa Gunja.)

Also, speaking at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Chicago this week, President Obama outlined his plan to reform the nation's health care system. But Obama's pitch was met with mixed reaction, particularly on the option of public health insurance. Tomorrow, we'll hear from a group of physicians advocating for health care services in low-income and minority communities. These areas have a disproportionate number of uninsured people who could benefit from a public insurance plan. (Produced by TMM's Douglas Hopper.)

Last but not least, fatherhood. Father's Day is drawing near and, especially in minority communities, the commemorative day means different things to different people, particularly men of color. We talk to Leonard Pitts, a renowned journalist and father, who wrote about his layered journey into fatherhood.

We'll also hear from some of our own -- TMM producers Brakkton Booker, Luis Clemens, Argin Hutchins and me -- about being sons to dads who were both present and absent. We tell how we're negotiating the idea (or, rather, the reality for Luis and Argin) of fatherhood as adults. (Produced by TMM's Lorrie Grant, Teshima Walker, Brakkton Booker and Luis Clemens.)

So, check us out tommorrow -- something new, something more, and something else ...

iStock

 

It's happening! Another dream realized!

Sometimes people ask me (and others who work on this program) how and why we started Tell Me More. I often quote Toni Morrison, who, when asked why she started writing, said, "I wrote the book I wanted to read."

When Executive Producer Marie Nelson and I started this program more than two years ago(!), we quickly realized we were not starting with a blank slate at all. Many of the segments you hear are those either one or both of us had long wanted to produce when we were working in other media outlets and, for whatever reason, could not find the right vehicle.

Today's program represents a down payment on one of the ideas I have desperately wanted to see realized for a long time.

Education is so important. It is fundamental to who we are as Americans. We live in a country where we believe -- even against great odds -- that every child can be whoever he or she wants to be.

Do you remember childhood stories about enslaved Americans learning to read in secret, about the young Abe Lincoln plowing the field with a book in his hands, about the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan taking his city college entrance exams with his longshoreman's grappling hook still in his pocket? Do you remember Barack Obama talking during the campaign and in his memoir about how his mother used to wake him up at the crack of dawn to review his lessons because she felt his school in Indonesia wasn't rigorous enough?

Continue reading "A Topic Well Worth Discussing" >

Iranian elections? Zimbabwe? Stick with our planned piece on HIV/AIDS among black men? What's the right answer? We are somewhat second guessing ourselves this morning ... not in a major way but it's our job. We were pleased to have the chance to interview Zimbabwe's prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday just a few minutes after his meeting with President Obama ended. He was staying just a half a block away from the White House, which is only a few blocks from us. But I can tell you it was no easy thing getting us to him or him here or there. Remember this was just three days after the shooting at the Holocaust Memorial so people are always a bit tense anyway. I think there was a report of a suspicious package a few blocks from us (I could see swirling lights and anyway the traffic snarl said it all). We were in traffic for half an hour for a trip that should have taken five minutes when I saw a motorcade swoop in right in front of me. It was the prime minister. I found myself wondering if he would not have preferred to walk the barely more than a block on a beautiful June day but of course that is no longer considered possible.

So we had our interview and he was very accessible and forthcoming. Perhaps too accessible. You can hear his aides walking around in the background.

We planned it for our Monday lede. But then elections results from Iran came in. The ruling party rushed the opposition ... or did it (didn't Tsvangirai just go though this last year)? Demonstrations ensue. Who can we get to talk to us? Who is credible and interesting who is NOT on everybody else's air (because why then do you need us?). In the end we stuck with Plan A. But we're working on B for tomorrow.

Soul Power by Sony Pictures Classics opens in theaters on July 10.Sony Pictures Classics

 

Marie Nelson, here ...

