Nice intro.

My dad is white. I interject. “Let’s conference him in,” I say. “Listen, he married a black woman, he has six black children. He’d be the first person to tell you I’m black.”

I personally don't understand why some people don't get this. It has nothing to do with denying one parent.

For most (or I might even say 'all') of US history – even if a biracial/black wanted to be claimed white, he or she would be laughed out of town. I don't understand why when Barack Obama sealed the nomination – so many people did not understand why he would be referred to "The first African-American President." It makes me wonder if people realize that in black history – many many of the leaders and the 1sts were also biracial... and I don't ever recall people screaming about that. Malcom X was not even "100% black" (if there is such a thing).

I also have to add that when blacks get into any trouble and make the news, no one wants to go out of their way to clarify that he or she may have a white parent – so he/she is really not black. Never once have I heard someone want to step in and clarify this for anyone when a biracial/black gets into any trouble.

Like you said – "black people come in all hues."

Looking forward to your series, Soledad!

Soledad you raise a very good point. If a mixed race person
calls themselves black they are not denying the white parent.
You can't they are your parents. I think part of the problem lies
in American history particularly in the south. I have even read
about something called the paper bag test and read history
books about how race was determined by how much of a
percentage one was white,black, etc. I look forward to seeing
this documentary. Thanks for the hard work on a year-long
project.

I am looking forward to watching the programs tonight and tomorrow night.

Soledad thanks for highlighting that black persons are more than just thugs. Like all races we encompass a wide range of professions,hues and experiences.

Soledad

I am so looking forward to watching your report over the next two nights. As a white female I think it important to hear and learn from these stories just as it is for African Americans.

Personally I went to a predominantly black high school; there could not have been more then 20 white students in the entire school. I have a cousin through marriage who is bi-racial ( his mother is white, father black) and many of my friends and co-workers are black so I feel like I have some sort of knowledge about the topic but I also know I have much, much to learn and I hope to learn a great deal from this documentary.

If this program has been anything like the MLK special, reclaiming the dream or your After the Storm special for the anniversary of Katrina's second anniversary then I know it will be great.

Congrats to you Soledad and the entire team who worked on "Black in America"

Better late than never to get this out and in the open. Do not be fooled, many people around the world will be watching and this will cause conversation and debate for awhile. Most of us expatriates are taking our naps now so we can be up and fresh for the show. You go CNN!!!!!! Did not think the network and powers that be in the media would let this air. Does but heart proud to say I was wrong!!!!

Soledad, can't wait to see your special.
As in everything, communication is SO important–so I definitely agree–'let's start talking'!

Dear Sir:
I look forward to watching your coverage on Black in America. I am a Black American whom attended college, volunteer in the community and the church. however, I received the worst case of discrimination.
I was placed in a dusty area to work with occupational asthma. I was denied any assitant when my wrist was hurting . At this point I as receiving therapy. On Administration Day, I was given collard greens, grits, and cornbread by my business manager, I was called a slave in the presence of my other white co-workers. A door had hit me in the mouth and the personel director fail to file an incident report. Through, all this, I hired an attorney to protect me on breach of contract, job discrimination, and job harrassment. One of the attorneys relocated without notification. At this time the institution had a summary judgemnet in court and the case was given to his partner. Please note that the Ethics committee have sited this attorney. The sad thing is in Charleston South Carolina, I can not locate an attorney to represent me against this attorney mal-ptactice. It seems like a southern oat. Through documents discovered in my attorney file, I found that the opposing attorney discuss a settlement, I was never notified. The judge odered an mediation, I was never notified. They fail to file my second law suit and making it difficult for me to refile. Finally, she told me the wrong date for my appeal (9days) which made it impossible for me to find another attorney. Please help. I have documentation to back all my complaints. I wrote a letter to James Clyburn and he inform me that I was not in his judisical area. Therefore, he good not help me. There half to be an attorney out theri that would represent common people when their lawyers make the wrong decision. Please help, I have a very youn family.
thanks.

Soledad I am definitely going to look forward to this tonight.

It’s interesting that you mention how that reporter had a hard time seeing you as black. I consider myself black but I am light skinned so some times when people look at me they ask me what am I? I think its so annoying and just start answering I am human.

Both of my parents are black however, my father's father was mixed and therefore his complexion was extremely fair, and apparently that has passed down to me through my father. Still I don't consider myself as mixed just because my grandfather was.

You point out that the reporter was white which is interesting because I find that most people who question my race are black people, its not just white people who have a hard time seeing fairer skin people as black. I hope you cover that in your documentary because sometimes there I feel there is this tension which is so stupid between light skinned and dark skin black people.

I personally don't see why how you identify yourself is anybody’s business and why it’s so important. If we are to ever really reach the dream Dr. King had for us then we have got to stop being so concerned with racial identities. So what if I am light skinned and you were born to a white father. There is so much more to people than a racial identity.

I still don't get it – if a person is both black and white why would you only say you're black? Wouldn't you say I'm black and Irish, Scottish etc? To me when a person is bi-racial and only says they're one part of the race – they're not acknowledging they are also the other.

I'm looking forward to "White in America"...or would that be racist?

Let's talk indeed instead of this one way blacks are victims "dialog" that is trotted out under the guise of dialog.

Changes need to be made, Black America has never been in deeper trouble..

I cant think of a more boring program to watch so count me out.

It is not just shopping, but at hotels also. I am a professional, black female, who travel for my government job. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been in upscale hotels, dresssed in my business suit and with a briefcase and someone will come up to me and ask if I work there or if I can help with their luggage. One person actually asked how I got into the club room at one hotel. Believe, we still have a long way to go.

To be honest with you, I'm tried of hearing about it.

I am really tired of black this – black that!! If we can't talk as Americans – leave it alone!! All your doing CNN is causing issues and trouble for the sake of ratings!!! I'm also tired of labels, black entertainment TV (BET) NAACP, black caucus, UNCF!!! not one reading this (which I know you will not print cause your biased) has EVER new slavery. Whites get SECOND pick when it comes to equal opportunity employment – minorities encouraged to apply, Schools – taking your pick!!! I try hard NOT to be biased but you all who think along racial lines SURE make it hard!!!!!

I think it's funny that the poster, Melissa had a hard time with the bi-racial issue thought that bi-racial people should refer to themselves as "black and Irish, Scottish etc"
Does she think black it a place? Is black a country I've never heard of?
Maybe that's part of the problem.

I am Asian-American, so when are you going to have an Asian in America special, or a Latino one, or Middle-Easterner, or Eastern European? I have been the victim of racism and know it exists. But when I continually see specials like this I understand the fatigue that White America sees in race relations with Blacks. Instead of having these specials why doesn't Black America spend their time promoting more personal responsibility. I'm glad a person like Obama is finally saying the truth. Black America, while you're busy with your marches, rallies, televisions specials, there's a generations of minority immigrants (including Africans) who are working their butts off in school and achieving the American Dream which is attainable for everyone who is willing to work,

I am so excited about seeing this tonight! I commend CNN for broadcasting this special. I will have my son up tonight and tomorrow with me so he can be informed. Soledad I understand why you say you are black its because if you have an ounce of black in you you are considered black.

I am so excited to watch your documentary! I am a biracial female (black and white) who identifies as black mostly because it is easier than explaining all of my racial history when asked. I hope you touch on the subject of race within the black community and how blacks treat each other based on the color of our skin. Job well done!

If a person is bi-racial they choose the race that gets them the farthest, and today that is Black. Society wants everyone to be Black so why not claim you are. I would rather get ahead in life because of what I can do instead of a DNA link. LIke Homosexuals, no one cares. Just be a decent, law abiding, hard working American and you will be respected more for that than anything else.

I think you must first reserach the history of why bi-racial people identify with the Black race and not the white race. When a slave woman had a child by her slave master, that child was not embraced by him, that child was just another slave, whites did not acknowledge bi-racial children they were either black or white. Hence the reasonging, Black people have always embraced the bi-racial children, whites for the most part deny them.

Reese'-Richmonnd, VA said:
"Soledad I understand why you say you are black its because if you have an ounce of black in you you are considered black."

Does that mean that an ounce of white is without value?

I wish I had an ounce of black in me in that case. College sure would be a whole lot cheaper.

Unfortunately there is still a difference between blacks and aother ethnic groups. Yes even in 2008 I can experience racism which is sad. Especially with all of the gains that we as a people have made. Yet even today you still have those individuals who feel that they are superior. But today the racism is more in a socio-econcomic form. This is especially noticed in the eductional systems in the large cities. I know that is has been 50 plus years since Brown vs The Board of Education which struck down separate but equal. But if you notice now that is it back in a different form.
But we as a people have to become more aware and stop being so complacent with the gains that we have made. If we as a people are going to change it has to start within.

Other than the obvious, a recessive gene of the caucasian allows the african gene be more prominent in a person's physical appearance like brunette over blond and brown over blue eyes. If you look at the Brazilians, who have intermixed far more than Americans, you can hardly tell who has african genes as opposed to white, latino, etc. Maybe one day the black & white communities will be more accepting of mixed people, as in the past and somewhat in the present, these people get shunned by both sides. Light skinned blacks tend to look black enough not to be white and not black enough to be black. We've heard Beyonce and Tyra speak of not always being accepted by either side. If you asked me, the more mixed you are the more beautiful. Why do you think so many super models come from Brazil?

I find it funny that growing up I was taught to not judge people by their ethnicity and now it's being forced back into my face.

I don't see Soledad O'Brien or Barrack Obama as simply black because that is such a small part of who they are. The sum of their experiences is far far more than their skin color.

I believe Colin Powell said it best when asked how he dealt with the overt racism in the Army when he joined. He simple said it wasn't his problem and he focused on being the best officer he could. That mentality worked out well for him too.

The more you focus on the negative, the more you miss the positive that happens around you every day. Why let a minority of bigots that still exist control your emotions and anger so much?

If you asked me, the more mixed you are the more beautiful. Why do you think so many super models come from Brazil?

I remember a special several years (maybe 10 years?) about the races in Brazil. They showed how the darker skinned Brazilians experienced more discrimination. I don't remember what network it was on (cnn, history channel, etc.) but it was an eye opening special.

Melissa you wrote–

if a person is both black and white why would you only say you’re black?.....To me when a person is bi-racial and only says they’re one part of the race – they’re not acknowledging they are also the other.

Is it fair to force your opinion on others?

Bi-racial individuals embrace the race that others may degrade them for. If Susie Down-the-street belittles you because of your racial heritage, you start to identify more with that part of your lineage.

The thing that gets me is that America is 'supposed' to be the place where you can be whatever you want to be. If I have a black father and a white mother, why am I inherently WRONG in the eyes of many White Americans because I consider myself 'Black'? I believe many of the problems we face stem from the negative portrayal of what it is to be 'Black'. Some White Americans feel that bi-racial individuals are denying that White lineage but we understand that having ANY 'Black' lineage instantly MAKES you Black. That negative stigma is so profound in this country.

My experiences lead me to believe that White Americans look down on Blacks. I live in Richmond, VA, one of the most historically racially charged cities in the US today. Since the times of slavery, my city has participated, profited from and accepted actions that were meant to demean people of color. It's really tragic.

Maybe one day we can all live together and race not be an issue in the back of everyone's mind.

I wish I had an ounce of black in me in that case. College sure would be a whole lot cheaper.

Do some research on the amount of college debt that black students (who actually make it) end up with in comparison to white students.

Then come back and post on this blog about how its cheaper for blacks to go to school.

Soledad, I have a question for you about another article you posted along this subject, Black and Shopping in America.

In the article, nothing is mentioned, by either the employees of Old Navy, the mall security, local police officers, or even the three women themselves, about the reason the three women were suspected of shoplifting. Clearly they were innocent as nothing was found on them. However, there is also no mention of derogattory remarks made towards these women by anyone involved. Did such things occur, and they didn't make it into the article? If not, it would seem that the women came to the conclusion that they were stopped based on the color of their skin based on zero evidence.

I do not claim to know the reason that the women were stopped. Perhaps they were in fact stopped because they're black. But if they came to this conclusion on no supporting evidence, aren't they just as guilty of the prejudice they claim to be victims of?

I’m with you Chad. I’m about “diversed” out. Minorities talk about how unfairly they are treated, but in the workplace….I’ve never witnessed it. I’ve been on employment search committees where we didn’t get to hire the most qualified person for the job because “someone” on the committee would always say….isn’t that job underutilized. On two occasions, I’ve had to hire individuals that were not the best qualified individual, but were the right race for the job.

I work for a state agency that has experienced deep budget cuts over the past couple of years. How has our organization handled these budget cuts….reduced employee benefits, but kept hundreds of thousands of dollars for diversity training. Are you kidding me! Everyone has problems…suck it up and get going.

My husband and I are an interracial couple and we have two bi-racial children. My kids do not choose one side over the other. If they did, whichever one of us was left out would feel very badly.

Raising interracial children can be a challenge. We have always played up the fact that they are mixed, and how lucky they are to have two cultures.

My kids are very well-adjusted and successful and, I think, it is because we never tried to ignore the obvious, sweep it under the rug, or have them choose a side. They are extremely proud of their
ancestry(s) and have always felt that they are special and unique because of it. My son travels frequently, and he always jokes about the fact that he can "fit in" anywhere he goes.

A lot of outside factors can make a difference in raising bi-racial kids. We live in Southern California, which has a more diverse population than many other parts of the country. If we were in an all-white community, it may have been more difficult.

Every family is different but for my kids, NOT defining them as one race or the other has worked for us and they have grown into happy, confident adults.

"I still don’t get it – if a person is both black and white why would you only say you’re black? Wouldn’t you say I’m black and Irish, Scottish etc? To me when a person is bi-racial and only says they’re one part of the race – they’re not acknowledging they are also the other."

Melissa, I think it's because, as the first poster said, people of biracial marriages had *no choice* but to identify themselves as black since the very earliest days of colonial America. For centuries, the universal assumption was that having one black parent automatically "downgraded" you to being less than white. Therefore you MUST be defined by the so-called "lesser" of the two races.

Until the last 20 years or so, it would never even have *occurred* to you or the white reporter to ask this question. And in some parts of the country, it still wouldn't.

So in a way, I think it's progress that people like you don't understand the underlying reason. You've never been taught that having a black parent automatically meant you're "downgraded" to being black. As annoying as such a question is for biracial people to deal with, that has to be a good thing.

I think you must first reserach the history of why bi-racial people identify with the Black race and not the white race. When a slave woman had a child by her slave master, that child was not embraced by him, that child was just another slave, whites did not acknowledge bi-racial children they were either black or white. Hence the reasonging, Black people have always embraced the bi-racial children, whites for the most part deny them.

Most people wouldn't know anything about American history even if it came up to them and knocked them unconscious.

And what about so-called "equal opportunity?" In the airport in Atlanta, 99 percent of the workers are black! So, where are the Latino, Asian, and Anglo-Saxon workers in a so-called "equal opportunity workplace?" There is a double standard alright, and the double standard in play is against what is fair and equitable for all races, not just blacks. All any of this talk about "Black in American" is is simply another method used to drum up sagging network ratings and to futher the cause of propaganda-based social engineering programs in the U.S.

Thank You Soledad for this series Black In America.

Your Coverage is from all walks of life because Black In America is composed of a complex make of all people of color. I am Black but my family has White, Asian, Southeast Asian, Native Indian, and Middle Eastern. That is a whole lot of strong love at our family reunion's all nations under one groove. No one can define MY Black in America story but my family.
My family's story is not the same as another Brother's or Sister's but we do and sometime struggle to come together as one Black In America family.
Thank You for Continuing to Strengthen Our Story.

While I am appalled at racial profiling don't for a minute think that white parents haven't had discussions with their children of what to do if stopped or questioned when "shopping while teenage and male", or "driving while teenage and male". I am a middle aged white woman who has been asked if I worked in a hotel, store etc and I guess ( while it isn't always flattering) I assumed I just looked like I was familar with the place or perhaps looked professional. I guess my point is that while profiling does go on, not every instance mentioned previously was necessarily racial profiling. By the way I was also stopped once and accused of shoplifting and I demanded an apology the next day publically in the middle of the store...store keepers really don't want a fuss on the floor.

