Teshima Walker here.

Raise your hands high if you think President Barack Obama is glad his meeting with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, and Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley is over.

Yeah, I'm throwing my hands up, too.

But, I've learned a few things about myself. I haven't invited anyone outside of my race/ethnicity into my home. What's up with that? I'm not going to lie. I don't think about it. I've gone to other folks homes. I had a wonderful time. I always bring something to drink or some flowers. But, I've never said to Luis, the planning editor for Tell Me More. He's Cuban. "Hey Luis, you, the wife and kids want to come by for some catfish, mustard greens and cornbread?"

I grew up on the south side of Chicago in a segregated community. My parents kept my sister and I very close to them. We didn't have friends coming by our apartment to hang out and no sleep-overs. In other words, I didn't develop an urge or inclination to entertain others. But, I never turn down an invitation to go into someone's home, sit, eat, drink and talk.

Who else is wasting an opportunity to invite good people into their homes. And, Baby, I've learned that before you can have difficult conversations about race, class, gender, you know the hard topics - you've got to like the person you're talking to ... alot.

Anyway, I went to my Facebook page and said the following to my people: "President Obama isn't the only one opening his house up for a conversation about race and reconciliation today. Or, is he? When is the last time you had someone of another race or culture in your home? Did you talk about race? Was it awkward? How awkward was it? What kind of beer did you serve?"

The comments were interesting, funny and some made me scratch my head and say - what in the world? Here's what I've learned:

Continue reading "Let's Talk Race At Your Place ... " >

You may have noticed or heard -- because we are repeating it ad nauseum -- that we (as in the collective NPR we) have redesigned the NPR Web site, the "new" NPR.org.

I've been checking it out, and I came across an opinion piece that I've been thinking a lot about.

It's by Harold Pollack and it ran in partnership The New Republic (NPR also runs pieces from the National Review, among others).

Pollack says that however appalled one might be about the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and all that it implies, now is not the time to spend a lot of time worrying and talking about it.

He explains why.

I understand the logic. The argument is that President Obama now needs every member of his possibly fragile coalition to pass health care reform, and there are already signs that lower income less educated whites (who didn't vote for him anyway) are balking.

And although lower income people are far more likely to lack health care, some polls show that these voters are starting to be concerned that the chief beneficiaries of reform will be ... not them. But it will be ... guess who?

So, as Pollack argues, opening up race opens up the kind of race-based conflict that so often obscures the real class issues underneath the surface, and thus dooms the kind of coalition needed to overcome the entrenched special interests, which are organized very much around the status quo on health care.

This could easily be true.

And yet, when is it going to be time?

Continue reading "When Will It Be The 'Right' Time? " >

Lee Hill, here ...

So how's this for a happy hour?:

The nation's preeminent scholar on race and a decorated white police officer. Not so bad, right? But what if the cop recently arrested the black scholar, and the scholar, in turn, accused the cop of racial profiling?

Now, those two may need more than a good beer to get along.

And, the two men will be hosted by the first black leader of the free world, President Obama -- the same President who, when asked to share thoughts about his professor-friend's brush with the law characterized the cop's behavior as stupid (before a national prime time audience of millions ... minor detail, of course).

And so tomorrow evening, at around 6-ish, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Cambridge police officer Sgt. James Crowley and President Barack Obama will sit down for probably the most awkward -- but hopefully reconciliatory -- happy hour-cleansing-inspirational event to ever take place in the White House. And maybe to ever take place anywhere.

Obama's a pro at these types of things, right? Really, how hard could it be?

For instance, an easy ice breaker: why not sports?

Gates, Crowley, how about those Red Sox? (Oh, but they lost to Oakland, Mr. President).

Regroup.

Seen any good TV lately?

(The President prays Professor Gates won't mention CNN's "Black In America 2" ... Or, maybe that's a good place to start.)

At any rate, I can't help but wonder what will -- and what can -- come of tomorrow's brotherly chat. Gates and Obama have walked back their earlier strong statements about the arrest. Crowley has said on occasion he has no intention of apologizing.

So that leaves ...

1.) Drink brewskis and sing karaoke to MJ's classic "We Are the World?"

2.) Drink beer floats. (Ice cream makes everything better.)

3.) Take First Lady Michelle Obama's advice and give fist bumps all around.

Seriously, what do you think will come of it?

What I'd give to be in the next room!

I do hope they at least work buffalo wings onto the menu.

It'd be a shame for them to leave hungry.

Teshima Walker, here.

Here's a quick note to let you know Michel Martin is trying to catch her breath. I've got tons of stories piled high on her desk, chair and floors ... and she's sorting through them all. (Thanks, Michel.)

There are several stories on our mind:

First and foremost, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted today in favor of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. This is a historic moment, right? But what happens to that moment when your Senator votes "No."