I found myself starting off by saying that today is a busy day around here, but then I realized that everyday is a busy one. Michel is on a rare "outing" to screen a documentary with one of our show editors, Jasmine Garsd. The film, Soul Power, focuses on the three-day, Zaire '74 music festival that ran alongside Muhammad Ali and George Foreman's epic "Rumble in the Jungle" fight, and brought together African and African-American music stars. We plan to bring you a conversation with the director and, hopefully, music legend Bill Withers, one of the featured artists in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned.

Now, I am about to engage in very dangerous behavior, counting chickens before they hatch, so I am knocking on wood at this very moment. We are preparing for an important interview with Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is in Washington as part of an effort to attract international donor support for his country. Tsvangirai is scheduled to talk with Michel right after his meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office, so we plan to tell you more about their discussions.

Getting Tsvangirai to talk with us has proved an amazing challenge over the last several months. One of the last times we were scheduled to have him on the program, during his contest for the presidency, we learned that he had been detained by police. So, keep your fingers crossed and tune in on Monday to see what happens.

Have a great weekend.

Police gather in front of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., following yesterday's shooting. Win McNamee/Getty Images

 

Isn't it strange how a day can start out one way, take a completely different turn, and then end on a completely different note?

Yesterday started out as just a regular day. My big challenge was getting the kids down to the office so I could see them. They are home with a sitter this week because they're between school and summer camp, and we're scrambling for things for them to do. With construction work going on in the house, we kind of want them outside, but the weather is not great, and most of the museums here engage a five-year-old for only so long, so it's been challenging. I wanted them to visit for lunch because I had an evening commitment.

Our Executive Producer Marie Nelson and I were going to see a new play written by Janet Langhart Cohen (former broadcaster, wife of former Defense Secretary William Cohen) that was being staged at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. I was looking forward to seeing the play (we still plan to feature a discussion with Mrs. Cohen about her play and all that's happened on Friday) and, frankly, seeing a number of old friends who were also scheduled to attend.

So I had CNN on, but the sound was down, and then I saw the headline flash: Shooting at the Holocaust Museum ... two shot ...

And I thought,huh? That's ridiculous. Who would do that?

Continue reading "Surprising Twists to My 'Normal' Day" >

If you're busy today and don't have time for the whole program, I'd like to ask you to listen to Teshima Walker's remembrance of our dear friend and colleague Sheryl Flowers, who died yesterday at 42. She was the executive producer of Tavis Smiley's radio program and the communications director of The Smiley Group. She had been fighting cancer for the last two years, and the last few months were not going well. Teshima and I had just seen her in Denver at the Democratic National Convention, and I think we all convinced ourselves that she had won the fight and was going to pull through.

Some of you may remember, I wrote about losing my dear friend Sandee a few months back, also to cancer, also too soon.

I was raised not to question these things. I was raised to believe some things are beyond our comprehension. In a way, I guess that's true on some basic level. After all, why does a wonderful, productive, lovely, smart, healthy living woman die at 42 -- or even 53 -- who has never smoked, always exercised, didn't do any of the things we're all taught not to do? Who can really explain that? We won't try, but we will renew the call I made earlier this year after Sandee passed away: What can we do to pay tribute to them and to the others we miss?

In the meantime, here are a few tributes to Sheryl from some of our extended family ...

Tell Me More producer Teshima Walker (left) shares a happy moment at NPR with former News and Notes host Tony Cox and producer Sheryl Flowers (far right). Courtesy of Tony Cox

 

I really don't remember exactly when, or how Sheryl Flowers and I met, although I suspect it was during some Black Journalists Association function in California back in the 80's. I just know we've been friends and colleagues for a long time. And even though we saw less of each other in the last year, I always felt her presence.

That's how Sheryl was -- ever present even when she wasn't there. She had a look, a tiny half-smile/half-grunt that let you know she was paying attention to whatever was happening, but wasn't going to let you know her true feelings until, and unless, she was ready.

Continue reading "Saying Farewell To Another Friend" >

Lee Hill, here ...