Soledad has a lot more patience than I do. I applaud her for her patience and talent as a journalist. This is a very hard subject to approach.

I remember years ago being asked by an Asian woman if Whitney Houston is black, I asked why? She said, "she's so pretty".

So, there you go, to this woman Black did not equal pretty.

The way CNN has been hyping this story for at least the past month it better be worth the wait. I can't even turn on CNN without hearing an advertisement for this special. What kind of agenda is this? I realize the story is important, but the hype is a little ridiculous.

Jimmy K you wrote–

I wish I had an ounce of black in me in that case. College sure would be a whole lot cheaper.

Why do Whites, and I'm assuming you're White because of your comments, believe that being Black gives you some "magical free ride" through college? One where we don't receive excessive student loan debts just like our white counterparts? Where is all this free money coming from? I sure as hell pay for my own college tuition through government aid and loans like everyone else.

Or did you fill out the "Whites Only" FAFSA?

CNN is referring to this as a "Groundbreaking Documentary."

Now who's the hype network?

To Lou, It is indeed true that when your parents DECIDED to come to america to fulfill a dream, work hard and achieve it. thats applaudable, However when One is stripped oh its heritage, culture, made to believe htat they are less than human, demorilzed openly up until around the early 70's and put in chains raped beaten sold like cattle, DID all the work on plantations paid nothing, Then I would like to say that This is the least that we can do, by putting a special that shows some of the progress that we have made throughout the years. Now with saying that I also believe that we do need to take more responsibility for our actions and now that I tink about it we do. ( Its just not broadcast around the country) Just the negativity that is associated with the culture of Black Americans, Surprise

Black people make talking about race hard, not whites or anyone else for that matter. African Americans are not the only ones who have endured hardship in the United States, singled out for slavery? Yes. But, what about Native Americans singled out for extermination? Japanese Americans in re-location camps... The Irish (a white group) left starving in the slums of NYC until they themselves took on everyone else and brought themselves up the ranks.

I think what is interesting about this whole situation and what i'm expecting out of this program is a depiction of the division within the black community that i'm not even sure if they're aware of. Nothing about Obama to me is black or Rice for that matter. Other than skin tone, they dress white, talk white, and it wouldn't shock me if they ate white as well. Now in comparison when i'm walking around the street or at school I see a vastly different black culutre than the one they represent. Hence I don't consider them part of the black culture that feels racisim in this country.

And also just because you have one black parent that doesn't mean your black. Your bi-racial. Terms and labels carry alot of power and influence. And what about all of the ethnic groups that came here from Europe. Not all whites are the same and yet we're pooled together. And half if not three quarters of those groups didn't even get here during slavery, but we all share the burden because of our milky white skin. Fare?

Thank you Soledad. Im a 28yr old black man from South Carolina. I have been through the same things thats you have mentioned in your story. I was stopped by 12 police officers, one of the black, for fitting the profile of a robber in the area. I had just dropped my friend home. A police followed me in the neighborhood and watched me drop him off and then leave. I was stopped though and searched and no one apologized. I had been told by my dad what to do. Just be quiet, answer their questions, and do what they tell you to do. I moved from south carolina because its still a big problem. Racism is a big issue, especially in Columbia. You still get followed around the stores and you still get stopped because your black. You may not hear much about it but it exists and black men see it more than anyone else. Your story will shine a light on the things that went on and are still going on in this country with black people. I just hope and pray that everyone watches and tries to learn something so we can come together and unite as one people. Americans

Soledad,

I respect you for trying but as you can see from these posters and the people WE encounter every day, there's really no point. People will never change and don't want to understand. Anyone who talks about "personal responsibility" and "attaining the American dream" is willfully ignoring the overwhelming (and historical) disadvantages and discrimination that Blacks still face in many quarters, the things that disadvantage a child from day one and prevent them from ever having the opportunity to "pull themselves up from their bootstraps". They are also willfully ignoring their own privileges. It's an easy thing to do, America has always been about "manifest destiny" and we all like to thing we got where we are by ourselves. We didn't. Hell, we didn't even win the Revolution without the French.

This show, while a valiant effort, is probably more for US anyways, as most people of any other race are too busy wallowing in self-pity and self-righteousness to ever open their minds to the struggles that someone else may be facing.

But thanks for trying.

I echo comments made earlier regarding immigrants (even from Africa) working there butts off and succeeding. The main problem with "native born" Black America is that generally there is no personal accountability when it comes to the family unit. So many single moms raising kids alone, with the dad either MIA or behind bars. Until Black men accept responsibility to their fellow man (be it white, black, family, friend) nothing will change! I look at the manner in which one carries him/her self before the hue of their skin before making a decision to speak with, interact, or get on the other side of the street. CNN and every other news organization can do all the documentaries they want to on the plight of being black, but until a societal change is made from within the Black community, there will be no change in its current collective socio-economic condition. I will be watching the special, and am anxious to see if there is any real exploration into the many stereotypes held by non-Blacks regarding Blacks (since it must be these preconceived notions that are contributing to the current state of affairs for Black America), and whether there is any truth to those stereotypes.

I have a couple of question's to ask of all black people 1. Why would black people be profiled in the first place could it be because of a history of a particular problem in there community such as shop lifting or gang violence or drive by shooting you really dont see much drive bys in the white community do you so you would not profile white people for that is this not true? My question to Blacks in general clean up your act ,stop the violence, stop the one parent familys,take care of your problems then profiling will stop, look at crime stats this will tell you why profiling happens clean up your communitys act and crap will stop happening am I wrong or right?

So in a way, I think it’s progress that people like you don’t understand the underlying reason. You’ve never been taught that having a black parent automatically meant you’re “downgraded” to being black. As annoying as such a question is for biracial people to deal with, that has to be a good thing.

Mary – this is a great way of looking at it. Great perspective.

First of all, there is only one race and that is the human race. Blackness was traditionally defined by bigots as anyone with any Negro blood in them no matter how small. For example half black half white equaled mulatto, one quarter black three quarters white equaled quartroon, and one eighth black and seven eighth white equaled an octoroon and that equation kept going. Blacks or negroes were considered in-human. Hence the word mulatto for mixed race which is derived from the word mule. A mule comes from the forced mixing of a male donkey with a female horse which do not breed naturally and are hence infertile. Two mules can not produce offspring.Two separate genus of animals. Many plantation owners sold their own sons who were the result of the white men having sex with their black slave women. They considered the offspring as black and chattel and hence was able to sale them by law. My bi-racial children, for a lack of a better term, prefer to be called Mixed but identify them as Black.

Steven, Virginia:

99% of the workers in the Atlanta airport are black because most of the VISUAL positions that you see passing through the airport are ENTRY LEVEL – TSA personnel included. Please believe that if you go into the back offices of the airport to see mid and upper level management amongst the airlines, airport administration and TSA, the landscape becomes inarguably more and more white washed.

Speaking as one who works at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, I know what I'm talking about.

I am a white woman married to a man that is half asian, a quarter black and a quarter white. I'm sorry but I don't think it would be right to label my child as "black" and never understand that "one drop" rule. Shes a human being. Saying she is "of color" would be more appropriate. I don't think that everyone should be labeled or have to fit into a specific race.

For as long as I have been on this earth, almost 60 years, I could never understand why there has been such a big deal about skin color. Skin color has been used against those who are darker, like myself, for discrimation in just about all facets of life. I've had family members where color was a big deal. When I was growing up in the 60's, being called "black" was derogatory. One was made to feel as an outcast because their skin was darker. When black power came into vogue, I was thrilled because I could finally be proud of my brown skin. Now I realize how silly that was back then. Underneath, we all look the same. We are all one race- the human race, just of different hues.

As i read through the comments. Some of them are sad. CNN decided to do something on black americans and the struggles they have faced and that we are still facing. As in everything people have negative things to say when you haven't even seen it. Try watching the documentary before making a comment. Lets learn something first. Stop comparing what you have done as a white person to something that has happend to a black person. Its not the same. Watch the documentary and be open to the struggles of people who are not the same hue as you are.

Steven,

It is people like you and the mentality of the area you live in that warrants such a special to be shown. When your state and this country practiced and still practices racism and discrimination, are you out there protesting for those whose lives are adversely affected everyday. Unless you have lived the black reality in america you are hardly qualified to scrutinize the behavior of anyone black. We have to address social issues that are not even a part of your reality. I am a highly educated black man who completed it all at a very young age....so to sit here and listen to fools talk about black responsibility....where were you all when black men with Ph.D's had to work as waiters and busboys while uneducated white men who did not even finish high school had good-paying professional jobs? The racial and economic inequties that was created by this country are now spoken of as if it was just a momentary blip on our historical screen. Some of the pathologies you witness in urban areas are the results of racist policies that america has never fully addressed.

chrisNY you wrote–

African Americans are not the only ones who have endured hardship in the United States, singled out for slavery? Yes. But, what about Native Americans singled out for extermination? Japanese Americans in re-location camps… The Irish (a white group) left starving in the slums of NYC until they themselves took on everyone else and brought themselves up the ranks.

This is the problem. Why can't Whites ever stay on topic? We are talking about Blacks here, not Native Americans or Irish, unless they are of a biracial nature associated with Blacks. This is an issue that needs to be addressed in America and it seems like the main oppressors would rather switch the blame on the oppressed. Where is the logic in that?

TESAP: your sense of racial equality is as good as your grammar you ignoramus.

I agree with Lou AND "Joe from Florida". All races and nationalities have struggled in this country at some point – blacks are not the only ones that have been treated poorly believe it or not. This CNN special has gotten us all talking – but is it productive? If we are going to fight about which race has had it harder, then we are all missing the point and we are all morons that deserve a crappy country run by crooks.
The true discrimination these days is against the working class men and women that are constantly kicked down while the rich get richer. You may think it's because the poor are usually minorities, but there are plenty of whites that are being kept down as well.
When will CNN do a special against the elitist upper class, the rich, and the super-rich?? This will never get on the air because it's more profitable to keep airing shows that will divide the working class and make us hate each other instead of fixing the real problem.

I don't know too many African Americans, slave descendent's in particular that are not of mixed race. So what do we call ourselves? If referring to ourselves as black , or African American is so offensive to white Americans.....what do they suggest we call ourselves? I happen to be Creek Indian, Black, and Irish.

What title is more appeasing to white America?

Hey Jimmy K,

Apply to a historically black college and u can go for free. I went to one as a black male, who had a good GPA, good test scores and could not get one cent from anybody. Meanwhile, alot of my white friends who went to my college, got full ride scholarships, with lower GPA's and test scores. Affirmitive Action is designed to help minorities, so try getting a job at an all predominately black company, or black school and you too my friend will be a beneficiary of affirmative action.

Too many people seem to oversimplify the reasons why a biracial individual might identify with being black rather than white. Even here, some have said that it is because they have chosen the race that will "get them ahead." This could not be more insulting. The reasons one may identify with being black are diverse, but I can only speak for myself and those close to me.

I choose to be identified as black because that is how the world sees and approaches me. When a police officer stops me from walking in a white neighborhood just to ask me where I'm coming from and where I'm headed, followed be telling me to move along quickly, I know what race it is he sees. I'd like to be seen as simply human, but when something race related happens in the news and most of the white people I know ask me what "the black position" is, it's hard to be so naive.

why do we need some white lady to tell
black people what it is like to be black in america?

is this just an attempt by cnn to make money off black peole?

i can give you a 37 year long investigation of what
its like to be black in america, that would be way more
accurate than some white lady can conjure up. if you
were not scared.

EXACTLT LORETTA. MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER WAS THE CHILD OF AN IRISH FATHER AND BLACK FOOT INDIAN; However she identified herself as being Black............. on my Mothers birthcertificate it says "Colored". My great grandfather on my fathers side still has the "freedom" papers from his great grandfather.

I am Black........... not 1/2 not 10%.... SAY IT LOUD.................

Black are still stereotyped because the continue to behave in stereotypical black behavior.

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, you call it a duck.

Racism is fostered by the "blacks" not the whites. It has benefited them greatly and they won't let it go – what else would they talk about? When you consider that their own people sold them into slavery, and that at that time, 8 year old children were cleaning chimmneys in England (just to mention one item), you have to see the whole sociological picture. There are still children in slavery today – what are the "blacks" doing about that? Get a life.

On second thought Soledad, these posters are scaring the hell out of me. Maybe you should do a show called, "Institutionalized Racism in America". Until then, I'm moving to Canada. People like John, Mike and especially ChrisNYC are two steps away from bringing a gun into a McDonald's in Harlem and reviving the "great and glorious" tradition of lynching.

John you wrote–

1. Why would black people be profiled in the first place could it be because of a history of a particular problem in there community such as shop lifting or gang violence or drive by shooting you really dont see much drive bys in the white community do you so you would not profile white people for that is this not true? My question to Blacks in general clean up your act ,stop the violence, stop the one parent familys,take care of your problems then profiling will stop, look at crime stats this will tell you why profiling happens clean up your communitys act and crap will stop happening am I wrong or right?

You act like profiling is a good thing! The police are meant "To Serve and Protect" meaning they should be working for us, not against us. Cops go out looking for Blacks to arrest. Not because they commit crimes, but because they "look like" they commit crimes. Is that wrong or right?

When I read the comments on this board, it further reinforces my feeling that topics like this are completely worthless. This is more about the person who initiated this topic, then it is about making any change. I am a black male, and I have never been profiled, I have never been detained in any store, I have never been wrongfully arrested or detained because I fit a profile. But more importantly, if I had, I would not sit around complaining about it. Why, because complaining makes not one bit of difference to anyone. I, and I alone, am responsible for whatever success or happiness I achieve from the few years I have on this earth, and I have to overcome whatever discriminations, whatever unfairness, whatever challenges, my skin color, my weight, my face, whatever it is that some people will try to use to make it hard.

The problem is not white discrimination, or unfairness, or racism. The problem is that too many black people do not consider themselves 100% accountable and responsible for WHATEVER happens to them. Our problem is not being unfairly profiles in stores, or by cops. Our problem is failing to become educated, failing to maintain two-parent families, failing to have a real moral compass, failing to know the difference between a rap video and real life, failing to make achievement and education top priorities for our children, failing to rid ourselves of leaders who do not espouse the aforementioned values, failing to ostracize criminals and criminal activity from our communities and families, failing to demand that we get more from all of the black churches and preachers that fill up our poverty laddened and crime filled neighborhoods but evidently make little difference to either. In 2008, the failure is OURS, not the government, not white people, not racism or discrimination. OURS!

Melissa you don't have to get it. It’s not your place or anyone else’s to define someone. People have the right to identify or define themselves as they see fit.

You can't understand the world one race at a time. We can't put everyone elses needs on hold to handle one group. Throughout history it has been the responsiblity of a group or culture to lift themselves up not everyone elses by feeling sorry for them. This documentary is a smack in the face to any sub culture in our country who doesn't have CNN sponsoring a documentary on them, and say they did, how would blacks feel if they didn't go first? I think we all know the answer to that question. Figures they'd budge in the bread line.

Congratulations Soledad! I look forward to the program and will be watching with my entire family.
For people such as Melissa in Los Angeles, believe me, the LAPD will not ask a so called "suspect" if they are Black-Irish. It's great to be proud of your entire heritage however most of us have learned that if you are half black, you are black. There is nothing wrong with that and I don't think most black/bi-racial people mind that. If asked to be more specific then I don't think most mind that either. While living in Los Angeles myself I was asked on more than one occassion if I were of Hispanic decent, which I'm not but would be proud even if I were. I'm proud to be black and wouldn't change it if I could.

Your efforts continue to fan the embers to keep the keep the “black” flame burning. If blacks truly think there is injustice, basis, racism, etc…. then what would be the response if white congressional caucus was formed or a white Miss America beauty pageant started. The United States of America is and has been a melting pot of races. Today the number of Latino-Americans is larger than African-Americans. I’m patiently waiting to see a journalist do the “Latino in America” followed by the “Asian in America” … it will never happen! This type of journalism continues to “validate” blacks as the down trodden members of society. I’m black and have done what pretty much everyone, regardless of race, has done to succeed in this country … DO IT YOURSELF and be measured on your results.