We consider the case of Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who represents the heavily Latino-populated state of Texas. Cornyn voted against confirming Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

Plus, I speak often about my battle with the bulge. (And I'm on my way to exercise boot camp as soon as I finish this post.) More than a third of black Americans are obese, with Hispanics not far behind. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the government will give state and local governments more money to fight obesity.

I want to know, what does this really mean and what are fat people saying (I can say "fat" ... with love)?

Now, even the government wants you to lose weight, eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise. But I want to know how state and local government plans to help you lose weight when you can't find time away from your job -- and your family -- in order to exercise. Will they pay for baby sitters? Gym memberships?

Whatever.

I want to hear from a fat person trying to schedule fitness into their daily lives, and from those who are getting their friends involved. So, call me ... well, e-mail me, and tell me how you're removing your "love handles." Lol.

Michel will be back to blog it out with you tomorrow. And, if there's a story that you think we should talk about, let us know.

Take care ...

You know a story is a third rail when you wind up talking about it at a six-year-old's birthday party.

That happened this weekend at a party for my children's friends and we wound up talking about the L'affair Gates. You, of course, know this is about Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., being arrested in his house last week, the charges were later dropped (like in nanoseconds). But the story has sparked much commentary, in no small part, because the President chose to weigh in and then tried to tip-toe back out.

Of course, this is Washington, D.C., and many of us here are connected to the story in some way. Some of us know Professor Gates, or we went to Harvard, or work in or follow government, we are all interested in what Obama is up to (some of my friends do diversity work and, thankfully, it's a mixed crowd ... yada yada yada). Plus, it is kind of catnip ...

Who among us has not had some encounter with the police -- whether as a teenager hanging out at the mall, or a 7-Eleven ... getting pulled over for a traffic stop, dare I say it, having a wee bit much to drink (not me, of course, just reporting)?

But what continues to surprise is what an emotional story this is. I know to some people it's a "distraction," a waste of time from talking about more important legislative priorities, like health care. But one person's distraction is another person's vital issue. I think one of the things that has made this conversation so compelling and, frankly, painful to me is the sense that many Americans are utterly ignorant about and indifferent to how painful this is to black and brown people, especially to boys and men -- decent men, law abiding men, well behaved children. Innocent. If you ask any of the men of color you know if they have had some negative encounter with the police or other law enforcement that made them feel needlessly humiliated, I bet the answer will be yes.

Why does it have to be that way? I believe it does not. The other thing that bothers me is the sense that some people seem to have that this is our only choice. I don't believe it is, and, in part, I don't believe it is because I have so many law enforcement officers in my own family who I know go out there, or have gone out there, everyday trying to do right by all people. And I just refuse to believe that we cannot figure out how to do better by all of our citizens.

I remember how, after Sept. 11, when I was one of those people who still had to travel because of my job. What a difference attitude made among law enforcement at the airports. You remember those were very tense times. And I distinctly remember a (white) officer in the Atlanta airport whose courtesy and calm literally brought the temperature down several degrees.

I say all that to say, I hope something good will come of all this hoo-ha about Gates et al. I don't know that it will. I just hope so.

Teshima Walker, here ...

Wow. What is the lesson I've learned this week from programming Tell Me More?

It's hard out here.

Today, the federal minimum wage jumps to $7.25 an hour. And, for a full-time worker that could mean an extra $1500 a year, before taxes. Just in case you're trying to guess whose doing the happy dance and bumping fists over the extra cash, it's your retail worker and restaurant employee.

I guess you're thinking, it's a good day for those waitresses that have to run back and forth for your "room temperature water with no ice and one wedge of lemon, please.

But, here's a secret we've heard from one or two of them: this recession has resulted in some lousy tips from all of us. So, reconsider fussing about that 20 percent tip -- whether you think they've earned it or not -- because it's hard out here.

How hard is it?

Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., poses for a photograph at his home in Cambridge, Mass., in January 2008. Gates is Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. AP

 

Ask Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. He was handcuffed, arrested on his own front porch last week.

Have you seen the pictures?

A white police officer has a hand on Professor Gates' arm as his more salt than peppered beard, is seen bordering his open mouth. I know Professor Gates is fussing that picture. How can I tell? Here's the story and you tell me if you wouldn't have been in a fussing mood.

Professor Gates returned home after spending a week in China, where he was filming his new PBS documentary, Faces of America. It isn't Gates' first PBS documentary. Remember his series African-American Lives, where he traced the genealogical and historical guide for comedian Chris Rock, singer Tina Turner and media mogul Oprah Winfrey?

But I digress ...

So the lock is jammed and Gates and his driver are pushing against the front door, having to force their way in. But Gates' neighbor doesn't recognize him, calls the police and the Cambridge arrive on the scene. Words were exchanged (reported that someone said something about someone's Mama) and ... you guessed it -- the well-respected Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is charged with disorderly conduct.

Now, although the charges were dropped, Gates is ANGRY. He says he was humiliated; the police officer didn't recognize him, his accomplishments, his connections to Harvard, to PBS ... to frickin' OPRAH?!

And so now, honestly, I'm wondering, how do I counsel the Black men that I love?