Today we did a story on the Bonnie Sweeten case. She is a white woman from Pennsylvania who falsely accused two black males of kidnapping her and her daughter. In reality, she and her daughter had fled to Disney World, even as a serious investigation was underway. This is the latest case of a racial hoax, and criminologist Katheryn Russell-Brown told Michel on the program today that these cases are more prevalent than we may think. But how do these type of false allegations affect the communities they target? Tell Me More Producer Arwa Gunja decided to find out. Take it away, Arwa.

Thanks, Lee. Arwa Gunja, here ...

I caught up with Albert Butler this morning. He's the host of Al B in the Afternoon, a talk show that airs on WURD-AM in Philadelphia. His show is based about thirty minutes from where Bonnie Sweeten lives, and Albert's listeners are mostly African-American. So when the truth broke about Bonnie Sweeten's allegations, I decided to ask Albert how his listeners were responding to racial hoax. Take a listen:

And here are more thoughts from Albert:

Philadelphia radio host Al Butler. Courtesy of Al Butler

White women have been falsely accusing black men of crimes since Africans were first forcibly brought to these shores. So it was no surprise to my radio audience or me when the latest incident involving Bonnie Sweeten came to light.

It was also no surprise when the mainstream media jumped all over the "two black men in a Cadillac" story (even though the facts were hazy from the start). Once the truth was discovered, hearing Bonnie Sweeten described as "not well" and "troubled" was definitely no surprise. Either was it a surprise that whatever crime that she would be accused of, there would be no accounting for the harm done to any black men or other men of color that were in the area of the "crime." Little is ever said about the damage that is done when an APB for non-existent black suspects is broadcast and how black men (and those close to them) in the area have to endure "you fit the description" stops -- the actual description never matters because we all, always "fit" the description.

For days, my lines were lit up with callers frustrated with the history of false allegations and America's complicity, media coverage and a lack real accountability for the for people who would fabricate such fables. Many lamented that these types of incidents can still happen in this day in age, with President Obama in the White House. Others were more cynical: one caller said, "I am gonna die in the same world my father died in, and he died in the same one his father lived in ... Nothing ever changes."

I tend to be an optimist. I see change everyday and have seen significant change. But when you see the news flash, hear the media coverage, feel the reaction of an entire country, and read the simple charge of filing a false police report as punishment for another assault on a beleaguered community ... well, it's not a surprise.

Thanks, Arwa. And thanks, Al, for your insight.

I am not complaining, but I have the craziest interview schedule today, and I am like that bad student who didn't finish the book until the morning of the test ("But, Professor, I can explain! The kids wouldn't nap!") Whatever. So my deep insights will have to be cut short this morning.

We're working on stories about the economy, getting ready for Father's Day and gearing up to take a look at the various innovations going on in K through 12 education. We are located in Washington, D.C., and it turns out that D.C. is ground zero for educational experimentation (some say "fads"), but whatever you call it, we'll be taking advantage of our proximity to explore many of the ideas that are engaging parents and educators today.

We are still mulling over several of the responses we received to our segment on empowering men. A lot of interesting ideas were expressed that I had not heard before (along with the usual "I hate my ex-wife because she done me wrong" refrain), so I want to think about that. And we are also thinking about doing another cheapskate week where we talk about summer fun on the cheap. So we're busy.

Lee Hill, here ...

One of the more challenging aspects of producing a daily news/talk program is that you seldom get a moment to sit down, at the end of a long work week, and just ... take it all in. By that, I'm saying that the discovery of new information -- or how old information affects people in new ways -- and the process of presenting that information, is one that can often be overpowering. I'm learning how easy it can be sometimes to overlook (or simply forget) the wisdom gained from looking back ...

We sometimes joke in this business about shining moments of great reporting or teamwork as lasting as long as, well, that moment. With each day's end, the slate is wiped clean for us to move full speed ahead at telling you more (although it can be frustrating, sort of like that "masterpiece" sand castle that you spent hours making on the beach, only to have it flattened to its surface by the next wave headed to shore).