Hey Brian,

Listen to this....My "white" son (who scored a 29 on is ACT in 10th grade) who made great grades, and was never a problem child, couldn’t get into the two top high schools in the city we live in….. because of his race. The application for these school listed check one of the following:“race: black and all other”. Both school’s guidance counselors told me not to waste my selection process on their schools because his chances of getting in were very slim to none. My son went to the third best high school in our city, where he took accelerated and AP classes, but I had to listen to his teacher tell me that they wished he could be challenged more.

I asked these school counselors to please consider him for this grades and accomplishments…not his race, and I was told that would not be possible. I guess that’s why the Supreme Court determine that my hometowns school assignment plan was racist towards everyone but blacks.

I think the reason "some" people struggle with this is because its not really based on how one "looks". There are so many "black" looking people, who dont actually consider themselves black...but rather Latino. There are many people who look "white" but consider themselves black.

So while, in part i understand her saying "well, just look at me"...but it goes deeper than that, clearly....as "looks" are not the only factor.

As a "white" person, I dont fully understand how one "decides" what they are. I am "white" because i look white. True...but I also claim "white" because i dont claim French, German & Irish as who I am, much like how African-American's do (although, the same people who claim this also appear to claim "Black" but that wouldnt work for O'Brien who is Cuban & Australian & Black)

College's generally do not offer "race specific" scholarships anymore; everything has gone socio-economic. So this Black girl worked her way through school, even while hearing her non-Black friends comment on how much cheaper it must be for her (seriously? all of my scholarships were merit based and even then, with a 4.0 I was about 6 grand short on my private school tuition each year). Unfortunately, my parents always just miss the cutoff for full tuition assistance.

My father is bi-racial, and he always sang about being black and proud. His mother was practically disowned by her father for marrying a Black man. The Black family refused to have anything to do with them. Would he have chose differently? I don't think he had a choice; he had to go to the segregated Black school. Society decided on the one drop rule, not the children whose parents were color-blind. And even today, whether parents acknowledge it or not, their children must choose. Because society likes the delination of black and white.

Shopping and driving while Black are special experiences. As a child, I remember my father being placed in the back of a police cruiser and the car being searched because he was pumping gas near the scene of a robbery where the suspect was 5'5 to 6'5 and Black. Yep, they really do give out such dumb descriptions (even now; this is public record people). And my father just sat there, while all of the non-black people looked and pointed. My father has never committed a crime, and has no criminal record. But I saw him in the back of a polic car no less than four times. And the officers didn't bother to ask him if he identified. And no one ever apologizes.

I have already watched the preview for this program on itunes; I will purchase it as soon as I can to show to as many people as possible. Furthermore, I think that CNN should acknowledge the other disadvantaged groups in this country, and highlight their history and plight as well. The United States of America has a terrible track record with their minorities. ALL their minorities.

Can we do White In America later? Break it down to the Irish, Scots, English, German, French, Austrians? And then later do Hispanic in America with Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, Panamanians? And maybe Polynesian in America with Samoans, Guamians? I know! How about if we do American in America!? Then we can focus on us; Americans!

Get it now?

Dear Soledad – we appreciate the program "Blacks in America" – but we are concerned that the myth that HIV/AIDS is the number 1 health in our community is being perpetuated. Most of our African American sisters and brothers are dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes with risk factors of obesity, hypertension, stress & depression.HIV/AIDS is a serious problem, but it is not the number one health problem decimating our community.
Thank you for your series on Black in America – it is important and informative.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Hughes Gaston, MD
Gayle K. Porter, Psy.D.

We are in such a sad state in America right now with race relations. Only an idiot would say that discrimination does not exist. It does, and it is everywhere.
Unfortunately it seems, that in the news, the only racial incidents that happen are white against black. There is so much hipocracy that exists in the media when it comes to racial discrimination. There is a proud proponderance of self claiming "black groups" in our society. These are accepted groups, and never thought of as racist. There are black media outlets (BET, Ebony), black news papers, black congressional groups, black religious groups, black colleges, and the list goes on and on. In discussions in these groups, there is often the mention of "our people", "our race", "white people" and this is accepted as fine.
What would happen if there was a "white congressional caucus"? It would instantly be recognized as racist. I think the same would be held true if there was White Entertainment TV, or Ivory Magazine. If a white person says "you people" that person is instantly labeled as racist. How many "white scholarships" are available?
Too many times, anything not labeled as black is presumed to be white...i.e., white media.
Mr. Obama can go to a NAACP meeting and talk about the "problems in black society", what the responsibilities of black fathers should be. Can you imagine if Mr. McCain said the same thing?
How many times have you seen a nationwide media spectacle where a black cop shot a white person, and have it labeled as a racial outrage? Never. How many times in the media do you see stories of a non-hispanic cop shooting or beating a hispanic person being portrayed as racist?
When is THE national media going to really, openly discuss this nation's racial problem?
I guess since I am bringing up the concept that the racial issues that face us, as a nation and society is not limited to the black community makes me a racist in many peoples eyes. I realize that this will comment will not be addressed by the big media because it is not something that will be popular, it will not garner increased publicity, but at least it has been said.

Respectfully,

Rick Gray

Blah, Blah, Blah...

With so many immigration, legal, political and economic issues, why do we continue to be innundated(sp) with Black, Black, Black ???

Blacks are not even the largest minority population in the US anymore.

Go to school and graduate
Participate in life
Get married before you have children
Rely on yourself and family to make things happen

NEXT

Specials like this do nothing constructive. In a time when we are trying to erase racial divisions, such reporting, not to mention the existence of organizations such as NAACP, La Raza, the various black and hispanic, Chambers of Commerce plus the racially specific caucuses in Congress...ad nauseaum...merely reinforce those divisions.

I always thought that "separate but equal" didn't work, but by all appearances that is exactly the direction these groups are moving in. I suppose that's fine if it's what you want, but stop making whites the whopping boy for your actions.

Soledad,

I understand that the african-american community embraces barack due to the 'one-drop' rule. I thought that the Supreme Court threw out that rule.

I served in the military for four years and have had many black and white friends in my lifetime. The cultural divide between blacks and whites is never more prominent than in the military. Go to the chow hall, bars, gym, and barracks you will see segregation at its finest. We as a society tend to group ourselves first by race, then gender, and finally by interests. I regret somtimes not going over to another ethnic groups conversation, I might have learned smething or at least lessened the gap of racial discomfort.

Why isn't the term "Bi-Racial" ever used whenever someone such as yourself (Soledad O'Brien) discusses her or his ancestry?

OK.. this is getting stupid now.

CNN.. is race baiting.

CNN is holding FAKE discussions with the usual suspects.

CNN is afraid to point out WHY blacks have problems shopping and the like

CNN is trying to gloss over all of the relevant facts in order to portray blacks as victims.

CNN moderates these very discussions to tailor the outcome ..

Tim wrote:

"I cant think of a more boring program to watch so count me out."

I won't watch it either, even though non-stop white guilt trips are anything but "boring."

Eric wrote:

"Why do you think so many super models come from Brazil?"

I haven't noticed that. They just seem to get more media attention.

BTW, the most famous Brazilian model, Gisele, is of 100% Northern European ancestry. I think she puts the other models to shame.

KH wrote:

“Some of the pathologies you witness in urban areas are the results of racist policies that America has never fully addressed.”

Catch-all excuses - the gifts that keep on giving. One hundred years from now people like you will be saying the exact same thing.

Soledad –

I look forward to viewing this special but the views displayed in the comments are disheartening. It's sad to see how many individuals are careless for the plight of others. It's young Americans like me who struggle to raise children, struggle to teach them values in a world that values nothing. I only hope our children shake the chain of negativity that many grow up still wear with pride.

When I read the comments on this board, it further reinforces my feeling that topics like this are completely worthless. This is more about the person who initiated this topic, then it is about making any change. I am a black male, and I have never been profiled, I have never been detained in any store, I have never been wrongfully arrested or detained because I fit a profile. But more importantly, if I had, I would not sit around complaining about it. Why, because complaining makes not one bit of difference to anyone. I, and I alone, am responsible for whatever success or happiness I achieve from the few years I have on this earth, and I have to overcome whatever discriminations, whatever unfairness, whatever challenges, my skin color, my weight, my face, whatever it is that some people will try to use to make it hard.

Tim,

Are you equating 'standing up for oneself' and 'expecting equal & not denigrating treatment' to 'complaining?' Surely you jest.

Soledad.. I noticed that you are a member of the "Blcak Journalists Association" AND you are a member of the "Latino Journalists Association"

Can you tell us why there are race based organizations like this in America?

While you are at it try and explain how the Black Caucus is an appropriate thing in an integrated society.

kc July 23rd, 2008 1:07 pm ET

Blah, Blah, Blah…

With so many immigration, legal, political and economic issues, why do we continue to be innundated(sp) with Black, Black, Black ???

Blacks are not even the largest minority population in the US anymore.

Go to school and graduate??? ONLY BLACK KIDS DROPOUT
Participate in life-WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
Get married before you have children-ONLY BLACKS HAVE CHILDREN BEFORE THEY GET MARRIED
Rely on yourself and family to make things happen- WHO SAYS WE DON'T

NEXT

ARE YOU SAYING WE DON'T?

"I am a black male, and I have never been profiled, I have never been detained in any store, I have never been wrongfully arrested or detained because I fit a profile. But more importantly, if I had, I would not sit around complaining about it. Why, because complaining makes not one bit of difference to anyone. I"

This is the only person who has it right. Soledad.. Get this..?

God bless you Tim.

That was beautifully written. I believe that Martin Luther King, Jr. shared your thoughts. ….”my children would some day be known for the content of their character and not the color of their skin”…. I tell my children all the time that “action have consequences” and “their failures are theirs”…no one else’s. You are right on the money.

The day when we can all stop focusing on our differences, whether good or bad, black or white, is when we can expect racism and prejudice to end. We're all human beings....that's it.

As a 28 year old college educated black male, I can honestly say i've never used the "oh i'm black so i'm the victim" card. My mother had me out of wedlock at 16. She's since went on to have a 6 figure career and i'm not doing bad myself. But i do have to ask, has anyone that is not black been pulled over by the police in their own neighborhood and given the reason "cuz you dont look like you belong here"? Or shopping in an ritzy store and not receiving any service for a half hour while other people of a differerent skin tone come in and get helped from the door? If you havent experienced these types of situations, u definately should watch Soledad's special.

Rick Gray you wrote–

What would happen if there was a “white congressional caucus”? It would instantly be recognized as racist. I think the same would be held true if there was White Entertainment TV, or Ivory Magazine. If a white person says “you people” that person is instantly labeled as racist. How many “white scholarships” are available?

Don't you get it? Congress was always white before Blacks became legal to even run for office. Most of these organizations exist to level the playing field. When outlets like MTV, VH1, wouldn't play our music, a Black man created BET so people of color would have an outlet. BET is now owned by a White corporation. Whites profit from the negative images displayed on BET. Do your research.

Dear Soledad – we appreciate the program “Blacks in America” – but we are concerned that the myth that HIV/AIDS is the number 1 health in our community is being perpetuated. Most of our African American sisters and brothers are dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes with risk factors of obesity, hypertension, stress & depression.HIV/AIDS is a serious problem, but it is not the number one health problem decimating our community.

Dr. Porter -

While it is true that blacks are dying (disproportionately) from most of those diseases you mention, the issue of HIV/AIDS is a special one. This one is taboo. Extremely taboo. Blacks are contracting HIV at a rate of 8 to 10 times greater than the general population. That is alarming.

People (especially many in the black community) want to pretend like this is a gay white male issue and that is why they are still contracting this disease in signficant numbers.

Most people are not afraid to talk about (and admit) diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. But for Americans (especially several Black Americans) too many are still in denial about HIV/AIDS.

If anything – I think we need to 'up the ante' on discussions about prevention, awareness, and taboo subjects like these which only cause more people to become infected (and thus have shorter life spans, reduced quality of life, increased episodes of discrimination & depression, etc)

While I have no dount that racism exists, the only places I have seen it are in people who are too stupid or stubborn to change, both black and white. The people who would watch this show already agree with you, so what is the point? It is like going to Brown and offering a free screening of An Inconvenient Truth.

I think if we are actually going to be a "post-racial" society (as an Obama supporter put it), we need to stop talking oppression and what is owed. Let people truly be judged on the content of their character.

The subject of race is complex to say the least, however, the use of race for convenience or as a lightening rod is unacceptable.

Los Angeles contains over 140 nationalities which is representative of today's America which helps make our nation so colorful.

I find it a bit troubling to focus on one race when in many cases, including yours Soledad, the tapestry is multi-colorful and diverse.

How is it that an asian immigrant can come to America with nothing, often times having been persecuted in his or her homeland and within one generation marry, start a family, start a business and then send his children to our nation's finest schools.

This example can be attributed to people of all races, however, the amswer may lie in self respect and the culture the person came from.

I find it very interesting to see Barack Obama rise up yet some in the black community like Jackson and Rev. Wright want to slow his ascent and maintain separatist ties.

Unless the black community starts demenading accountability of their own and creates a culture that does not tolerate anything less, they will collectively fall behind all immigrants and plummet to unforeseen depths.

When I hear stories of black individuals receiving unjust treatment from the police, I feel for them. I know they are racially discriminated against in some form with nearly every facet of our society.

However, I think some education needs to go on. Almost every WHITE person I know has received improper treatment from the police.

I believe the police in this nation are suffering from an epidemic of thinking they're the law. They're not. They're law ENFORCEMENT.

These people have never apologized to me. Ever. Not for pulling me over for no reason. Not for pulling a field sobriety test when I haven't had a drink in 25 years. Not for telling me I couldn't go into my own home while they were investigating a burglary two blocks away.

The problem is that the police don't apologize because they think it's their right to treat the public like everyone's a criminal.

So they're biased against everyone. With my African-American friends, it's just way easier for a cop to rationalize it as an excuse.

Soledad,

To be quite honest I did not know you were of African decent until you mentioned it. I honestly thought you were Italian, Morrocan, or whatever.. Go figure...

Sorry sweetheart, but not everyone views this world only in Black and White..

I think the issue of race in America is always going to be very touching.
I am currently working for acompany and I received a racial email from the vice president of Human resources. I contacted the head of the company and I did not get no response instead they hired a team of lawyers to defend the HR Vice president and I am the subject of a lot of harassment. I email the governor of MAryland and all the senators. The EEOC is handling the case but I am still harrass. We don't have anyone or organisation to complaint to.
When are ever going to have equality in this contry?

The Race issue as played out at nauseum ever since the phonemon of Barrack Obama started .Cnn should just focus on the candiates and leave the that alone. This just creates more hype and agruements . But of course good ratings grabber right?

Soledad,

What happened to Dr. King's call 'that we judge a man ( and woman) not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character? Why, in your reference to Sen. Obama, do you say 'have you seen him'? I thought Sen. Obama said we are not white americans, black american, asian americans, latino americans; we are ALL americans.

Well, one thing that doesn't matter if you're Black is the police when they do something wrong. They simply don't apologize and generally act with disdain and arrogance towards those they're supposed to "serve and protect".

I also think the real days of racism are long gone in these days where most people are multi-racial like myself. There is absolutely still discrimination but it is more about "Class" and "Culture" than skin color.

I'm tired of hearing about it too. I've been followed by security too – all because I've dared to stop in a store on the spur of the moment and wasn't dressed up enough to meet their standards. Get over it. I work for a department store. We pay special attention to whoever we need to pay special attention to. If we've caught teenage shoplifters, then we watch teenagers closely for a while. If we've had a particular minority get caught stealing, then we'll watch that particular group for a time. It may be unfortunate to have to do this, but you'd be surprised to see how many times it pays off and saves us thousands of dollars in losses.

Why do we even have to have a debate about black and white. Black is black and white is white. Their should be no bi-racial marriages. When there are child born into this kind of relationship they do get misplaced. I believe if God had wanted blacks and whites to be together as man and wife this is what would have been. This is really what gets me. When I am out and I see a black and white couple together they cannot look at you in the face as if they were embarrassed or something.