How do I keep them safe from humiliation and harm if Gates, an older dude with a case of jet lag, can't be forgiven for being indignant when he flashes his all-impressive Harvard employment badge with his picture, and still gets a ride in the back seat of a squad car?

Continue reading "This Week's Lesson: It's Hard Out There" >

The 5th International AIDS Society conference took place in Cape Town, South Africa. Douglas Hopper/NPR

 

Monika Evstatieva, here...

Today we are bringing you a very special report from Tell Me More producer Douglas Hopper, who's in Cape Town, South Africa. Take it away Douglas...

Thank you, Monika.... I'm here in Cape Town for the "5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis Treatment and Prevention" -- a conference about the science of HIV/AIDS.

Thousands of scientists and activists are here. Loads of new data are on display, being pondered and debated by the world's global health experts. Every angle of the story is up for discussion - male circumcision, mother-to-child transmission, drug addiction -- just a few of the hottest issues right now.

But outside these walls, the issue of HIV/AIDS isn't always such an open conversation. Government censorship and social stigma keep HIV behind closed doors and out of the media. For journalists in many countries - many of whom I've met in the past few days - telling the story can mean risking their own careers and sometimes their own safety. Here are some of their stories.

'I Will Not Die My Own Death'

Meet Afradai Afridi, a radio reporter based in the Swat valley, a disputed tribal area in Pakistan where virtually no western journalists are allowed and press freedoms are notoriously at risk. Afradai Afridi, who asked me not to use his legal name, is a full time correspondent for the US-based Free Speech Radio News. You can hear one of his stories here.

Afridai has been taken into custody on multiple occasions for his reporting, sometimes at the hands of Taliban militants, other times captured by officials from the Pakistani Army. As a result, Afridai is very cautious about the stories he chooses to tell. Reporting on HIV/AIDS carries a unique challenge. He says the Pakistani government condemns many HIV stories as a way of protecting its image, but that's only part of the problem. Afridai explains that his biggest challenge is finding ways to talk about women's health. He says Pakistan's Muslim culture makes it awkward and often simply forbidden to publicly report on the private lives of women.

Afridai says reporting on HIV/AIDS is certainly dangerous, but most often it's his stories about inter-tribal fighting and refugee issues that land him in jail.

Just last month Afridai says he was taken into custody for reporting on Afghan refugees - a group of Afghanis near the border who were resisting orders to leave Pakistan. Afridai was collecting their stories when two men from the Pakistani army approached. He explains what happened next.

I asked Afridai why he keeps reporting, given the risks to himself and his family. He said it's a sacrifice he's willing to make. With a calm smile, he assures himself, "I have accepted my fate. I am comfortable knowing that I will not die my own death."

'Missing Numbers'

Reporting on HIV/AIDS doesn't always mean risking one's personal safety. But it can mean putting your career -- and sometimes your 'rolodex' on the line.

Monica Oblitas Zamora is a reporter with the newspaper Los Tiempos - The Times -in Bolivia. She's been reporting on HIV/AIDS for several years. Her editors strongly defend her work and she says the government has never threatened her safety. But in Bolivia, telling the HIV/AIDS story often has hidden challenges.

For every story Monica files about the transmission of HIV or the treatment of AIDS in Bolivia, she says there's always one thing missing: DATA. That's because it's been several years since the Bolivian government commissioned any substantive research on prevalence or transmission of HIV. Monica relies almost solely on anecdotal evidence, a sacrifice no professional journalist wants to make.

Monica says she doesn't live in fear of being jailed or censored. But she admitted that sometimes she censors herself. She recalls one examples, in 2006, when she reported that health officials were distributing expired HIV drugs - antiretrovirals (ARV's) -- donated by Brazil. Despite a threatening call from the health minister's office, she didn't back down. The story was published and created quite a bit of public discussion -- exactly what most reporters want. But Monica says she intentionally left some facts out, namely her sources, the very doctors who told her about the problem. Monica explains why she made the cuts.

Meanwhile, Monica says government threats are not her immediate concern. She's more worried about her colleagues, who have begun to question her focus on HIV/AIDS.

'Many reporters -- some of them close friends - have suggested I am HIV-positive," she explains, "because they can't imagine why I would report on such a stigmatized disease."

Self Preservation, Self Censorship

Finally, a story that I can't even tell in its entirety. I sat down yesterday to chat with a Chinese journalist, who works as an editor for one of China's largest newspapers. She asked me not to use her real name, so she will remain anonymous. After a long discussion about the risks of joining Facebook -- which is a whole other story -- I asked her what it was like to report on the issue of HIV/AIDS in China, which in recent years has become a concern in the global health community.

She confided that she often encourages her reporters to avoid the story altogether, because it carries too much risk of offending or angering the government. When killing the story isn't an option, she helps the reporter 'tweak' the language to clear the government of blame. This means, for instance, explaining how children are suffering, but not intentionally leaving out the question of why. Imagine reporting on the effects of HIV/AIDS without explaining the government's role. Imagine talking about any public health issue without discussing the official response -- or lack thereof.