One might say that we could stand to spend more time smelling the roses -- and feeling the pain -- of people, places and circumstances affected by the times in which we live.

We're trying. And we know there's never truly "enough" time for that.

But I've also learned to look at it this way: we work in a universe of second chances. Everyday is yet another opportunity to start over. ... Because there's always something new to tell and (we hope we're effective at presenting) a new perspective to consider, right?

At any rate, speaking of a fresh start, check out a brief look ahead to Monday. I'm handing the virtual mic over to Teshima Walker, senior supervising producer, for TMM.

Teshima, what's the word?

Thanks, Lee.

For starters, it's raining here in Washington, D.C., today. Some folks might catch the blues from looking at these overcast skies, but I like this weather.

And speaking of the blues, you have to tune in Monday to hear legendary blues musician, Lonnie Brooks, and his son Wayne perform on Tell Me More. Get ready to tap your feet and snap your fingers.

(Can I just tell you? I ran into the studio to get "my sing" on when Mr. Brooks performed the song "Sweet Home Chicago." That's my jam! I loved it.)

Have a great weekend. Now you know where to come to cure your Monday blues.

Tag! You're it, Lee.

Thanks, Teshima... Looking forward to a happy (and blue) Monday!

Monika Evstatieva here...

There are many interesting conversations we have in store for you today...and most certainly tune in to the Barbershop guys. They have brought the heat on, so unlike the rainy day here in DC. But before that, I just wanted to pass the blog over to Niloufer Siddiqui from Pakistan. As part of our special blog series -- The View From Abroad, Niloufer, who just graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, tells us what she thought Obama's speech in Cairo meant to her. Take it away, Niloufer:

Thanks, Monika. As its very apt title suggests, President Obama's much-anticipated speech in Cairo has indeed set the stage for a new beginning in relations between the Muslim world and the United States. I was struck by the honest and straightforward tone in which President Obama outlined the multitude of challenges plaguing the region and the rest of the world. By stressing the need for a practical and evenhanded approach to resolving these issues, he shifted the focus from intransigent rhetoric and ideology to one governed by compromise and understanding. To me, it was the little things that made his speech particularly effective, and will continue to resonate with the populace of many Muslim countries -- his addressing the crowd with the greeting Assalam Alaikum, quoting the Holy Quran, acknowledging the suffering of the Palestinian people, and referring to Muslims as themselves the greatest victims of terrorism.

Of course, at the end of the day, President Obama's legacy will be determined not simply by what he says, but what he does. The speech was just the first step -- albeit an importance one -- in repairing this key relationship which has been damaged as a result of misguided and erroneous policies pursued over the last few years. President Obama didn't shy away from his responsibilities, recognizing the need for the U.S. to serve as a key figure in the pursuit of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, to help Iraq forge a better future for its citizens and to enter into a long-term partnership with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yet, as he rightly pointed out, each country, each group has responsibilities to which they must live up to as well.

President Obama came across as genuine but measured, concerned but hopeful. He neither apologized for, nor denied, the past, rather acknowledging it while asking us all to turn the page and focus on the future. It is important that each side recognize the mistakes made in the past, not to dwell on them but to learn from them. Perhaps then we can go one step further to permanently shelving all thoughts of a clash of civilizations.

Thank you, Niloufer.
OK, folks I am going back to my production chair.

Blog to you soon.

A major focus of our program today will be President's address in Cairo, as well you might expect. Highly anticipated, heavily covered, we'll have two segments on the speech.We're speaking with three young Muslims from three different countries who are studying and working in the US about their reaction to the speech and we'll talk with two Muslim writers and intellectuals about just what IS this Muslim world that we keep talking about? it's sort of a cousin to the conversation we had yesterday with Gregory Rodriguez about "the Latino community." And we close the program with a visit with the director and one of the stars of Joe Turner's Come and Gone, that August Wilson play that the Obama's visited last weekend. ( and now he's in Cairo...that's a head snapper for you ).