As I read through thos Blog, I understand why race will alwasy be an issue. Many white people believe that black people are just complaining, other races want to be included. How could a series on Black in America be offensive to other races? All black people don't complain, all black people aren;t on welfare, gun toting thugs, 6 kids by 8 different men. BUT, we are all viewed that way. I have heard on numerours occasions that "We need to get over slavery and Jim Crow laws"... OK so the Jews should get over the Holocaust?? The problem here is and has always been a failure to communicate... BETWEEN BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE.......... OUR HISTORY IS HUNDREDS OF YEARS OLD........... AND IT ALL HAPPENED HERE... IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA........ Until we realize and recgnize that we will forever be lost. I understand that there are immigrants here......... legal and illegal, and all of that.... but to be truly honest.BLACKS AND WHITES BUILT THIS COUNTRY AND THE ONLY THING WE (BLACKS) ARE ASKING IS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, RESPECT AND JUSTICE THAT IS DUE TO US. If the civil rights movement had not happened, if the fight to be equal had not happened....Can you imagine the americathat we would be living in????????

THE MAIN POINT: THIS IS OUR COUNTRY JUST AS MUCH.. IF NOT MORE.... THAN YOURS.

I have even read
about something called the paper bag test and read history
books about how race was determined by how much of a
percentage one was white,black, etc.

Actually, the "paper bag test" was supposedly used by Light Skinned African Americans as a way to discriminate against those who were darker.

It is just another example of how twisted the entire notion of race has become. The reality is there is no biological basis for race. There is, instead, a social construct that is used to categorize the uncategorizible. While racism does still exist and it still matters what one's official race is, for good and bad, in this country. I hope for the day when we can put this nonsense behind us.

Stop whining about the challenges you face in life. People profile for reasons outside of ignorance, the profile because of statistics.

kat wrote:

"People like John, Mike and especially ChrisNYC are two steps away from ... reviving the “great and glorious” tradition of lynching."

All three posts were intelligent, articulate, and factual.

You need to get a grip.

Can you do a show on White America? Or would this be considered racist? I'm dont view black ppl as thugs, in fact i view them as having just as many rights as i do. I'm not sure how it works in the rest of the world but where i'm from if you are black your chances of getting a job are much higher than if you are white. I feel if you are going to do a show on "being black in america" then you also need to do one on hispanics as well as whites. Just so you know i have black and hispanic friends. I think i am becoming sick of discussions about black people! Everywhere i turn, a black tv programming station like BET, black magazines, black month, somebody did some black man wrong, NAACP rasing hell about a flag in SC, to a word that starts with a N. I actually hear more black ppl saying the N word more than any other race combined. If you are any other race and you say that word you are guilty of being racist, just doesn't seem right! A flag? Does the NAACP have anything else to do? Who is paying for them to cry about a flag? They wanted it moved from one location, so guess what? they moved it, now, they want it moved again and are holding protest? This kind of action really upsets me. Conclusion: Stop giving in everytime a black person screams racisim, and that goes to any other race including white or hispanic! And just because someone says the N word don't consider it a word of racisim since anytime i hear it its usually coming from a black person. And if you think America is racist, then look at these events; Basketball and Football and tell me what the percentage rates are on that!!! In my area called "projects" which means live in an apartment and pay nothing or get paid to live in them over 97% are black so you tell me who is getting the short end of the stick here? Come on People slavery ended a long time ago this is 2008 not 1908 move on and stop being "all about the black" !! Thank You – God Bless All Nationalities in America

I can’t wait to watch the show since it will undoubtedly be a long winded blamefest about whitey holding the black man down in every aspect of life while totally ignoring personal responsibility or cultural aspects that black communities need to address. No doubt we will see a ton of claims of racism, but they won’t be proven by actual evidence; instead we’ll just be prejudice, automatically accept the black person’s word on it, never give the other party any chance to confront the accusation, and skew stats/give one-sided stats to try to make a connection. Makes me sick to even think you’re trying to pass such nonsense off as real in-depth reporting.

Jimmy K. it was whites who created the law that if a person has an once of black blood even though that person had black and white parents, you are considered black. Basically, because the white racists in the Jim Crow era felt a person was contaminated with that "black" blood running through them. Now we're seeing those old racist laws and values start to bite America on her butt. You reap what you sow.

In regards to the special, "Black in America", it's very important because African-Americans are still not treated fairly in a lot of areas. Not to say society is totally to blame for that because personal responsibility is something that we all must have but there are still an institutions of racism that discriminates in the job markets and the housing markets particularly.

People can say look at Sen. Barack Obama. He's black. He's successful but can they say unequivocally he will be president? Oprah Winfrey is a very successful black woman but it didn't stop her from being mistreated by a major white department store in France. Even after being famous for over 20 years they claimed to not know who she was. So let not be blind and think that we're on an equal playing field because we're not there yet.

Jimmy K you wrote–

I wish I had an ounce of black in me in that case. College sure would be a whole lot cheaper.

Why do Whites, and I’m assuming you’re White because of your comments, believe that being Black gives you some “magical free ride” through college? One where we don’t receive excessive student loan debts just like our white counterparts? Where is all this free money coming from? I sure as hell pay for my own college tuition through government aid and loans like everyone else.

Or did you fill out the “Whites Only” FAFSA?

_Brian_
To respond as a third party, I have just gone through the college system and seen first hand how the actions of a few can taint the opinions of many. After applying for federal aid, and scholarships and getting none of them because my single mother made too much money. To then go to college and find students who didn't have the grades I did, nor the experiance before college, got the same aid and scholarships that I tried for does nothing but taint peoples opinions.

Just one persons opinion

Soledad,

It does not say on my passport that I am a caucasian-american.; it only says I am a citizen of the United States of America. Does your passport say you are an african-latino-american citizen?

CNN...why are you not posting the submission from an West African Black person...or does Black in American mean Americans only not Africans?

Trust me ..Africans also experience racism from African American. some who believe we are tribal touting/ machete wielding savages...

In short Africans are charity cases (not equals) as you journalist made the world to believe....

"THIS IS OUR COUNTRY JUST AS MUCH.. IF NOT MORE…. THAN YOURS."

You lost me at the "if not more" aspect. Adding it just goes to show that you don't want any form of equality in terms of acknowledgment and instead want us to act like the country is more yours than ours.

This series sucks, it's pointless and a waste of tv space. Grow up CNN.

This is beyond belief. I thought if your father was black and your mother white, then you were considered black. I am not understanding this discussion on race, when people have an ounce of black blood will claim to be black, but in years past it would be hidden. Is this opportunism at its best. Really, what happened to us all being humans. Because I was born in poverty, suffered physical and mental abuse, malnutrition and all effects of the above, mean that I should pronounce to the world..hey, look at me, I deserve more because I was disadvantaged...is being black truly disadvantaged...I think not.

My sister-in-law recently told me of some friends of hers, a couple that are both visibly multiracial. She tells me that every time they have to wait because a store clerk is busy and can't get to them right away, or a waitress takes too long to get to their table, or whatever, they ALWAYS assume it's racially motivated. And they get angry, every time... which is to say, almost every day. And they are certainly not alone in this; I've heard similar grievances from many black folks.

For purposes of illustration, let's take a look at some of my own social grievances:
I've had to wait a long time for restaurant service..many times.... it seemed that the waiters/waitresses "forgot" about us. .
I've been refused service at a Denny's (!) for no reason that I could detect - right at a time when Denny's was in the national news for this!
I've had white store clerks take their time getting to me, more times than I could count.
I've gotten hostile, 'rejecting' vibes from white people I just met.
As a teenager (the most "shoplifting-prone" profile), I often got the distinct feeling that I was the object of suspicious attention by store staff... despite the fact that I've never shoplifted in my life, not even once.
I've been snubbed or ignored by white people I tried to befriend - in school, at work, and at church.
I've had many white girls turn me down for dates, sometimes quite rudely (despite my polite and gentlemanly approach).
I've had white girls obviously go out of their way to avoid me after dark.
I've had white employers turn me down for jobs for which I was well qualified.
I've had a white coworker be coldly hostile to me for no apparent reason, and be utterly resistant to all my attempts to smooth things over.
I've been stopped and questioned by white police officers 3 times for no valid reason; once I was told by the white cop that I was in the wrong (ie Hispanic) neighborhood.

If I, as a black man, interpreted ALL the above incidents, slights, and disappointments as "racism" as my sister-in-law's friends do, after 44 years of getting angry nearly every day I'd be screaming and frothing at the mouth by now. I'd be demanding that we have a long-overdue national "conversation" about race (defined as: shut up and listen for a change, you evil white people!) I'd secretly admire the ghetto thugs who have the courage to actually assault and rob white folks on the grounds that it's well deserved "payback" for the racism that they still haven't repented of. Most of all, the fact that white folks, by and large, insist that America stopped being a racist country a long time ago would drive me absolutely crazy with rage; I'd regard every white person who said this as a deliberate liar and wilfully complict in my ongoing daily oppression.

But... I'm not a black man, I'm WHITE. So I can't interpet all those incidents racially; I can only assume that life just sucks and is full of daily disappointments. And that is my message to black folks: The waitress who took way too long to get to you, is not a racist - she's just plain BUSY. It's not about you, or your race, at all.

CNN will never post this of course. It's too rational.

My points were removed; they were rejected by CN for ths (I believe)

Before November, I'd like to ask Barak one question:

"If he, an African American, were elected president of the United States; some say the most powerful position on this earth, would he eliminate and perhaps even outlaw unnecessary, and often times government sanctioned, race based organizations such as "The Black Congressional Caucus," Black Patrolmen's Association" (in most major urban areas) and the "NAACP?"

It's fairly obvious to me that if he were elected president, millions of Americans of all races & persuasions had a hand in it. Would that not prove that the existence of these divisive organizations be unnecessary??

Why would we need a "black" prefixed anything; or a national association dedicated to black people if the guy in charge is himself, black??

AW you speak of things that weren't addressed. Did they get those scholarships cause they were black or underprivileged? All I'm saying is Black have the same opportunities in school as Whites. We don't get a free ride!!!

Brian, you wrote
"Don’t you get it? Congress was always white before Blacks became legal to even run for office. Most of these organizations exist to level the playing field. When outlets like MTV, VH1, wouldn’t play our music, a Black man created BET so people of color would have an outlet. BET is now owned by a White corporation. Whites profit from the negative images displayed on BET. Do your research."

I was not saying that racism did not exist, I did not say it doesn't. What I am saying is, simply this. There is a huge level of hypocracy that exists. Are you telling me that if there was a movement for WET, or a White congressional caucus that the Al Sharps and Jesse Jacksons would not blow a gasket and call them racist? What specifically is a "White Corporation"?

I am glad the civil rights movement happened. It had to happen. Now the next step has to happen, and that is, how do we fix it? No group should hide behind banners of segregation when they willing single themselves out as a separate group.

I can’t wait to watch the show since it will undoubtedly be a long winded blamefest about whitey holding the black man down in every aspect of life while totally ignoring personal responsibility or cultural aspects that black communities need to address. No doubt we will see a ton of claims of racism, but they won’t be proven by actual evidence; instead we’ll just be prejudice, automatically accept the black person’s word on it, never give the other party any chance to confront the accusation, and skew stats/give one-sided stats to try to make a connection. Makes me sick to even think you’re trying to pass such nonsense off as real in-depth reporting.

You don't have very high expectations of Soledad's reporting..

If Obama were white would CNN being doing a show named "Black in America"? I know the answer....No. When I hear people say they are going to vote for him because of "historic" reasons, I really get sick. How can people be so stupid? Vote for the person that reflects your beliefs and you believe will be the best person to run the country....not just because they are a certain race.

If Obama were a white man.....this would be the dullest presidential race in history....no one would care.

We don't all look at the colour of skin. I have watched CNN for a long time and didn't even realize that Soledad O’Brien was black until she mentioned it. I interact with mutiple nationalities everyday and seldomly think about it unless the other individual brings up a relevant topic. Sometimes I think the black are responsible for standing out because they think they do. Some of us do judge people by their core and hope to be judged likewise.

TESAP: "OK so the Jews should get over the Holocaust?? "

They already have gotten over it, but they will never forget it. There IS a difference in that statement. But the main thing is that they did not let the Holocaust keep them down. And while slavery was a horrific thing for your ancestors to go through, 6 million of them were not murdered. Nor do their children think "they" were part of the Holocaust just because their grandparents were.

What I am trying to get at is this. Blacks want to move into a new future of equality yet they want to bring their old baggage with them. That won't work. Surely you can see this.

I am so sick and tired of hearing about the plight of black people. This country is set up so that ANYONE can get ahead if they want.
1. Get a good education
2. Look up the ten commandments and try to live by them. There is a GOD and he will bless you if you follow the big ten. Get on it.
3. Quit having babies before you get married.
4. Quit having sex with everybody that calls you honey.
5. If you are a man and have a chlid, take the next step and be a FATHER.
6. QUIT whining and get over yourself
You aren't having problems in life because you are black, if you are having problems, you haven't done the things to prepare yourself for success. This is what Oprah and Bill Cosby are trying to get across to black people. Oprah says that success is when opportunity meets preparation. Get yourself prepared with a good education and when opportunity knocks, you'll be ready to succeed. Break your own chains, there is no other country like the USA to do that.

“THIS IS OUR COUNTRY JUST AS MUCH.. IF NOT MORE…. THAN YOURS.”

You lost me at the “if not more” aspect. Adding it just goes to show that you don’t want any form of equality in terms of acknowledgment and instead want us to act like the country is more yours than ours.

Then you misread it. When people say American one does not assume Black people in that statement. Meaning this country does owe us in many ways; however we will never be able to collect. Meaning that when you talk about the "founding fathers" of this country, your not talking about mine. Meaning, well yes....... more.. we have been through more pain, more struggle more oppression than any of YOU, the fact that we are having this converstaion is a clear fact of that. The fact that it is 2008...........2008..... and we are still asking if America is ready for a black President. So yes, you are correct.

Re:

John July 23rd, 2008 12:42 pm ET

"I have a couple of question’s to ask of all black people 1. Why would black people be profiled in the first place could it be because of a history of a particular problem in there community such as shop lifting or gang violence or drive by shooting you really dont see much drive bys in the white community do you so you would not profile white people for that is this not true? My question to Blacks in general clean up your act ,stop the violence, stop the one parent familys,take care of your problems then profiling will stop, look at crime stats this will tell you why profiling happens clean up your communitys act and crap will stop happening am I wrong or right?"

1) Reading is fundamental, John. May I suggest the 'Hooked on Phonics' series for you, my friend? I would have been ashamed to post that grammatical nightmare, let alone have the audacity to attempt to be nasty while making such an ignorant statement. To address your questions: 1) People (of color) are profiled as a result of ignorance. Case closed. And just to be clear so you don't get confused by all these "big words" – when I say people of color, I'm not just referring to those of African descent. Actually, I can admit that it may be a bit closed minded of me to even hint that profiling only exists towards minorities. I don't have the stats readily available, but I suppose profiling can take place across the board – although I do believe it is primarily geared towards minorities.

Studies and statistics have shown that there is as much illegal activity in impoverished communities inhabited by African-Americans as those inhabited by Caucasians. The difference? Media attention. While the percentage of "drive-bys" and other random shootings may be higher in the Afr. Am community, the percentage of crimes of passion – or as I like to call them "crimes for insurance money" – are prevalent among Caucasians. There are more Caucasian males in correctional facilities and more young, unwed mothers among Caucasians than African-Americans. This is not something I have made up – it's the truth. Do some research.

I believe racism exists in America. I don't believe, however, it is a one way street. All of the comments I have seen by black posters are very clear on how they were treated by WHITE people. Would they be so insulted if they same comments were made by Asians, Middle-Easterners, other Blacks....?

There are stupid people out there, too, but that doesn't mean they are racist. I have been asked many times to help at a store, because people thought I worked there, i have been stopped at security check points and my pocket book gone through. I have been pulled over by state troopers.... Life is hard for everybody.