What happens when reporters are forced to 'tweak' the HIV/AIDS story. Who gets left out? What facts remain hidden? And how does that shape the public response?

Thank you Douglas for bringing us the voices of these amazing journalists and sharing their stories with us.

So, bloggers...what do you think about this controversial topic? We can't wait to hear from you!

Blog to you soon.

iStock

 

Lee Hill, here ...

First, if you haven't already, check out fellow NPR producer Enrique Rivera's commentary from today's program. The piece is a follow up to our coverage of the recent arrest of prominent Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who says he was racially profiled by police in Cambridge, Mass.

I wasn't there when Professor Gates was arrested at his home after police thought he fit the description of what was believed to be two black males suspected of trying to burglarize his own house, but I have read the conflicting accounts -- the police report and Gates' own statement of what happened. (Gates says he produced proper identification proving the home as his place of residence; the police report (pdf) by Sgt. James Crowley says Gates was arrested for "exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior" and was, therefore, hauled off in handcuffs. The charges were recently dropped.)

While my interpretation of what really happened and who's telling the full story might not carry the weight of an eye-witness account, I can tell you that -- emotionally speaking -- I have been where Professor Gates says he is now, and was on that day ... more than once (and have blogged about it).

But what I cannot adequately explain is how emasculating, in particular, and dehumanizing, in general, to feel utterly helpless when you think those authorized to enforce the law are using that same power to desecrate the very thing which they have been entrusted to uphold.

And even more upsetting is when the realization that one's own socioeconomic class ranking -- as a journalist, or an ivy league scholar; as a physician or ... perhaps a fellow police officer -- is the only thing that carries the power of vindication in that moment.

And sometimes that doesn't even work.

But, then again, it shouldn't matter.

So, Lee, what exactly is racial profiling?

I see it, informed by my own experience, as being perceived -- consciously or subconsciously -- by those in authority as inherently criminal, or innately incapable of good (born to be and do wrong or less), all based on one's skin tone.

Now, wouldn't that make you emotional?

A bicyclist passes by the home of Harvard Scholar Henry Louis Gates in Cambridge, Mass. Gates was arrested last week while trying to force open the locked front door of his home near Harvard University. Following public outcries of racism and widespread media attention, the city announced Tuesday its plan to dismiss charges against Gates. AP

 

You just came home from an overseas trip. You're tired, probably jet lagged. You get to your front door. It won't open. It looks as if it's been tampered with. Uh oh. Have you been burglarized? Is something missing?

The TV? The stereo? The computer?

Or is the door just stuck?

So you let yourself in the back door, turn off the alarm, and do a quick look around. Your driver brings in the luggage while you call the repair guy to ask him to look at the door. ... And what do you see?

A police officer standing in your door.

And what's this?! He is asking you who you are. He wants to know if you can prove this is your house. He thinks you burglarized your own house.

You are a police officer. You get a 911 call about two black men, and the caller says, "I see them trying to force the door."

You show up. You see a man. He's on the phone. You demand ID. He produces it but then demands yours, too, and you think he's becoming kind of agitated and a bit loud.

So, how do you respond to this? How does this end?

I am guessing your answer depends on a number of variables, and, yes -- like it or not -- race is probably one of them. Your race, the officer's race, his or her attitude toward you, and, frankly, each of your past experiences are all factors.

Yes, it's another of those stories.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., one of this country's best known scholars, was arrested at his home last week in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He had just returned from China.

And here's a excerpt from Gates' full statement, made through his attorney and colleague Charles Ogletree, whom we spoke with earlier in the day:

Continue reading "Racial Profiling Goes High Profile" >

We are scrambling today - furloughs, vacations, sick leave. The rest of us are hiding under our desks. We hope you like our take on the news of the day - the increase in the minimum wage, the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing and the passing of Walter Cronkite.
Let's hope nobody else goes down for the count!

Teshima Walker, here ...

Today's program excites me. It's a great mix of conversations -- political, social, cultural -- I hope you're listening and liking what you hear. Write and let us know. Don't send complaints, though! (Kidding.)

So, what's up for next week?

Well, many news organizations are noting the 40th anniversary of when Neal Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin landed on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission. On Monday, Michel talks with Dr. Bernard Harris. He was the first African American to walk in space. He's trying to get young people interested in science, technology and mathematics.

Does he have his work cut out for him?

I'm not a science whiz -- that's my baby sister's domain. Anyway, Dr. Harris' story about becoming an astronaut is amazing. He began preparing for his career at the age of 13 when he watched the moon landing.

Also ...

Next Friday, the minimum wage increases to $7.25 and we want to know how that will affect you. Is the increase enough? And if you're a small business owner - will it break your bank? Let us know.

Finally, here's a note from our Planning Editor, Luis Clemens.

Thanks, Teshima.