And now a followup to my Can I Just Tell You? column from Monday: A couple of conservative bloggers have put me in their sights. Actually, I don't think most of them listened to or read what I actually said...because why really bother? SO much more amusing to trash people based on what suits your ideological interests I know..BUT..the stated source of their angina are some comments I made six years ago about Miguel Estrada whom President Bush had nominated to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and which a significant number of Democrats opposed and threatened to filibuster. There's a long background to this as you might know...Democrats were angry about the way the Republican dominated Senate had treated Clinton judicial nominees, Republicans were still mad about Robert Bork some years before that, all that...anyway Estrada eventually withdrew and there was some personal tragedy attached to that. But that all came later...anyway. Some of the bloggers have their knickers in a twist because I called Miguel Estrada "an affirmative action candidate." Natually they took what I said completely out of context (what fun!) but since we're here, let me set the record straight for those rs who care. Here is what I actually said. This comes from February 9 2003:

Miguel Estrada is a very promising young lawyer who went to some excellent schools, had excellent clerkships, has a good work record. What he lacks in judicial background he makes up with a compelling life story. He was born in Honduras, came here speaking very little English and has done some important and impressive things. And you know what's that is called, George? Affirmative action. He is an affirmative action candidate as practiced by the Republican party and the conservative movement, and what it also indicates is that the Democrats haven't succeeded in making judicial nominations as an important grass roots issue as the Republicans and the Conservatives have.

Continue reading "Can I Just Tell You: Follow-Up" >

Monika Evstatieva, here...

As we promised, here is the second installment of our three part blog special on reactions to President's Obama address in Cairo. Zaina Arafat, a guest on our program today, shares her thoughts on the speech. Zaina recently graduated from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She's originally from the West Bank.

Zaina, blog it out:

Thanks, Monika. President Obama's speech earlier today to the Muslim world won him a standing ovation from his audience at Cairo University. Although it was no doubt a great speech that worked toward restoring the soured relationship between the West and the Muslim World, Arabs and Muslims are used to great rhetoric. Now what we need is action.

As a Palestinian-American, I am most concerned about how President Obama will proceed with regards to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He called on Israel to halt its continued settlement activity; now he needs to start applying pressure on the State to actually do so. President Obama also stated that the two sides must meet the obligations that they agreed to under the Road Map, and the U.S. must play an active role as a third party negotiator to get each side to meet these obligations. Additionally, President Obama needs to honor his commitment to helping the Palestinians achieve statehood by consistently pushing the two sides to reach an agreement, one that leads to the creation of a viable Palestinian state, and that restores dignity among Palestinians.

Above all, I think that after today, those in the West who have come to perceive Islam as an inherently hostile religion dominated by extremists will at least reconsider their view, and those in the Muslim world who think that the West is waging a war against Islam will relinquish that belief. President Obama has challenged the stereotypes and perceptions that exist between Islam and the West. After today, hopefully we will see the gap of understanding between the two worlds bridged, and the framework of Us versus Them will recede.

Thank you, Zaina.

Stay tuned, for part three of our series: The View From Abroad. We will hear from Niloufer Siddiqui from Pakistan.

Blog to you soon.

Monika Evstatieva here...

At Tell Me More it has been a long day. We were all up really, really early to watch President's Obama address from Cairo. And we also wanted to make sure, we bring you voices that are new, different and fresh. So, for the first part of our program, we gathered three young people from Egypt, Palestine and Pakistan and asked them about their reactions to the President's speech. The conversation is definitely worth hearing. But what also amazed us, is how much the speech meant to them on a personal level. So, we've asked our guests to also share some of their thoughts on our blog.

First is Ahmed Attiah. Ahmed, 29, is an Egyptian-American and lives in Chicago.
Ahmed, take it away...