Everyone has a complaint but we all recognize there is a [general] problem. I am a hard working college educated black male from the south. To my asian and latino bretheren, I can empathize with your struggles in America. However, the struggle between black and white in this country is older than the country itself. All minorities deserve to have their struggle heard, and I think all minorities can learn a lot [if not a little] from hearing the story of another.
To my caucasian friends, I understand so many of you judge people on the content of their character, and for every stand up individual like yourself there is another one will judge on more superficial traits.
Likewise, for every African-American working hard, and earasing stereotypes, there will always be another reinforcing them, and slowing progress.

No race can afford to beguile themselves, to think just because you treat all humans as just humans that EVERYONE does. Because that simply is not true. I wish more people could see that the world is much larger than you and your views.

The issue in American race relation is not racism, people have scummed to mental slavery which is worse than physical slavery. The real issue is "class and economic advantage", while there are many African Americans who are highly educated and doing very well, African Americans constitute majority of low income earners, there is a worrying trend that most drop out of school at very early age. The underlying problem is not racism but poor parenting, lack of education, poor leadership in black community which has lead to poverty. How do you expect a girl who had her first child at the age of 16 be a good mother capable of educating her children? Majority of African American kids are raised in single parent homes, parents do not have enough time for their kids. I see many businesses owned by immigrants who came to USA a few years ago, these immigrants arrive here without anything but they make it through hard work, look at the Spanish stores, the Chinese businesses, Cuban businesses etc Lack of education is the leading cause of African American problems its not racism. The African American parents need to emphasize to their kids about the importance of education. Why is it that many of male black are doing drugs? Why do we have high teenage pregnacies in AfricanAmerican comunity? This stems from the family, kids who are not brought up properly are more likely to make bad choices and lag behind or fail in life. This is as aresult of Racism?
Why cant African Americans work hard.There are so many opportunities for the African American child today, if poor immigrants can come over here without anything in their pockets and achieve the American dream i think its even easier to African Americans. Those who want to make it in school can do it, its not magic but to get education you have to be disciplined, majority of young African American kids lack that discipline.
One cannot keep on complaining about slavery which happened many years ago. African American need to preach personal responsibility. The only thing to defeat "racism" is education, you don't expect a high school drop out to get a high paying job with NASA or Microsoft when we have may educated Asian or white kids. African Americans need to borrow a leave from the Asian community who value education. These blame games should end, society is not always perfect people should learn to help themselves rather that sit and whine year round. As Lou notes, when we continually see specials like these we understand the fatigue that White America sees in race relations with African Americans. People need to come out from mental slavery, its the worst form of slavery.

Oh Sandy...you wrote that whites and black should not get married...and their chld are misplaced? They wn't look you in the eye out of embarassment...GET A GRIP...I am white and my husband is black and my children are FAR FROM BEING MISPLACED...Trust me I'd look you dead in the eye...embaraaes I am not...annoyed that people like you can't get over the fact that we are happy together...that's more like it...and God not intending black and white to have chldren...that's people and animals that God intended not to have children...but I guess you got through to the "human race"

TESAP: “OK so the Jews should get over the Holocaust?? ”

They already have gotten over it, but they will never forget it. There IS a difference in that statement. But the main thing is that they did not let the Holocaust keep them down. And while slavery was a horrific thing for your ancestors to go through, 6 million of them were not murdered. Nor do their children think “they” were part of the Holocaust just because their grandparents were.

What I am trying to get at is this. Blacks want to move into a new future of equality yet they want to bring their old baggage with them. That won’t work. Surely you can see this.

if you haven't noticed we have......... There in lies the problem, How can the descendants of slaves and the descendants of slave owners co-exist in a world.. no country where the horrific acts took place... in a country that does not want to acknowledge it. No one is bringing baggage.............. but we are still waiting for our 40acres and a mule.... The Jewish communty has received theirs.

Tim is my hero.

If all minorities had the same mind set, the world would be a beautiful place. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of whites who are racist. Step up and prove them wrong, don't whine and expect a handout.

"Nothing about Obama to me is black or Rice for that matter. Other than skin tone, they dress white, talk white, and it wouldn’t shock me if they ate white as well. Now in comparison when i’m walking around the street or at school I see a vastly different black culutre than the one they represent. Hence I don’t consider them part of the black culture that feels racisim in this country. "

Ah, and this perception is part of the problem. "Black culture" is not just one thing or one manner of speaking, dressing or eating. Contrary to what a lot of non-black people seem to believe (including the MEDIA who has proclaimed people like Jesse Jackson as the leader of the "black community"), all or most black people do not think alike, do not all eat "soul food" every Sunday, do not all speak in slang, do not all come from a poor or single-family background, etc.

While this CNN special may generate some interesting discussion, in the final analysis, I don't think it will change anyone's thinking. Those who are open-minded will remain so, those who are not will continue along that vein.

It's funny how CNN and most "national media" are so one sided:

In 1974, (Boston) I was a senior in High School. Some judge decided to force racial intergration in the city by bussing. I was bussed from my neighborhood school to one closer to the black community. It was a black school. We had race riots EVERY day.

The black kids getting bussed to white schools had full, national & international media coverage. They had a hard time, just as we did, but my school situation usually ended up as a one-inch side note on page 16, or 17 or the city's newspaper.

Fast forward to today; national & international media is covering Barak's trip overseas, while McCain, who's "been there, done that" got nothing!

My question for the national media, CNN included is; "How stupid do you think we are?"

I'm so sick of the double standards in this country I'm aboput ready to go to Canada!!

There are stupid people out there, too, but that doesn’t mean they are racist.

Usually stupid people and racist people mix very well together.

My husband was stopped by police officers on his way home from work. He was dressed in shirt and tie and works for the government. The officers did not tell him why he was stopped and towed his car away!! They said their 'system' showed he was driving uninsured when in fact he was fully insured. This is a classic example of racial profiling because the officers were White and my husband is Hispanic. No lawyer in our area would touch his case becaue quote, "It is too hard to prove racial profiling." Discrimination exists against everyone. I have been told by my Superiors that I will always have two strikes against me-being Hispanic and being a Woman.

Soledad, I have been looking forward to this special every since they first announced it. I hope that you will be blogging after the show along with AC 360 if they have a segment on their show about it.

Thanks for posting your story about "Black and Shopping in America" on CNNs homepage. I'm sad this is happening in America, but I guess I want to say that you've raised my consciousness today. I thought those days were over. I'm sorry to hear that that happened to those women. They deserved to be treated with respect.

Thank you Soledad for the series on Blacks in America CNN has been running over the past two weeks. I have seen them all so far and am looking forward to tonight and Thursday. As to the reporter, I believe what she like so many others who are not Black, really wanted to ask you: Why in the world would anyone want to be identified as Black? They feel this way, I believe, because deep down inside they realize the injustices that are suffered by us simply because of the color of our skin and can't imagine why anyone with a white parent wouldn't use that as an opportunity to distance themselves from identifying with the Black race. I can honestly say that I have never wanted to be any race other than Black. However, I've wanted all my life to enjoy the priviledges of being white. Thank you for loving all of who you are. Keep up the good work!

OK, I have to put out the normal disclaimer:

I am a 32 year old black male with a degree in Electrical Engineering that attended college on an athletic/academic scholarship. I worked for the largest automotive company, then moved on the largest tech company, and am now with one of the largest media companies in the world. (unfortunately it appears as though I have to qualify myself lol)

I am apalled at two things:

#1 The irresponsibility of "some" people in the black & latino community. The majority of us are hard working Americans, however the ones that are bad are REALLY bad and really destroy what we are working so hard to accomplish. When we read/see news of another brother doing some ignorant deed, most of us shake our heads like here we go again! I am a NYer and everyday you will see a plethora of professional blacks & latinos (we group ourselves together up here) headed to work. Naturally that does not get covered.

#2 I am disappointed that a large number of you do not believe that subtle racism still exists. I don't experience it everyday, like I said it is subtle. Does it upsets me? Yes. What do I do about it? I live my life to the fullest to destroy stereotypes about good looking, athletic, black men such as myself. Did I mention a good sense of humor. Seriously, that's how I live my life. That's how we all should....

CNN will never post this of course. It’s too rational.

No... just extremely long & boring.

" If Obama were a white man…..this would be the dullest presidential race in history….no one would care."

Yeah Stacy.....you said it!

This is ONLY about a black man running for President and nothing else.

This ought to be interesting. If this special gets even half of the depth of coverage of Christiane Amanpour's "God's Warriors" it will have done a lot of good. Black Americans need to be validated and realise that the issues that they are going through are not all in their heads and White Americans need to realise that they are helping to cause these problems and inherently need to look within to quell their own prejudices.

I hope more White people tune in than Blacks because I think they are the ones that need to see it more.

I don't understand why Blacks believe their struggle, their pain, their being treated unfairly is worse than anybody else's struggles, pains or treatments. Every new culture has its struggles. The Irish were refused jobs and the girls were forced into prostitution. The Italians were not accepted outside of their culture. Native Americans are still being abused. Those of Asian decent struggle to be accepted. And I wouldn't even want to try to be of Middle-Eastern decent in America today. And on a smaller level, everybody struggles to fit in – who is skinny/fat, who is tall/short, who wear glasses/braces, who has a car (nice car)?We all struggle. We all have been hurt by other people. Race may be an issue at times, but I don't believe it is ALWAYS the issue.

So far in my life, I have been stopped on two different occasions by police because I fit the profile of a criminal they were looking for. Granted, it was not a pleasant experience, but I survived. I am white. Should I be concerned or upset that I was stopped?

To everyone that has posted a negative message on this blog about this special CNN is doing let me challenge you.

BECOME BLACK FOR ONE DAY!

I am law abiding citizen and pay taxes like everyone else however my kids go to an inner city school. At the end of last school year the kids were sent home just about everyday because the air didn't work. My son textbooks are older than John McCain and one of the boys bathroom was out of order the entire school year. You voice your complaints to the school board only to be told that there isn't money in the budget to get repairs done on the school however there appears to be money in the same budget at another city school that is mostly white to have a school that look more like a college campus.

And to the guy up top that thinks blacks gets a cheaper college education please inform me where you got this information from because I am still paying back my student loan from when I graudated 3 yrs ago.

I am not saying that blacks doesn't have a lot more opportunities than we had 40 yrs ago but we still have a long way to go and this election proves it.

Here's a true story about a racial experience in my life (as a young black male). I was about 20 working for a Macy's department store (in Tennessee). I had finished my second year of college, and was home for the summer saving money etc. I worked in the luggage department, and by the end of the summer I had a good working knowledge of all the features of each piece of luggage, I was quite the salesman. One Sunday afternoon I was helping an older white couple (maybe in their 60's or 70's). The woman asked all the questions and the man didn't say anything. Anyway, I provided excellent service as well as a great presentation on the luggage they eventually purchased. I'll stop here to say that I was not on any commision, I just provided good service because I was there to do a job, and anything I spend my time to do, believe me it will be done well. I am now checking the couple out and the man finally opened his mouth to speak to me. And I will NEVER forget this phrase he said, "You know, you people are alright when you have your head on straight."
There was a younger white woman behind them waiting, and I was more amused at the shock on her face than offened by this man's ignorance. But I was certain that somewhere in his mind he was complimenting my service, [while at the same time, implying that most African-Americans do not have their "head on straight"]. I simply said, "Thanks, and have a Wonderful Afternoon."

I do not think the man is a racist.
I do not think he meant any harm.

It was just clear that he's from a different, time, with different views. Views that do not stand up in a modern world.

But it often raises the question. How many people did I provide excellent service to and they THOUGHT what this man, this day, decided to say?

Prejudice is probably spoken a fraction of the time that it's simply thought of. This is why we need this conversation. The entire nation needs to be engaged about all cultures.

I think it is highly appropriate to begin with Black in America, as black people have been here before anyone ever heard of "The United States of America". But don't stop here, I would be just as curious to hear about the plight of latinos, native americans, asians. Even a White in America might give the series some solidarity. Kudos to CNN for taking this discussion to the mainstream. Some news networks named after a small and cunning canine could never adequately cover a topic like this.

Anybody remember the SNL skit with Eddie Murphy where he was made up to look like a white WASP, went into the bank for a loan, and the loan officer just gave him wads of cash........Remember Kanye West's tirade about President Bush hating black people.....why aren't there any white BB players on the olympic dream team...why isn't the coach black....Mike K surely can't identify with the black players.....Oh My, is it now okay to use the word "black" again or is it like the N word, if you're "African American" you can say black, but if you're not, watch out..........

Hello Soledad,

I find it curious that you say you are black. With all due respect, to me you are a gorgeous woman with latina roots. As a light-skinned Puertorican I grew up with many shades of skin colors, as a young man in the US Army I sadly saw the separation of races in the USA.

On the other hand, for those who say that people will never change, I can't disagree more. As information flows more freely and people get to exchange more and more with other cultures you realized that color has nothing to do with it, and attitudes and believes is really what matters. People and their attitudes have already changed, but we have to make sure our kids are taught to value what is important and to be open about the world.

Good luck with the show.

David

Blacks do not get a 'free ride' when it comes to ivy-league schools, except for admission which is affirmative-action based. The schools treat everyone the same, once you are admitted.

I wish I had an ounce of black in me in that case. College sure would be a whole lot cheaper.... Please

Hey whites can get a free ride at HBCU's all day everyday. You just don't want to go to schools like A&T or Howard. I'm sick of Whites try to make it seem as if they don't have an advantage in this country. First of all, whites are where they are financially mainly because they got help from the government. Those FHA loans in the 1950's that were legally restricted to blacks created the white middle class in America. Now that white society has used that help to get ahead they forgot how they got there and try to look down upon blacks. They ask questions like why are blacks so violent and commit so many crimes. They forget that before they were lent a hand by Uncle Sam they were just as many if not more poor and violent white individuals and they were criminals too. Check out the movie "Gangs of New York". Hey just do some research on Joe Kennedy... That's a very accurate description of what life for white America use to be before Government handouts. So to answer your question of why do Black Men sell drugs instead of go to school it is because we are trying to feed our family and making $600 a month working part time while in school doesn't pay the bills. Additionally most of us do not have the financial support of our parents to do so as most whites have. Black people's problem is not educational it is economical and if Blacks had the same economical advantages as whites have had over the years we'd run circles around the white community. Finally, If you do your research that is why Jim Crow came into effect. Black People were taking too much money out of white people's hand... So stop all the complaining about how Black people need to take advantages of the opportunities of this country, most of us can't afford to.

Tyree

Tyree: That man was clearly racist. He may not have meant any harm and may have been from a different time and place but let's just go ahead and call a spade a spade, shall we?

While I don't advocate beating a and older white person (figuratively, of course) about the head and shoulders for being prejudiced, I certainly don't believe in giving people excuses for disrespectful behaviour. I worked in retail too and on several occassions got similar backhanded, snide remarks and while I didn't treat them poorly after it, I certainly didn't make excuses for him.

That gentleman was racist. Let's just call it what it is.

Soledad

I didn't even know you were black – and I see you on CNN often. Does that make me stupid? According to some on this blog – yes. I'm a Canadian and when I grew up here being black wasn't a bad thing as far as I could tell. There were a few black children attending the schools I went to, some where friends and classmates, but I was unaware of any discrimination going on around me.

I wanted to get an answer to your callers question as well. Why do you refer to yourself as black instead of white or bi-racial. Am I stupid for wanting to know the answer?

Remember when I come into contact with people I don't have the exposure to the discrimination of the past. Some of us were actually raised not to see the colour of a persons skin.

When CNN started talking about race over the past year or so in regards to Barak Obama, my first thought was that I didn't know any blacks. A few days later I was talking to a friend of mine at work and I realized – oh my gosh, he is black. It had never occured to me that this man was black. Yes he had dark skin and yes he comes from a country with predominantly black population, but it never occurred to me that I should make a colour judgement about him. It's the way I grew up.

Then, a week or so later, I was talking to another friend of mine and again I realized, Oh my gosh, she's black too. I had always seen her beautiful skin and lovely dark eyes and if finally occured to me that she too was black.