Earlier this week, Michel had a conversation about the Spanish-language media coverage of the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She talked with three prominent Latino journalists: Gerson Borrero of New York's leading Spanish-language daily - El Diario/La Prensa. He is a political columnist known for his independent streak. Lori Montenegro, a veteran correspondent at the Spanish-language Telemundo network's Washington bureau. And Maria Elena Salinas who co-anchors the evening news on Univision, which is the country's largest Spanish-language media company. Columnist Gerson Borrero chose to drop out of the conversation. We called to find out why and Mr. Borrero said this: he felt he wasn't given a chance to fully explain his viewpoint and was treated rudely. He then opted to hang up. Some of you thought we were censoring Mr. Borrero.

That was definitely not the case and it was not our intention to be rude. We were most definitely not censoring Mr. Borrero. For the record, we planned to hear more from him after the break. We wanted to hear his viewpoint. In fact, we still want to hear from Mr. Borrero and have invited him to return to our program. He has graciously agreed to talk to us in the future.

Thanks, Luis...

Have a good weekend.

Mattel's newest line, So-In-Style, features six black Barbie dolls that highlight the importance of mentorship, with three older sisters and three younger sisters. The doll featured above is Grace with her little sister Courtney. Mattel, Inc.

 

One of our fabulous producers, Jennifer Longmire, wrote yesterday about our interview with Fantasia, which she booked. Jennifer started by saying she was not a fan of the "American Idol" program, where Fantasia first made her mark. But Jennifer wrote about how she came to appreciate Fantasia because of the singer's remarkable personal story ...

I'll start today by saying I am not, and was not, a Barbie girl. I had only one that I remember and it was not a "real" Barbie. I think it was a Skipper, Barbie's little sister. And it was platinum blond, which I am not.

It was not part of my life for long.

So I am not sure if that's why we were not into Barbie, because there were not any that looked like my sister and me. Or maybe we just weren't doll girls. I am not sure. I know I have one stuffed Koala Bear from my childhood. How it survived I don't know.

Anyway, that's just a long way of saying I am new to Barbie madness. But we became interested a) because the 28th annual Barbie Convention met in Washington, D.C., last week, and I just had to check it out (it is organized by Barbie fans for Barbie fans...and b) because Barbie is introducing a new line of dolls, specifically to better represent African American girls (as it was explained to me, Mattel has made African American dolls for quite some time ... since the "Julia" doll in the 1960's and there have been black Barbies, but no dolls made to look ethnic other than in skin color). And now a young designer named Stacey McBride-Irby persuaded Mattel to produce her concept line of dolls called So In Style, which are attempting to bring a more authentic ethnic representation to Barbie, with the additional idea of a younger sister who takes along and hopefully learns from the big girl Barbie.

Anyway, I confess I came to the story without that much interest. And found myself surprisingly moved by how much thought and passion went into those dolls, how much people care about them, and by Stacey's story, too. She is a young, aspiring fashion designer who talked her way into a job at Mattel just out of community college and has now designed her very own line of dolls.

You never know where the stories are, do you?

Jennifer Longmire, here ...

Full disclosure: I am not an American Idol fan.

I don't care for Simon Cowell. I wish Paula Abdul would go back to her "Straight Up" days. And Randy? Well, okay ...

So when Fantasia won Season Three of the reality television singing competition, I politely looked at the coverage of the finale and thought, wow, that's great for her, and went on about my business.

Later, when Fantasia began promoting her life story via the novel, Life is Not a Fairy Tale, I wondered why she would do that. She was so young. Then I realized how her story of overcoming teenage pregnancy, physical and sexual abuse, and other issues made her a role model for other young women who were also struggling.

We recently spoke with Fantasia after we learned she was in Washington, D.C., to star as Celie in the stage adaption of "The Color Purple."

Singer Fantasia receives praise from fans on stage during the curtain call of The Color Purple at the Broadway Theater in New York City. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

 

The American Idol had conquered Broadway.

In the production, Fantasia was a complete revelation! She became Celie. That cannot be easy, considering the themes of "The Color Purple" -- abuse, low self-esteem, poverty, fear, sadness -- and having to reenact those themes eight times weekly in performance.

So when Michel, myself and our technical engineer Kim Jones, traipsed over to the Kennedy Center for the interview, I honestly didn't know what to expect.

Then Fantasia came in the room, and gave us the biggest hugs ever. And the interview aspect of it all somehow went away -- it became a girlfriends session!

Continue reading "Why I'm A Fantasia Fan" >

Seen through the wide-angle "fish-eye" view, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor (in red) appears on the second day of her Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

 

Happy Bastille Day. I guess.

I am trying to get excited about it, but, well I am sorry. I am not.