Thank you, Monika.Today's speech was nothing less than a historic event that could result in significant changes in the way the Muslim world views the United States' role in the world. President Obama was able to present himself as a genuine leader of the free world by using new language -- much different from what the Muslim world had been accustomed to hear from his predecessor. The honest vision he presented was quite inspiring to the Muslim audience who were clearly impressed and interrupted his speech on multiple occasions either applauding or simply shouting we love you. Quite frankly, I don't think their love cries were aimed at Obama the man only, but the American tolerant and objective voice/image, they have been so eager to reconnect with for a long time.

Obama's vision for change has been nothing less than effective based on the initial reaction shared by the media in the Muslim world. His speech today could prove to be the catalyst event that will instigate the west and the Muslim world to start working together and overcoming their differences and start focusing more and more on commonalties. Obama addressed the youth who he believes are still not as corrupted with the residues of past events including 9/11 and the war in Iraq that he sees a capacity for them to lead change. His words were directed towards the youth on both sides as he formulated steps and plans to enhance dialogue and communications through exchange programs and other tools that he -- and we - hope will bring both worlds together.

It has been said that older men make the decision to go to war while the youth are the ones that die in battle and pay the heavy price. Hence President Obama chose to speak directly to the youth asking them to take advantage of the tools they have to build dialogue, tolerance and understanding of the other. The youth should start on both sides by conducting an honest internal dialogue where self criticism would be used to remediate the scars of stereotypes shared on both sides. The next phase would take place in the form of exchange programs and creating a fund that would be dedicated to enhancing Muslim American relations and focusing on the commonalties and common core values. There should be movements and efforts on both sides that should stop and oppose the stereotypes created for the other. The youth in the Muslim world should start rejecting the idea that the US main interest is to exploit the natural resources of the Muslim world and impose a Western Agenda that aims to ridicule and do away with the Muslim heritage and believes. Meanwhile, youth in the West have to start standing up against the stereotypes and negative images of Muslims in the western media in terms of extremism, violence and women rights.

Obama's predecessor had shoes thrown at him when he gave his last speech in the Middle East, while Obama had people screaming "I love you" on the top of their lungs. The significant contrast is an indication that hope and progress are imminent and bring better results than arrogance and confrontation. But now we just have to follow words with action, we must join with Obama to ensure that he doesn't lose momentum in his quest for peace.

Thank you, Ahmed. I also truly believe the youth can play a huge role in setting a different conversation. But as you say, we also need actions, not only words.
Next, on our blog will be Zaina Arafat from Palestine.

Blog to you soon...

Lee Hill, here ...

Today, we looked at how the recession is taking it's toll on children in communities across the U.S. Our discussion was inspired by a new report that warns that the current economic down could set back many of the gains made over the past 35 years to improve the lives of children. On the program, we were joined by Ruby Takanishi, of the Foundation for Child Development, and Cora Masters Barry, of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Washington, D.C.

Interesting dialogue, indeed. Takanashi suggested that the economic impact of the nation's financial meltdown could turn back the clock on the economic well-being of families. What does this mean? According to Takanashi, the recession could "essentially bring family economic well-being back to the 1975 level." Families struggling today, in other words, could show just as much progress as those tredding financial waters back in 1975. (Read the report by Takanashi's group.)

No big deal, right? Except that was more than 30 years ago.

But also interesting were comments made by Cora Masters Barry, former wife of former D.C. (now councilmember) Marion Barry. Among other things -- of course, you should listen to the actual conversation -- she says hard economic times have had a not-so-bad-affect on the children under her watch. At the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (located in the inner-city of the nation's capitol), of which Barry is the founder, she actually reports witnessing more student participation in enriching programs and higher (than usual) levels of parental engagement in what kids are up to.

If you work with children on a regular, or semi-regular, basis, what are you seeing where you live? How is the recession taking a toll -- or not -- in your community? ...