Am I naive or stupid or what. I've never seen the colour of people's skin. When someone tells me their from another country, I'm so interested in finding out about their country and what it is like there, the colour of their skin doesn't matter.

The problem is, now when I ask questions about racism, people look at me like I'm crazy. I feel like the kindergarten kid pointing at someone different, while my mother pulls me away so as not to embarass her or the other person.

Please answer the question Soledad, why do you consider yourself black, instead of white, or bi-racial. I'm sorry, I'm not stupid. I think I'm just naive.

Have you ever noticed how African-American comediens can say things in their program that white comediens could never get away with? I'm not talking about the "N" word; that's a given.

I recall one guy saying "WE HATE WHITE PEOPLE!"

.....the sad truth,,,,everyone laughed!

CNN is stuck in 1986.

The next time someone tells you what color you are or aren't, do what the rest of the country has done with this entire "debate".

Shake your head, roll your eyes and go about your business.

Obama was doing just fine with white voters when he was seen as "post racial". He didn't seem to obsess on it. He was a breath of fresh air in a debate that has been stagnating for decades.

The church scandal exposed him as a racial politician. Would black people vote for someone who built their career on promoting "white values"? Would anybody?

I don't get it. I'm white, male and have been followed in stores many times while shopping. I've also been tuened down for jobs, stopped for speeding, and ignored at lunch counters. But I'm WHITE! What can I blame? I don't have the built in "racism" defense.

This sucks. I have to take personal responsibility. No fair.

chrisNY July 23rd, 2008 12:41 pm ET

Black people make talking about race hard, not whites or anyone else for that matter. African Americans are not the only ones who have endured hardship in the United States, singled out for slavery? Yes. But, what about Native Americans singled out for extermination? Japanese Americans in re-location camps… The Irish (a white group) left starving in the slums of NYC until they themselves took on everyone else and brought themselves up the ranks.

I think what is interesting about this whole situation and what i’m expecting out of this program is a depiction of the division within the black community that i’m not even sure if they’re aware of. Nothing about Obama to me is black or Rice for that matter. Other than skin tone, they dress white, talk white, and it wouldn’t shock me if they ate white as well. Now in comparison when i’m walking around the street or at school I see a vastly different black culutre than the one they represent. Hence I don’t consider them part of the black culture that feels racisim in this country.

And also just because you have one black parent that doesn’t mean your black. Your bi-racial. Terms and labels carry alot of power and influence. And what about all of the ethnic groups that came here from Europe. Not all whites are the same and yet we’re pooled together. And half if not three quarters of those groups didn’t even get here during slavery, but we all share the burden because of our milky white skin. Fare?

In response to Chris's comment, I found it interesting that he spoke about Obama and rice rise to the top and their accent but one thing he fails to consider as of most whites as to why and whom continuously perpetuates the racism, and that is the face that most people, including the white don't acknowledge that she is Dr. Rice and that there is a type of racism, that is perpetuated. She has worked hard but yet that title of respect is not given. Then obama, will tell you over and over the racism he endured while at Columbia. univ. studying just ebcause he was seen as a black man but all of a sudden, when a black person is successful they suddenly are being claimed by the whites for being culturally white? I think that's a contradiction.

As for Asians I find in my experience as well as what was told to me by my many asian friends is that in general asians do not like black people. For those asians who posted that you all are more successful, then don't complain and do your own special about the asian community and experience. Instead you are more interested in denying your race/ethnicity/heritage. Don't be mad because African americans, or bi-racial people want to acknowledge and are proud of their black lineage.

TESAP; SAVANNAH, GA wrote:

"...but we are still waiting for our 40 acres and a mule…. "

The over $1 trillion in wealth transferred from whites to blacks in the form of taxpayer-funded entitlements over the last four decades should have bought a lot of acres and a lot of mules.

What did you do with all that money? Inquiring minds want to know.

In response to Jahtik54:
"There are more Caucasian males in correctional facilities and more young, unwed mothers among Caucasians than African-Americans. This is not something I have made up – it’s the truth. Do some research." Sorry, no, that's something you've made up. Every study I've read, or heard, says just the opposite. I could cite several studies – but I'll start with this one : "Of the 249,400 state prison inmates serving time for drug offenses at yearend 2004, 112,500 (45.1%) were black, 51,800 (20.8%) were Hispanic, and 65,900 (26.4%) were white. "

Source: Sabol, William J., PhD, Couture, Heather, and Harrison, Paige M., Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2006 (Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, December 2007), NCJ219416, p. 24, Appendix Table 9.

TESAP: How can the descendants of slaves and the descendants of slave owners co-exist in a world.. no country where the horrific acts took place… in a country that does not want to acknowledge it. No one is bringing baggage………….. but we are still waiting for our 40acres and a mule…. "

First you suggest that we cannot exist together. For which I must reply, then why are we even trying?

Then you say you are "still waiting for your 40acres and a mule" because you think "the Jews got theirs." The Jews didn't "get theirs", they worked hard until they "found theirs." But in this country I think your 40acres and a mule came in the form of freedom and the right to vote. Just as it did to anyone who has ever set foot in this country and become a citizen. You think you are owed something, YOU personally are owed nothing. You can sit there all day with your hand out if you want, but you better bring a lunch and an umbrella.

@Lawrence – I am Black and I use the term "Black." Many of the Black people that I know (friends, family & relatives) do so as well. However, some others use "African-Americans." I can't remember how the latter term originated but it may have been some self-proclaimed "leader" who lambasted the media and others and essentially coerced them into using this relatively new term. I and many others are not offended by being referred to as a Black person.

helloooo people..

has anyone ever heard of the term "white privilege"? if not, please google it and read about it. tell your friends and family. i think all of the white people out there (including myself) need to stop and actually think about other people in this world for a second. just a second now, look around and notice that yes, in this WONDERFUL country of "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" that the color of your skin and what you were born into has a huge role in how your life plays out. try to put yourself in someone else's shoes for once...maybe learn that racism and prejudice is embedded in our society so deep that it will take years of education and change to even get people to start thinking differently!!! by having white skin alone, gives a person privilege. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? if there was enough education and talk about race, maybe ignorant bigots and harmless bystanders would actually notice that life is not fair for many people. but no, nobody teaches racial issues in grade school or high school. nobody teaches black, latino, or asian history in high school. it's all about our founding fathers who were slave owners...or thanksgiving, to celebrate the slaughtering of Native Americans. parents ignore these issues if they can and they rather implant religious beliefs onto their children. anyone who opposes affirmative action or other liberal ways of thinking are just greedy, ignorant, or white supremacists. when it comes down to it...the issue is about power. are you scared to give a half black man so much power in our country? ohh noo...maybe 1 out of 3 black males will not end up in prison one day. did you ever think that maybe people who have lived a life of institutionalized racism and poverty will turn to crime?

when are people going to start caring about other people besides themselves? if you are the person who thinks "work hard and you will make it for yourself" ....maybe you should think about all of the barriers and institutionalized racism that are constantly keeping certain groups at the bottom of society.

I am an middle-upper class White college girl and I am screaming inside for change but NOBODY CARES TO LISTEN. many people ask me why I even care about such issues. i do care..and it is so important to get people to start thinking about these issues.

When I was an undergrad it was apparent to me, I can only speak for me, that the Asian students were doing much better in my physics and math courses; this only encouraged me to work harder. I never felt discriminated against by any of them.

I think it is highly appropriate to begin with Black in America, as black people have been here before anyone ever heard of “The United States of America”. But don’t stop here, I would be just as curious to hear about the plight of latinos, native americans, asians. Even a White in America might give the series some solidarity. Kudos to CNN for taking this discussion to the mainstream. Some news networks named after a small and cunning canine could never adequately cover a topic like this.

Interesting story – and very well put Tyree.

You reminded me that throughout the {very long} primary season – all the networks spent a LOT of time devoted to those "hard working working class white voters." Not that America can be said to ignore the interests of white people (LOL) but there is an example for the people who think whites are not being represented fully in the media.

Mike in NYC.......................

explain that please..... because hundreds of years in free labor........ That amount doesn't cover it.............

And blacks were the only ones gaining from these programs?????

YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN...........RACISM, IGNORANCE IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY, IT'S WHAT AMERICA WAS BUILT ON..... LOL............

DON;T BE UNDERCOVER.......... BE BLATANT.........

Lily, are you suggesting that Barak Obama will be labled an "Uncle Tom" by the African American community

If we can't get over skin color then humanity is finished. We are stupid enough to use our tiny little minds to eradicate ourselves sooner or later... and it looks like it will be sooner. We ALL bleed RED no matter the skin color!

@Nicole in Alabama

You are so right!!!! I'm currently employed at a High school in the suburbs and it is so wonderful. It's not as if our young people's behavior at this school is any different than in the inner city, they too break down doors, and on any given day we will find graffiti tagging, even an occasional Fire in the restrooms. But things are repaired rather quickly. And Books are purchased, and replaced even when they have not been used.

I have been to inner city schools and discovered toilet seats turned over on their side, windows broken and nothing being done about this. So I do understand your frustration.

Amanda; Have you ever lived in a city?

I guess what’s really surprising to me is suddenly, Obama isn't Black he is half white. For years white America has reminded us that if you have one ounce of black blood in your body then you are considered BLACK. Obama is ready to transcend what it means to be Black in America, and now we have to be reminded that he is half white. The parasitical nature of the white community is beyond comparison of any other species that sucks the very essence of life from people.

Black or White, what ever happen to just people. Why must white America feel superior in every aspect of life? You have gangbangers, absent fathers, drug dealers, child molesters, murderers, serial killers and every other negative connotation of life in the your community. Yet, it is never discussed and rarely seen on TV. Why is that? As African Americans, we exceed every opportunity afforded us in the media spectrum, from sports to talk show host and yet that is not good enough. You portray us as less than people living in poverty ridden communities and looking for hand outs. Where is the truthism? You like to encapsulate us and view us as underachievers, knowing that is a fallacious act and a deceiving betrayal of character. You never show the progressive forward thinking nature of thousands of Black people. Shame on You America, and remember that ounce of Black blood that generations of you have defined us by. Obama is about to be your Black President in white America.

LJ....dress white...talk white....eat white. Are you kidding me??!!! How can our country ever move past race when someone of color makes a statement like that????

If we can’t get over skin color then humanity is finished

Rich you are so right. But thats the first thing that we SEE when we SEE each other as long as we can SEE a difference we will SEE a reason to be prejudice.

As long as the majority of the black community continue to blame all
their problems on someone else they will never change. There are
plenty of black people in this country who have made great progress.
Discrimination is not simply about color. Everyone faces discrimination
of some kind at one time or another unless they are very beautiful or very rich. How about the person who weights too much, how about that
religious group in Texas? How about the Jews, The Asian Americans,
the Mexicans, the American Indians. No one, and I mean no one can
force you to feel bad about yourself regardless of what color you are.
You decide how you are going to react to any condition and it is YOUR
OWN REACTION that determines how you feel. No one can make
you feel bad, make you feel useless or unimportant. You make
yourself feel that way! I am white, born dirt poor to uneducated
but loving parents who lived in the country. I faced discrimination
when I moved to the city because of the way I spoke. I am also very
tall and have been discriminated against because of that. I am an
artist and have been discriminated against for that in
the business world. Now I am over 70 and am discriminated in the work
force because of that. So get over it! You don't have to let it get you
down! It's all about how you feel about yourself. I know I am not what
others think of me and will not let anyone dictate to me how I should
feel about myself. Respect yourself and others, be kind to yourself and
others and life becomes much easier regardless of skin color.

Soledad,

Thanks for taking on such a hot topic. I wonder if you put any of yourself (your stories, your experiences) into it. I went to the same high school as you, went to the same pizza place, 7-11, supermarket and bagel place as you probably did. I don't feel at all that this is a racist town, but how would I know? I would love to hear your story. (By the way, our mascot is no longer the Indians, that was racist.)

Black men got the vote in 1870; what they did with it I do not know. Black and white women got the vote 50 years later in 1920; what the black women did with it I do not know.

In black churches the pastors are predominantly male; why is that?

Amanda you wrote –

when are people going to start caring about other people besides themselves? if you are the person who thinks “work hard and you will make it for yourself” ….maybe you should think about all of the barriers and institutionalized racism that are constantly keeping certain groups at the bottom of society.

i applaud your efforts to correct the injustices in this world. i just wish more of your counterparts felt like you and were inclined to act.

chrisNY

True there have been other ethnic groups who have been treated badly in years past. Certainly, the native Americans have. But who were they missed treated by? The point is, however, Afrrican-Americans were not invited or made the independent decision to come to this country, unlike the Irish or any other ethnic group. When the African descendents were freed they were kicked off plantations with no where to go, no education and no money. Then later, there was this separate but equal way of living but everything wasn't equal. We had to perform insidious tasks just to get the right to vote. And even after that, after we gain the right to vote we were still not considered human enough to sit anywhere we wanted on a bus!

It infuriates me when people have the audacity to think blacks are just belly-aching when throughout the history being in America we have been mistreated. The mistreatment cannot be denied, erased and certainly not forgotten. And yes, many non-white ethnic groups have experienced racism as well and that wrong also but the different between those other ethnic groups and blacks in America is they have the option to go back to their homelands if they chose to. African-Americans' ties to Africa were severed a very long time to go.

I have health care concerns. I have political issues that I'd like to talk about. I am single. I didn't get the best education. My family was treated poorly in the 50's and 60's. I have a brother that was in jail. I have a father who did ..........

Oh wait, I'm white. I don't count.

White in America = Racist?
Black in America = Emmy winning?

Funny thing is my ancestors were slaves too. Have you ever scene the pyramids in Egypt?

Look at many of the comments on this board and then ask why there are specials like Soledad’s.

Comments that I have read so far:

Blacks are whiners, we complain to much about being profiled, we steal jobs from whites. Blacks are thugs, we have high pregnancy rates. Why do they have to have a BET and black caucus. Its ok to profile blacks because it saves companies thousands of dollars. (Even though its against the law.)

Now I cannot say that there is not a slice of black society that does fit some of what has been said. Face it its true, however, there is also a portion of black society that does not fit this mould, and is in many instances lumped into that subculture unfairly such as the women who were harassed the Old Navy store.

The saying “if your not black, you would not understand” holds water. If you do not know what its like to have people (such as many on this board) look at you with disdain and you have done nothing wrong except try to live correctly then how can you say anything? Blacks are not a monolithic people.

Instead of bashing Soledad’s special why not watch it. You may learn something.

An EJ(USA)…you keep taking to words right out of my mouth!

I am personally sick and tired of hearing about BLACK. We are Americans and if we want to see equality it is time to quit referring to BLACK. I am WHITE! and don't go around claiming my color. STOP, STOP, STOP! I'm sick of people playing the race card and totally sick of hearing about. Everyone should work, go to school, take care of their own back yard and people wouldn't have time for the ridiculous subject. AND now another show on BLACK. Oh, please!

Reminds me of the Star Trek episode with Frank Gorshin who played a half black face half white face that discriminated against those who were like him but the black and white faced on the other side of their face. Episode was "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield".

Thank You, Thank You Soledad & CNN what you guys are doing now is great for our Country. Every Man, Women doesn’t matter what your race or gender, needs to be Grateful for this network to even Step Up! And show The World that Being Black In America is a lot different than being of a different race couple today. I just want to thank CNN for finally airing this special and I can’t wait to sit down with my family and watch the show when it airs.

A Special Thank you to Soledad O’Brien God Bless You My Sistha!

TESAP, I have a question for you:

If you are still waiting for your "40acres and a mule" in order to stop being racist against whites (or to"officially" forgive them) , then what is it going to take for blacks to stop being racist against the other colors of blacks?

Just thought I'd ask... :- )

To: TESAP; SAVANNAH, GA

"That amount doesn’t cover it."

If over a trillion dollars doesn't cover it, then nothing ever will. And if nothing ever will, then why should white people care? I know I don't.

"And blacks were the only ones gaining from these programs?????"

Whites also gained, but then they were the ones who picked up almost the entire tab for those programs. So they deserved it.

"DON'T BE UNDERCOVER………. BE BLATANT."