Years ago I was lucky enough to be in Paris on Bastille Day and, yes, I had major fun -- the food, the shopping ... FABULOUS (I am not going to pretend I drink wine but if I did, that was the place to be). But then I heard this story today on NPR's Morning Edition about the real history of the day and how this mob stormed the Bastille and cut the prison keeper's head off and paraded it around. Well, it was a buzz kill. ... So, now I am just wondering about that guy, the prison keeper. Was he really a bad guy, or just caught up in a bad system? Was he a corrupt agent of the ancient regime or just some schmo looking for a gig and that was the best gig he could get?

... And whatever he did, did he deserve to have his head cut off and paraded around town on a pike?

Do you see how it's a matter of perspective?

So this is what is going through my mind this morning as I am reviewing yesterday's first day of confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor.

Here's Sen. Lindsey Graham talking about what about Sonia Sotomayor's association with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. She was a board member for a dozen years, and Sen. Graham said the positions the group takes are extreme.

He said:

I do believe that you, as an advocate with the Puerto Rican Defense Legal Fund, that you took on some cases that I would have loved to have been on the other side; that your organization advocated taxpayer-funded abortion and said in a brief that to deny a poor black woman Medicaid funding for an abortion was equivalent to the Dred Scott case.

Your organization argued for the repeal of the death penalty because it was unfairly applied and discriminatory against minorities. Your organization argued for quotas when it came to hiring. I just want my colleagues to understand that there can be no more liberal group, in my opinion, than the Puerto Rican Defense Legal Fund (sic) when it came to advocacy.

Continue reading "There Is Always More Than One Perspective" >

We talked about a lot of important things today. I feel strongly that we needed to have the Behind Closed Doors conversation about the sexual abuse of young boys, but I am going to focus on the story a lot of people are talking about: the case involving the Valley Club in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania that rescinded its contract with a Philadelphia daycare center after one visit.

A representative of the swim club said the club is "very diverse" and that the kids were kicked out because the center brought too many children, and there were not enough lifeguards to safely watch them all. But several of the kids overheard what they considered racist remarks directed at them. This has triggered a storm of controversy, and there are many and varied opinions about whether the club was within its rights or not and how this could have been handled better.

Here's Valley Swim Club President John Duesler, who recently addressed reporters with an apology (courtesy of nbcphiladelphia.com):

But what most impressed me are all the notes I received from people sharing their memories of being poorly treated at pools and beaches.

Here's an email I received from a friend when she heard about the story. There's some tough language (the N-word), so be warned:

She writes:

When I was 12, I went to a summer enrichment program at a new junior high school where my friend's father was principal. I went on a weekend trip to an youth hostel at Blue Lake, MI. That Saturday morning, I was in a canoe with the (white) woman caretaker when the white man from next door came over screaming at her. He said that he and his wife came up there every weekend from Pontiac to get away from the niggers. He screamed about niggers this, and niggers that. He said he was going to burn the place down. I have never forgotten this.

Here's another incident:

Continue reading "The Color Of Water" >

Marie Nelson, here ...

At the risk of being stoned, by you our loyal online community, and quite honestly, most to the team that produces Tell Me More, I begin this posting with lyrics from Michael Jackson's "Gone Too Soon."

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Gone Too Soon

TMM Executive Producer Marie Nelson is leaving the program for an opportunity with President Obama's administration. Robert Sachs/NPR

 

Today is a profoundly difficult one for me. It's my last day producing Tell Me More as I embark upon a new journey, working in the Obama administration as part of their efforts to build peace in the Sudan.

But, I want to share with you the reasons that I accepted Michel's invitation, three years ago, to come to NPR to create this program. First, I believe in Michel Martin. She has the unique capacity to dazzle and to get down and dirty. She is funny and human and she gets it right. I would have followed her anywhere, and that's the real truth. However, there was the added attraction of being able to make real things we had only dreamed of -- telling stories and reaching people that we believe are an integral and often underserved part of the public radio universe.

In the early days, we sat for hours in small rooms with nothing more than flip charts and a fountain of ideas.

What could we bring to the table that was fresh, relevant and powerful?

The Moms, Barbershop and scores of talented contributors began to make the ideas from the flip charts come to life. And though our motley crew started as a dynamic duo, we built a team of dedicated and crafty journalists, who added their dreams to the mix.

How else could we have brought you conversations like James Harvey (a a Newark father who lost his son to gun violence) , Makaiya (the pregnant teenager), veteran black journalist Bernard Shaw, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former KKK leader David Duke and Queen Latifah, to name a few?

We traveled the program from Las Vegas to Jackson, Miss. We chased Obama in a convoy down the highways and byways of the campaign trail, forced Michel to consume alcoholic beverages for our "summer sipping" series --- all for the love of you. So, as I pack my boxes, and honestly shed more than a few tears, I know that I am leaving you in the best of hands.

For me, in this chapter, the sun sets. For you, the moon rises and the dream lives on for all of us.

Be good to each other.

The TMM production staff poses in a 2007 photo on Capitol Hill with Executive Producer Marie Nelson (far left, wearing black) Margaret Low Smith/NPR

 

Michael Jackson's casket is seen during a public memorial service held yesterday at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

 

And how much is just enough?