Tomorrow: Is there really a such thing as "the Muslim world"? We look ahead to President Obama's speech in Cairo, Egypt.

Planning Editor Luis Clemens joined 'Tell Me More' in December 2008. Monika Evstatieva/NPR

Thanks, Michel. Luis Clemens, here ...

As Michel suggested, I have the pleasure/burden of being the editor who takes first crack at selecting which book authors to interview for Tell Me More. There are no hard and fast rules about which titles get airtime and which don't - but, we do observe a few self-imposed guidelines.

1) The book has to matter.

This does not mean the book has to be written by a president or a Nobel prizewinner. It can be a light-hearted summer read that speaks to our audience.

2) Two chapters and out.

The book has to prove its worth by the end of the second chapter. If it hasn't grabbed me by then, well, I am not going to bother reading the rest of it. Every now and then, all I have to do is read the first page. I keep waiting and hoping to fall in love with a freshly published book after only the first paragraph.

It has happened to me before and it is like instantly falling in love:

"She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms, she was always Lolita." - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

And ...

"In Africa, you want more, I think." - Mating by Norman Rush

And ...

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buend??a was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

3) Timing helps.

If the subject of the book happens to coincide with or complement a story that is hot in the news right now, then its chances of getting on air are much improved. Right now, for instance, I would kill for a good biography of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Continue reading "Want Us To Feature Your Book? Here Are 5 Tips: " >

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Now, I'd like to have a word about books, and I am going to ask our planning editor Luis Clemens to join me for this.

(Hi, Luis!)

I took a few days off last week (to be honest, I was furloughed but that's another story ... ) and when I got back, I had no fewer than six unsolicited books on my chair. I spent the last hour of the work day culling through four stacks of books that were literally waist-high against the wall (don't tell the fire marshals). A few of them were duplicates, a bunch were obvious rejects that don't fit the mission of the program (like some quasi-porn chick lit and some crazy self-help books that don't address any problems of anybody I know), and a lot of them were ... were what? Books that were interesting, important, about something important but, for whatever reason, we just are not going to get to.

And I put the ones that we obviously won't use onto a cart that goes around the building to other programs and reporters for this purpose. We hope somebody will find exactly what he or she is looking for. But I was still left with a couple of knee high and thigh high stacks. What to do, what to do?

It pains me and it thrills me at the same time. On the one hand -- because I have many friends who have written books -- I know how much time, effort and how many sleepless nights go into each one. And I appreciate the intentions of the people who send us their books. They want attention for them but, more importantly, I think, they are just proud of themselves and want the world to see what they have done. So every time I put one of those books on the reject cart I know I'm putting months or years of someone else's life on the shelf and saying, no thanks.

On the other hand, to be brutally honest, sometimes I am thinking, what the hell was this person or his or her publicist thinking when they sent me this? Some of these books are just lousy, poorly written, and/or have nothing to do with the interests (as we understand them) of the people who listen to this program.

I think you are getting the idea that we can only review or talk about a tiny fraction of the books that come to us. For more on how we do decide, here's Luis ...

My thanks to NPR's Lynn Neary and Jennifer Ludden for sitting-in last week while I was focusing on my other job (moms, you know what I'm talking about).

Can you believe it's June? The year is half over? And even more terrifying for us parents, school is almost over for the year.

Which is one reason we are going to dig into education issues as much as we can this month, starting with a moms conversation tomorrow about that pay-for-grades idea being advanced in various school districts around the country. The idea is to pay kids for attendance and achievement. It targets, as you might guess, kids from low-income backgrounds and middle schoolers, and those who are having trouble staying motivated. We talked with the moms in our weekly parenting segment about this earlier in the school year, but tomorrow we hear from two students who recently debated this among themselves, so we were excited to hear from them.

We also plan to dig into stories about charter schools, single-sex education and all the issues you (and we) have been hearing about.

Let us know if there's something you really want us to dig into.

And, now, let me find something for the kids to do in August.

Sigh ...