That's it. Blatant. And proud of it.

Deal with it.

I teach school and lived in Las Vegas. One night I had 4 STUPID girls go up to our door and kick it, hard enough to bend the door knob. I went outside to see what happened and I looked down the street to see them do it to another house and then run away. They ran in my direction and as I had a club in my hand, you cannot be too careful these days, they stopped. I asked them what they were doing and said how STUPID it was to be doing that type of activity especially these days. They were black. A little while latter, both parents and two of the girls came to our house and were yelling up to our balcony about "US" being racists, although there was no mention of race on our part. We are brown, all skin except albino contains brown pigmentation, although we are technically white. Had it been my son who was doing something that STUPID , I certainly wouldn't have called the victims racists and used the trump card, I would have dealt with "him" in the proper manner and appologized to those involved in these STUPID act.

Now some of your are going to say what does this have to do with anything. Quit using the color of your skin to determine the way you live your life. STUPIDITY exsists in all forms and colors, don't try and justify it.

After reading most of these comments I have to thank God that as a Black woman, I grew up in the Caribbean, where having a black leader and blacks in leadership positions is nothing new. I've never dealt with so much blatant racism until I came to this country. If whites want blacks to stop talking about being black well STOP FOLLOWING ME IN STORES, STOP HOLDING YOUR BAG TIGHTER WHEN YOU SEE ME and AND WHEN YOU GET OFF THE ELEVATOR STOP JUMPING OUT OF YOUR SKIN WHEN YOU SEE I'M THE ONLY PERSON THERE.Quite a few of us are lawabiding people you know. Stop judging me by my dark skin and take a little time to know me. You maybe surprise we have alot in common.

What a waste of time. Get over the whole race issue and grow up. Black people have it easier then anyone with all the special programs and money they are given.

Hi Lesli,

When you say that you never noticed the color of your friend's skin and asked if you are "naive" or "stupid", I say – no, Lesli, you are not naive or stupid.........

.............you are lying

Anthony you miss the point, as an African immigrant and a student in an American university, i have less opportunity than an African American student, but my GPA makes it possible to get merit based scholarships and funds. Ever heard of pell grants? they are given to students from poor families. If you cant get financial aid you can get loans, Perkins, Stafford etc. Which is easier? to stay without education and work in MacDonald or borrow loan and get your degree then pay later while having a professional job? White students work hard in school, they dont get everything in a silver plate as people think.

There are millions of opportunities to get education, you just choose not to see them. America is tired of these politics of grievances, we need to help ourselves first before others come to help us. Yes you have to blame the white folk its easy but who is the loser in this blame game?

I'm an Afrian American female. I grew in majority black city, attended majority black schools and initially worked for minority owned businesses. I am now with a major corporation and needless to say it is a new experience for me. I've had white colleagues say, "wow you have a BS in that" or "a MS from there"...or pat me on the back if I ask a half-way intelligent question. If I speak about any of the differences that I have had as a black american, I am told I'm playing the race card. I've been told I have arrived and "let the black thing go" HELLO!! I'm black so no I will can't let it go. But in fear of not getting promoted or losing my job, I will wear the mask..and play by the rules.

Point black, when blacks were brought over here we lost a lot of our identity...We were stripped of our names and families. The people who turned the hoses on my parent's generation, let loose the dogs, told us we couldnt' sit down in a restaurant, go to the movies except on Friday between 3 and 6 etc.....are still around..And you best believe that a lot of their beliefs have been passed down.

I think I get frustrated when people tell me my experience is just my imagination or all in my head. Maybe you just can't relate...and that's OK. But don't discount it.

We all have to live together and we are all different. The best thing to do is to be open and honest and try to understand each other's point of view...AND not get angry when people ask questions or make comments out of interest.

P.S. If Ihave a few run one senteces or grammatical errors please forgive me...

Carrie P...you said,

"I can honestly say that I have never wanted to be any race other than Black. However, I’ve wanted all my life to enjoy the priviledges of being white."

Which makes you the ONE person here that I've seen actually acknowledge being a racist. Interesting.

I'm white and 50+ years old. My forefathers were from Russia. Do I care? Not one bit. I don't identify with being "white" and certainly not Russian. More than anything else, I'm an American. People should try it.

I think its interesting that nobody has mention Jews, a group that has been discriminated against for thousands of years. Dont think our economic success as of late is representative of how things have always been. Now Im not complaining or anything, and Im not trying to say that jewish people should be given any advantages. I just want to bring up the point that having been discriminated against in the past is not a valid excuse for all of the problems of the present.

AMANDA, Stay strong! Don't let anyone put that fire out in you. Pass it on to as many people as you can. That's how things change, through influence.

-ABM

Soledad,

I'm a white male in his 40s living in Chicago. When I was younger I got a chance to speak with my great-grandfather in his final days in a nursing home. I spent several hours with him and he was very candid about his life and the things that he had done.

One afternoon, when we were alone, he began to talk about his life as a young man living in the south. When the conversation turned to racism, he changed. It was amazing to watch how his heart and his mind turned to hate... even after all these years. I felt that I had a unique opportunity to explore his emotions and where they came from. The mere mention of a "black man" drew a reflex of his facial muscles and at one point... his eyes began to water.

I asked him why he had so much hate... his answer shocked me, probably for the first time in his life he told the truth. He whispered, "I hate my father..."

Right then I knew, that his hate had its foundation on what he learned and NOT who THEY were. In the days before he died, "shame" surfaced and he embraced it. For most of his life he committed countless unspeakable acts of violence, abusive language and a prejudice against a race of people who simply wanted the same equality as any other American.

With his hands shaking, he took my hand and asked me for forgiveness. Caught in an unusual moment, I wasn't sure what to say... but I knew that my great-grandfather had lived to see how black Americans have evolved over last 4 decades and I thought of one person who created a great influence for that change. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I almost felt that his presense was in the room. ...and that my great grandfather's shame and willingness to embrace it was a small victory for black Americans not only today, but also past generations.

Your program is important and I hope it helps to continue the fight for equality.

Bless you, Soledad.

Andy.

So, when can I expect the airing of "White In America"? That's only fair, right...or is that racist?

No one has answered my question yet. Has anyone that is non black, been pulled over in their own neighborhood and given the reason it was because they look like they dont belong in that nice of a neighborhood?

Whites, too, benefit from preferences. Remember people, there are many types of preferences, not just racial: (1) Legacy admissions (preference for children/relatives of former students); (2) donor preferences (for children/relatives/etc of major donors); (3) employee preferences (for employees or children of employees); (4) athletic scholarship preferences (for athletes); (5) non-traditional families/difficult circumstances (e.g., disability); and so on.

Also, remember that the primary beneficiary of affirmative action policies has been WHITE WOMEN. These white women are likely to good jobs marry white men and have white children, so whites do benefit heavily even from affirmative action. Remember, they also "encourage women to apply." You see it every day in the fact that there are more white women in high levels of business and government than black men or women.

Some of you people are anti-black, through and through. Stop lying to yourselves and evolve.

Soledad: you are the bomb !

You have captured a truly extra-ordinary series. I think we are just about ready to take another evolutionary step towards understanding each other... thanks for the nudge, the embrace, the information... the opening of our eyes... love, love, love it !

White privledge or acceptable expectations?
Why dont african americans in the inner cities simply put mind to mouth and start not accepting deplorable conditions in our neighborhoods, schools, childrens speach, and work environments? Is it because we have dealt with the depravity for so long that it just becomes the acceptable norms? have we let gangsta rap pigeon hole our communities so much so that we simply accept it now as everyday no generational conditions of life. College is for anyone and everyone, so why don't we expect our children to go? the hole were in is deep, and were not getting out of it overnight, but we can start with what we wil accept and what we wont accept. this doesnt mean we get on the Al Shaprton jesse jackson band wagoning, simply look your legacy in the face and make a commitment to making them better than you are. That is our job as parents. this means that when systems exist that pronounce mediocrity you assist with exposure and make people who are paid to do the work accountable. If you cant afforn children dont have them, dont over eat just because it's there thinking you dont know when it will be there again. peace

Tim,
You are a Black male who has not been KNOWINGLINGLY profiled. You may have been watched more intently in stores or regarded as suspect without even being aware of it. It is no secret that security and police officers offen have adopted a profile of what the think a suspicious people look like; and often times people of color fit that profile. Just becasue you have not been detained, arrested, pulled over etc. doesn't mean you were not profiled or that you won't be in the future. There are numerous studies to suggest that it occurs on a regular basis.

Secondly, personal responsibility is not mutally exclusive from discrimination. Every adult should be responsible for himself/herself and his/her children. That does not mean the racial and sexual discrimantion have not had an impact on minorities and women.

My 73 year old father grew up as a Black man in the Jim Crow south and experienced discrimination on a daily basis. Despite those hurdles, he went to college,started his own business, got married, bought a home, rasied and educated his children. He was very responsible but that did not innoculate him from racism. My husband is one of two black managers in his dept at a fortune 500 company. He is well educated with an MBA from a prestigious school (many of his white counterparts don't have a graduate degree and his white boss does not) and is quite competent. Yet it took him longer than white managers to achieve the same professional success. Thousands of responsible, well educated Blacks could tell you similar stories.

It is not necessarily an either this or that situation. One can work hard, get an education, be responsible and still be subject to discrimination.

Thank you so much for bringing this subject to the forefront of our country.

LJ , dont be ignorant, any black person has his roots from Africa. You need to educate yourself. We know how white color looks like and how black color looks like. i have never seen a white or a black person except somewhere in southern Sudan.
"Racial color " is socially constructed. Get out of your mental slavery. While all Jews all over the world champion the Israeli course, people like you are busy denying their heritage, no wonder your kind keep on whining in this great nation..... that shows you will always be a prisoner in your mind, be proud of your African heritage, or if you wish you can replace your nose with a pointed one and bleach your skin as well.

It is interesting reading all the comments so far. It appears most of the men writing in have no understanding or grasp of how important this documentary is for us as a nation. This lack of cultural competency leads me to believe the issues of racism may be more defined by gender than we would like to admit in this country.

I for one can not wait to see it! Thank you so much Soledad for all your hardwork on this endeavor, I'm sure it will not go unnoticed, and lead this country one step closer to unity.

Why does everyone feel the need to quantify who were are racially...? Isn't that the real question. I think people need to stop feeling the need to identify racially and to identify rather as a species...

I think we are more intellectually capable than having to compartmentalize by colors...having opposable thumbs and all.

Wake up, America!

It doesn't make any difference to me what someones skin color is – but what I don't understand is why someones 'past' is put before being American. I'm more proud to be a female born in the great US of A than of my skin color. I'm not disagreeing that our heritage, whatever it may be, should be embraced, but why not be American first?

Question. How many White Americans are pulled over by the police and asked if they are a child molesters, serial killer, or if they own a meth lab?

Some of the comments posted on this blog are as ridiculous as my question.

Jim actually no the US along with other countries paid Jewish people reparations. And as far as us existing.............. It hasn't worked thus far.

that is the color if my skin.

Soledad,

I applaud you for the series... as so many have expressed not only do white people need to heare the stories but also blacks do also. Because as a people we often times buy into the stereo-type of what media and others say we are. i am so glad you are looking at the good the bad and the truth

I read some of the comments (did not have time to read all) and came out with one interesting take away.

I was shocked that Soledad refered to hersef as black. Not because of her dad, but because to me she was Hispanic.

I was born and raised in the Caribbean as were my parents / grandparents, but their parents hail from many countries including Africa, France, Germany, and Ireland. So if you look at me (as I have confirmed from the many questions that I get), I can be anything black/white/Iraqui....so I have always found it easier to identify myself as hispanic since that is that term is more encompassing.

so when she says she is black my question is not what does your dad think, but how do you get to black from Australian/Cuban – are you using the term black as non-white? In which case, it might be a disfavor to some people as they might not understand that diversity goes beyond black and white....

<<<>

Sandy the reason I, a black woman, and my boyfriend, a white man don’t bother to engage you in public is because your face and body language has already said it all. It’s your right to disapprove and it’s ours to ignore your ignorance. It has absolutely zero to do with “embarrassment or something” and everything to do with we’re sick of you feeling you have any right to make a comment or gesture in public about how we choose to love.

Grow up.

I still do not get it.

If a white person marries a black person, Why are the children black and not white? Why always black when the children quite often are more white than they are black?

Since many black persons in the USA are not totally black as a result (to some extent) of slavery, concubinage etc, having caused some racial dilution from white slave owner or lighter skinned other slave etc, many that are called black are not totally so, just majority.

In my case, my mother had a 100% black mother (1st generation born outside Africa and a 100% white Welsh father. She therefore is 50-50.

My father is 100% white of Scottish and English parents.

As a result I am about 75% white 25% black. Yet like Soledad people refer to me as being black. Why?

Is it that although my complexion is like her's, my hair texture is a basic nap? My brothers and sisters are a mixed bunch, some of whom could cllaim anything and no one would ever know.

To the gentleman Jimmy K whose looking forward to the special "White in America". You see it everyday- just check any channel and there's your roots, ancestors, your stories! Just pay close attention- your story is aired day in and day out!! Let us have our 2 DAYS!!!!
Thanks Soledad!!

There are some comments on this blog such as "How can the descendants of slaves and the descendants of slave owners co-exist in a world.. no country where the horrific acts took place… in a country that does not want to acknowledge it". "No one is bringing bI wish I had an ounce of black in me in that case. College sure would be a whole lot cheaper". "I still don’t get it – if a person is both black and white why would you only say you’re black"?

With comments like those above, it explains the need for the show and the racial problem that exist in this country. I personally believe that race will always be an issue.

I guess those from the outside looking in will NEVER "get it." Unless someone has these issues, they simply cannot "get it." One can empathize and sympathize, but there is a difference between being black and white. Just as there is a difference between being a member of any other minority and being black. Personally, I do not choose to parse out what races comprise my ethnic make-up because it is not important to me. African-Americans were brought to this country by force. Therefore, we are not like Asians or Latinos, races who have fought to get here. This country was built on our backs and a war was fought to keep us enslaved (while I have no doubt that some posters will say it was the "War of Northern Aggression", let's not put a pretty face on it...the Civil War was about the souths wealth built on slavery). I do not recall that happening to any other minority group. I am proud to be black, just like I would be proud to be Cherokee, Jewish and Puerto Rican, but I LOOK black...therefore, I am black.

Stacy...CNN has been researching, interviewing, and filiming for this special for over a year and a half. This has absolutelty nothing to do with Obama. Nice try.

Thank you, Carol (07/23 @ 12:30pm)!

I am multi-racial (black, white & native american) and bi-cultural (French & American) and have never identified myself as one or the other. My parents raised me to be a decent, productive human being and always acknowledged all my "parts", recognizing that my color/ethnicity is not what makes me whole.

The comments I'm reading from people stating that bi-racial people choose which side gets them further or causes them the least amount of grief are so infuriating! I've experienced racism from both whites and blacks in my lifetime (I'm 40), so I would be a terribly confused individual if I chose "sides" to be on.

We are not some homogeneous population–it's just more labeling, putting people into categorical boxes. It's, unfortunately, something I don't believe this country will ever grow out of.

Soledad,
This is the first time I knew you were black.
I still loved you as a reporter though.
I am a black woman, thank you for what you are doing.
This should open up a lot of people eyes.

God bless you.
I'm very proud of you.

From a review of these comments this special is long over due. There are many African-Americans in this country of mixed heritage. But in this country if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its a duck. What is wrong with biracial blacks embrassing their blackness.?Obama and Tiger Woods could try to classify themselves as white or Asian but when you look at them what do you see? You see Black men. One uninformed person noted why not do a show on white America. You don't have too. Just turn on the TV any time or pick up a newspaper and that is all you see is images of white America. I sure wish I knew that being Black had the advantages that some of these posts talk about. I still wouldn't be paying off student loans. I wouldn't have to pay higher interest rates just because of my zip code either.