I'll be honest, that was the conversation we had among ourselves yesterday in planning today's program. If you tune in, you will see that we decided to go with a focus on the Michael Jackson memorial service and more about Michael's legacy.

The question was asked, are we over it yet?

We are not.

There are numbers that suggest there's a racial cast to this.

The Pew Research Center on People and the Press has been doing some surveying on this question. Last week and again new numbers will be released today. But last week's opinion poll suggested that while the public closely tracked the Michael Jackson story, nearly two out of three said news organizations gave the story too much coverage.

But when you look more closely, there's a split. More than half of African-Americans say the amount of coverage has been about right, compared with 25 percent of whites. Seven in ten whites says there's been too much coverage, compared with 36 percent of blacks.

There was this interesting exchange on Howie Kurtz's CNN Sunday program on the media, as reported by Richard Prince. On CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday, host Howard Kurtz said this to CNN anchor Don Lemon, a black journalist:

KURTZ: You've also been doing endless live shots and devoted most of your Saturday and Sunday evening program to this. Don't you feel deep down that this is overdoing it?

LEMON: No, I don't feel it's overdoing it. And I don't -- and when I hear people say that, I have to be very honest with you, Howie, I think it's elitist.

I don't remember -- I'm sure there was some criticism when there was the coverage of Princess Diana's death, but I don't think that there was this sort of criticism that we're having with Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson is an accidental civil rights leader, an accidental pioneer. He broke ground and barriers in so many different realms in artistry, in pictures, in movies, in music, you name it. So, no, I don't think it's overkill.

In our office it didn't track that neatly. Two of the segment producers who spoke up about being very much over the whole MJ thing were men of color. I wondered if gender played some role in that they didn't grow up thinking they were going to marry one of the Jackson 5 like we girls did (sorry, it's true).

Continue reading "MJ Coverage: How Much Is Too Much?" >

On stage preparations continue as people begin to gather at the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Spencer Weiner-Pool/Getty Images

 

Time is not on our side today. The Michael Jackson memorial service is in the middle of the day in Los Angeles (and on Pacific time).

And, as well, we now that some of you are so over the whole thing.

But if the event does not mean something to all of you, it clearly means a lot to some of you. So, tomorrow we regroup and figure out what we can offer up that will balance those competing objectives, recognizing that we may not be able to.

And yes, we drilled down today. We did a particular focus on how the economic downturn is affecting African-Americans (pdf), in particular, and minorities, in general. I think there is a quiet Katrina-like situation brewing and it is revealed in the numbers in this report.

You can set aside the ideological underpinnings and, even a debate about how to respond, and still consider: what does this mean when a whole generation loses the wealth it worked for?

I hope you got to enjoy some part of the weekend--we did. In fact, we made a special effort to get to the fireworks. Knowing that many cities and towns have cancelled their displays because of budget woes made it an even bigger treat than usual. It's a shame, but I wonder if we will remember to be grateful when things turn around. Isn't that human nature, though? Why is it so hard to maintain an attitude of gratitude?

And gratitude was just one of the emotions I experienced when I read Laura Sessions Stepp's piece in this week's Washington Post Magazine. We try to hold a conversation about something in the magazine just about every week because we think they hit it just right. They balance the personal story with the larger narrative, and this week's story really hit us where we live. It profiled a young dad named Bobby who became a father at 19 and is--was--seemed to be--determined to try to live up to what he thinks that role and title mean. At the time Laura caught up with him, he was taking care of three small children, one he had with his girlfriend Lori and two she had had with previous boyfriends. Lori had been able to find a job, but he had not. And living was a struggle, as you might imagine.

Why did I feel grateful? Because someone is paying attention to Bobby and his family, because it doesn't seem, as our other guest professor Maria Kefalas said, that too many people are. And, who am I kidding? That there but for the grace of God go I...

Here are some stats on teen pregnancy and births outside of marriage.

A couple of months ago, I was asked to moderate a panel discussion at a conference for corporate diversity officers, people who work in personnel and human resources and so on. The panel included two other consultants who work in that field. At one point, one of the consultants, a Muslim woman, asked us to close our eyes, and we did. And when we opened them she had added to her standard issue (forgive me) business attire a very large Muslim headscarf (it's actually a particular style called an Al Almira). If you are interested in the different styles of coverings here's a very nice primer from the BBC.

Anyway, she asked us how our opinion of her changed because of what she was wearing. It was a slightly uncomfortable moment. The thing of it is, we could still see her face.

But what if we could not?

That's the core of a very interesting conversation going on in France right now. President Nicholas Sarkozy has suggested that his government should ban the wearing of the Burka in public.

Now, set aside the administrative issues. How would you enforce this?

Arrest people?

Issue a ticket?

And the constitution (a differnt constitution than ours, but one that recognizes freedom of religion) what then does it MEAN? What does it feel like to those who are most affected?

We decided to ask two different Muslim women with two very different opinions. And one of the things they have a different opinion about is even whether the burqa is the same as Niquab, which covers the face (except for the eyes).

Here's a blog that discusses Niquab.

It is interesting to even contemplate that we would be discussing these matters. It's a French issue at the moement, but there was at least one case of a Muslim woman fighting to keep her face covered in a driver's license photo. She did not prevail.

Another sign of our changing times. What accommodations do we make to each other to practice our religion as we see fit, and yet maintain the core values of the community and nation?

Interesting we think.

And tomorrow, we have a special Independence Day treat for you.

Something for the head, heart soul ... and taste buds.

Check it out.

Hi, "Tell Me More" world. Argin Hutchins, here ...

Lee Hill, our resident digital media guy asked me to do a blog posting about today's show. And I have to say that his request caught me off guard for one huge reason: today, I directed the program (our usual Director is Rob Sachs, who's enjoying some time off).

Most people don't know what's involved in doing that job, so let me explain ...

Think of directing a live radio program as if you were a train operator. Your primary responsibilities are to make the train run on time, and to steer clear of incidents. You are not necessarily worried about what's happening in one particular train car, or how many people are in another. And in that same vein (similar to a train conductor), when I direct, I don't always hear all of the show. My role isn't so much to listen to content, but my primary concern is that that we are playing the proper audio at the correct time for our listeners. (All I really hear during the show are the highlights.)

For instance, we had a conversation today about the Stonewall "rebellion" -- or "riots," depending on who you talk to -- where New York police raided a gay bar in 1969. Apparently that happened a lot in the late 1960s, but this time the patrons fought back.

Even though I was busy in-studio directing the program, I was still drawn to our guests' vivid memories and feelings about how they witnessed what happened. Towards the end of the conversation, one of the guests, Danny Garvin, became quite emotional when explaining how heartbreaking it is to have a loving same-sex relationship for 17 years, and be treated with less respect than married heterosexuals, who sometimes take their marriages for granted.

So, even when sitting in the Director's chair (which certainly has its stressful moments), there are some stories that compel your ear to listen.

Until next time ...

-- Argin Hutchins

Michael Jackson is shown in a Santa Barbara Sheriff's booking office in Santa Barbara, California, in 2003, where he was booked on suspicion of child molestation. Jackson was acquitted of all 10 charges, including four counts of lewd conduct. The music icon recently died suddenly at the age of 50. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

 

Douglas Hopper, here ...

Thanks for the cue, Michel. I've been following the media coverage of the "King of Pop." The tributes have been amazing. But all the LOVE has made me remember a time when MJ was the subject of more ridicule than respect.

Before Michael Jackson suddenly checked out of this world last week, he could count on me. I considered it my responsibility to defend him when strangers and friends would write him off as a "freak" because of his gender-bending, race-shifting personal expression.

We never met. And we probably had nothing in common. But I empathized with MJ. As a gay man, I too have been scolded and laughed at for not fitting into "normal" social categories. I know what it feels like when the way you live becomes the brunt of vicious jokes. And I know what its like to be the victim of unfounded assumptions. Some call it intuition. I call it judgment. Or at the very least a lack of compassion any human deserves.

Jackson never admitted that he was gay OR straight. There are few people, if anyone, who will ever know. But perceptions are often more important than reality. And stereotypes lurk in our imaginations.

So, when Jackson was accused twice of molesting young boys, was he given the benefit of the doubt?

No.

In fact, many people didn't even think twice. Michael was condemned before, during and after justice was served, even after a jury acquitted the man on all counts. But with little or no evidence to support the notion, the pop icon was publicly deemed a pedophile. He became one of America's greatest fears: a sexually ambiguous man who can't control his twisted desire to violate young boys.

Innocent until proven guilty? Not the King of Pop.

Well, that is until now, as he rests in peace.

Okay. So, I am juggling mommy world with radio world today. Am on the air. Got reports via email that one kid is throwing up at home, feverish, the other is hoarse. Sigh. Had already determined they would not go to summer camp today. Have seven interviews. Okay, focus, focus focus. Try to focus. Almost missed a time cue thinking about what I should do. How fast I can get out of here? Already been to the doctor with them so ... did I miss something? Or is this just a lagging indicator?

Made me wonder how the parents of THREE or FIVE or SIX OR EIGHT little people COPE with this? How do they ever LEAVE THE HOUSE? Can't even think about it..

Wait! I don't have to ... I can ASK ... how about Diamond Harris, the mom of the first surviving African American sextuplets in the US. Her family was the subject of the Discovery Health documentary. We wanted to know, in the wake of the Jon&Kate plus 8 marital breakup playing out on cable, how having multiples affects a marriage. The Harris sextuplets plus ONE are six years old now. How are they doing? We'll find out

And there's our regular contributor Jolene Ivey; she and her husband have five boys. And they are both public officials. And she has the nerve to look all sane and fabulous.

Sigh. Douglas will have to take it from here ... I have worrying to do.