I won't really know how to recieve the airing of " Black in America" until I watch it, however, I hope the outcome is a positive one. I applaude CNN for having such a documentary, especially at a time like this in this world we live in. Most stations would be afraid to show something of this magnitude. Perhaps the outcome would be such that we suddenly realize that we are all human beings and we are to be treated as individuals, not as a race as a whole. "Do not judge me for the sins of my brother". This will be interesting to see.

Barrack is just as much Europen-american as he is African-american
Why is he judged by his father who didn't raise him and not his mother who did? He is mixed race Cafe au lait not noir or blanc

Poor Amanda. Another white apologist. That is half the problem: white condescending liberalism, feeling guilty for being white, pitying blacks, and damning anyone who doesn't agree with their ineffective baloney band-aid "social reform" programs as racist. Crying for blacks continues their role as victims...but you get to feel better about your white soul.

Something to remember when you are bemoaning your past – in the 1700's, 80% of the world was a slave of some sort. Your family, my family – all families.
Who owned the first slaves in America? In 1654, John Casor, a black man, became the first legally-recognized slave in the area to become the United States. A court in Northampton County ruled against Casor, declaring him property for life, –"owned" by the black colonist Anthony Johnson–. Since persons with African origins were not English citizens by birth, they were not necessarily covered by English Common Law.
The origin of the name 'slavic' is slave. Guess how that region got its name?

I always assumed Soledad was Hispanic. Silly me.

Actually, I was taught by my parents that there is but one race- the human race! Black and Whgite are merely skin pigmentations when used to describe people. Life is all about how you view, accept and deal with others; even if they look different from you.

The over $1 trillion in wealth transferred from whites to blacks in the form of taxpayer-funded entitlements over the last four decades should have bought a lot of acres and a lot of mules.

Yeah, taxpayer-funded entitlements that have benefitted ALL AMERICANS not just blacks...

Let's not even get into this. You wouldn't understand.

Soledad's situation is not the same as Obama's. If one looks at Barack Obama, one would definitely see the African ancestry in him. When I look at Soledad, I have to be told that she has part African ancestry because to me, and I am going to guess to a lot of people, she doesn't look remotely "black". Therefore, one cannot say that she calls herself black because that is how others will automatically perceive her. Therefore it is strictly a choice that she makes because she prefers it to admitting that she is bi-racial or mixed. Therefore, she IS denying her father's half of her ancestry.

I will soon be in a similar situation. I am white, my wife is black, and we have our first child on the way. I have to told my wife that I will be very dissapointed and insulted if our child refuse to accept her white half, as I have seen so many bi-racial folks, like Soledad, do.

If a black person reads this and doesn't understand my sentiments, just turn the situation around, and imagine you have a bi-racial child who claims he or she is "white" when chosing to self-identify. Who wouldn't be insulted. So your half doesn't matter, or isn't considered considered cool enough?

People who make the argument that they are just going with the old southern "one-drop" rule are also being disingenuous. Why? Wasn't that rule thought up by racist whites in the bad old days? Why would you choose to do that? Do you also go with the old "blacks shall count as 3/5 of a white person for purposes of population"? Of course not!

Soledad's feeling, I think go back to the days, where if you have one drop of black blood, you were considered black.

I think that most children who have a black and white parent, tend to view themselves as black. I don't think I ever met someone who views themselves are white.

Eitherway, I say view yourself whichever way it make you feel comfortable.

I'm glad that CNN is presenting this series Black in America, but when it was announced a few months ago, my first thought was that some of the people who probably should watch it will most likely tune out because they are tired of hearing about blacks and their issues. Whenever there is a discussion of race on this blog, I am always reminded how divided we continue to be, but I am hopeful that those who do watch will be getting a clearer overall picture of blacks and their lives instead of just the one-sided view of them as criminals and impoverished that tends to dominate the media–there are plenty of blacks who work and are educated and who have never been involved in any criminal activity whatsoever, and although they are practically invisible in the media, they inevitably have to bear the brunt of the negative feelings some have towards blacks due to the actions of others within their group rather than being judged as separate individuals–this is just one of the reasons why we still have a long way to go when it comes to dealing with race.

Exceptional documentary!

I worked in Mississippi as a journalist for several months this year. My experience in MS was that the class/poverty wedge is quite apparent. I remember someone telling me that the citizens of Mississippi are still fighting the Civil War.

I was shocked to hear and see areas where blacks are not welcomed and that "an unspoken rule" exists to not move into certain neighborhoods. In one small town, an alderman still calls his sanitation workers "boys" (there are black) when addressing the town board of aldermen.

Coming from the Midwest I felt the culture of the south still holds plenty of tension on race relations especially when it comes to education and prisons. One early education director told me they test Mississippi children in kindergarten as a measurement for reading skills. Unfortunately, those statistics are also used to see how many prison cells will be needed twenty years later.

Because of the high poverty levels of African Americans in MS, the majority of deficient readers and future prisoners may have little hope unless the MS African American community and the state commits to major changes within the "have and have nots".

Again, great documentary. I look forward to watching tonight.

.

I come from to bi-racial parents and the color spectrem in my family is all over the place...this on regards to the blogs of people claiming they dont see discrimination....in my entire 38 years of living I have witnessed discrimination...I have seen people at certain jobs accidently say the N word because they thought they were down because they hang out with another ethnic party or date outside their race....I have seen my son or even myself playing live on xbox 360 or online and hear adults throwing the N word all over the place because they do not think anyone of that race is playing(yes their are some brothers that play online games(and more than just Madden for those who discriminate))...just because for those sum of you that do not witness it or could never understand how it feels to be discriminated like that feels do not bring your bias oppinions that your sick of hearing about it....and so ends my post

Soledad, I look forward to your special.

To some of the commentors on this blog, I understand you completely when you say;

a) you are tired of black this/black that
b) there are other minorities who are also suffering from injustices, etc etc

I am a black man and I understand that we all need to move forward especially with regards to race relations. But, the issue is, it still exists and people deal with it everyday in their lives and no matter how many times we address it, it will forever be there (hopefully NOT!).

Also, Soledad probably undertook this study mainly because she is half black and felt she can address it much better. Yes, she could have undertaken a study of "Asians in America" or even "Being Homosexual in America," but trust me, I am sure she would have probably been attacked by either group for not fully understanding the issues that minority group faces as she does not share the same experience, or she would have been criticized for looking at it from a negative standpoint or what have you.

All in all, as I understand the frustrations of most of you, I believe that Soledad has done a great job and I am positive that we will witness this in her report over the next two days. To other journalists a=out there who may be gay, Asian, Latino, etc, its time to step up to the plate and educate the rest of America on the issues your group faces so as to build a better nation of citizens who are knowledgeable in a wide array of issues.

GOOD JOB SOLEDAD!!!

stacy July 23rd, 2008 2:33 pm ET

I was quoting an earlier poster about how ridiculous that was (see quotation marks) and making the SAME POINT that you were.

It's all about giving or what something going wrong or nothing happening we just nevermind everything wrong and just trying everything right .

Brian-

"The thing that gets me is that America is ’supposed’ to be the place where you can be whatever you want to be. If I have a black father and a white mother, why am I inherently WRONG in the eyes of many White Americans because I consider myself ‘Black’? I believe many of the problems we face stem from the negative portrayal of what it is to be ‘Black’. Some White Americans feel that bi-racial individuals are denying that White lineage but we understand that having ANY ‘Black’ lineage instantly MAKES you Black. That negative stigma is so profound in this country. "

Ok, cool.. I can deal with that. I'm white.. but I'd like to just call myself black. Since America is supposed to be a place where I can be whatever I want to be.. I'm now black.

Thanks Brian! I'm glad this special is for me!

Wow. these responses are ridiculous. As a 22 year old black educated BA RN, i am offended by those who don't want to see this program special. I've grown up around white and black people, and have have an open mind to anything. Ignorance is strong in the US, white and blacks believe it or not. CNN gives people an great opportunity to see our how the Black community goes through day by day and what we face; and we got IGNORANT folk ( white, black, Indian, Hispanics, or watever) saying they don't want to hear it or watch it. Don't say you don't understand when there was a chance to understand. This country will stay divided as long as there is people like some of these IGNORANT folk who refuse to listen and learn. Soledad, i think you are doing a great thing for our community. We need to change people perceptions about the Black Community

GOD Bless everyone, Obama 08

Of all the comments made in this forum only 1 stands out as facing up to the truth of the black status in this country today.

Tim, you said a mouth full in your reply to all those posting on and reading of this issue.

Responsibility. Accountability.

Life is hard enough. It takes a person to be strong to make it thru life. Do we have pitfalls, stumbling blocks, doors shut, criticism.....yes we do. But we must go on.

There are too many people who have lived in this country..in the past as well as today...who have been downtrodden, ridiculed, scorned, abused and whatever unfortunate thing you can thinkk of...who have made it.

As human beings, we're all made of different material that will stand the test of all the trials and tribulations we face as humans. Some will make it easier than others..and some will fail where others succeed.

Jesus said "a house divided against itself cannot stand".

Will we as a nation make it...or will be continue to divide ourselves?

You know if this show on CNN makes some people proud, so be it. If it makes some people glad, so be it. If it makes some people sad or mad, so be it. Just enjoy what you will see and take from it that you will be a part of doing something POSITIVE about the state of things in our wonderful country.

Think about it.

From an American....and proud of it.

I

Nicole – "Point black, when blacks were brought over here we lost a lot of our identity…We were stripped of our names and families. The people who turned the hoses on my parent’s generation, let loose the dogs, told us we couldnt’ sit down in a restaurant, go to the movies except on Friday between 3 and 6 etc…..are still around..And you best believe that a lot of their beliefs have been passed down. "

I doubt you ever had those problems.

I bet your name is the same as it was since birth
I bet you've never had the dogs let loose on you.
I bet you've been able to sit down in whatever restaurant you wanted.

You shouldn't 'believe' whats passed down, you should 'believe' what YOU believe... thats not something inherited. That is part of the problem.

I bet you believe that a white person should not be able to use the "N" Word.. "Cause you aren't black".. and then I bet you'd get angry at a white man who told you that you couldn't use the same water fountain he could "'Cause you aren't white"

People are silly

I am SO tired of privileged, preferred, and entitled whites whining and telling African Americans to “get over it,” complaining about Affirmation Action (which has helped predominantly white women) and other programs that were designed to help women AND minorities, and insinuating that racial profiling by police, harsher penalties for crimes, lower pay for jobs, disenfranchisement, and other ills is the fault of Blacks.

Let’s lay this game bare. Many, but certainly not all, Whites have conspired and colluded, based on a sense of entitled to maintain a level of cultural and economic hegemony over African Americans. The labor base for the establishment of Capitalism in America was slavery. You all should know about the triangular trade. While I am not a Marxist or Communist, nevertheless, a Marxist critique of American society does yield some interesting conclusions. Large business which depend on labor – whether manual field labor during the agrarian era, unskilled or semi skilled labor during the industrial revolution, or functionally illiterate labor during this “service era,” capitalistic business need – demand a group of people that can be exploited for their labor. Whether during slavery or the Jim Crow South with prison chain gangs or the current use of the industrial prison complex, the group that has been the most systematically abused and oppressed is African Americans.

Many Whites, even dirt poor whites, always believe that they have a better chance of succeeding because of the “preference” they enjoy over African Americans. By preference I mean that whites know that other whites are more likely to hire them with less education and experiences than better qualified African Americans. If you do not believe me then take a look at the statistical analysis and adverse impact adverse performed by those companied that are required to do so by Executive Order 11246. Statistical analyses of “qualified” minorities show that tons of qualified minorities are systematically stepped over by white hiring managers for jobs for which they are over qualified. Then these same managers gripe about “being made to hire a diverse candidate” PLEASE – give me a break and stop your whining. White privilege is real, it is not fictional. It has been studied widely.
“Why do Blacks still complain?” some may ask. Because race trumps class as an indicator of life options and it is ridiculous to tell a person to stop struggling while you are choking them with your nightstick.

For anyone, particularly whites, who wants to understand how whites have benefited from race preference, privilege, and entitlement, consider the following works:
“When Affirmative Action was White” by Katznelson, “The Possessive Investment in Whiteness,” Lipsitz and “Two Nations : Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal” by Andrew Hacker.

Soledad, I look forward to tonight!

In response to Dave:

I had a friend, one of my best friends actually, and we never quite saw eye to eye on the built in racism defense bit that you commented on. However, that quickly changed when she had a bi-racial children and could see the differences of how her children were treated from her first marriage who were completely "white" and those from her second marriage to an African gentlemen who looked "black".

As a matter of fact I had to explain to her why there was a difference in how her daughter who had a lighter complexion was treated differently, than her daugher who had darker complexion.

I totally whole heartedly believe that sometimes this can be taken to the extreme, but to say that there is no bias along the way in America would seem blatantly ignorant and unsupported by facts.

This whole "race" thing is getting me crazy. The next time I have to fill out a form which asks for race, whether it is the census or whatever, I swear that I am going to write HUMAN. Don't we all share mitochondrial DNA which goes back to the same source? Call it creation or evolution, it seems that we all had a common origin. Also, on the ancestry DNA tests, doesn't everyone come up with a combination of four basic geographic heritages? It seems almost comical to me that people who are racist will park themselves on the beach risking skin cancer to get browner. Also, I have even seen African Americans act in a prejudiced fashion toward those who are darker than themselves. I wish that we could all just get along. Our son, who would be considered caucasian, married a young lady who would be considered African American. Their union produced a gorgeous (in my opinion) grandbaby for us. I only hope that he will be able to thrive in our world as he grows up and has to face some of the silliness of our world.

Uhm, just so everybody knows. Race is a social construction. Wrap you head around this race was a contrived mechanism to dileanate economic lines in early American history between poor whites and newly freed slaves. Race doesn't exist as a fact but as condition of human conceptualiztion of "self". Theres only one race of people, the reason phenotypes are different are do to enviromental implications in early human history. Once Human beings moved out of Africa their phenotypes changed due to enviromental conditions.

Also for the percieved to be white person out there who thinks its unfair that minorities have gotten a boost, do please remember that their was a time som 30 years ago when blacks, Irish, Jews, Southern Europeans, Asians, Catholics need not APPLY. So don't say that had nothing to do with you, because the limititation put on my grandfather or father because of color was not put on your father or grandfather, yet they still overcame. So its difficult to do undue 140 years of Jim Crow for a generation that is just not able to reap benefits of only our fathers, maybe our grandfathers if were blessed.

Thank you kindly.

Danny,

Many family names were changed at Ellis island. Not all immigrants have their birth names still. I know my white grandparents had their last name shortened and the spelling changed.

There is this misconception that college is free if you are black and that we get all these special priviledges. My sister and I are the product of a single home family. We attended the local inner city high school, as did most of our friends. We did not go to college Free!! We had work study and our mother paid what she could off of her postal salary. I have never qualified for so much as a Pell Grant. Approximately half of my friends that attended college did not qualify for a Pell Grant. I do not have one friend that did not graduate without loans. Yes, we took out loans like everyone else. Most (black or white)people that are able to attend college for free are living below the poverty level. Most black people do not feel America owes us anything other than to be treated equally. We are aware of our weakness as a people(absentee fathers, high drop out rate and too many black men in prison. We just ask that the rest of America honestly acknowledges their weakness (stereotyping, white priveledge issues, denying the inequities created by the past). I look forward to CNN's approach to this issue. I ask that EVERYONE approach it with an open mind and be willing to learn from this special.

Responding to Chris from NY

"Black people make talking about race hard, not whites or anyone else for that matter. African Americans are not the only ones who have endured hardship in the United States, singled out for slavery? Yes. But, what about Native Americans singled out for extermination? Japanese Americans in re-location camps… The Irish (a white group) left starving in the slums of NYC until they themselves took on everyone else and brought themselves up the ranks"

Okay, Slavery was not a hardship. You can not compare what hundreds of thousands, if not millions (including the ones that died during the middle passage) of Kidnapped Africans endured for 200 years, followed by 60 or so years of separate but equal Jim Crow period, legal lynchings, destroyed communities and then many more years of blatant post-segregation discrimination on up to present day subtle covert forms of racism coupled with "there's no racism–Look at Colin Powell!" And, all without so much as an apology, acknowledgement let alone the promised 40 acres and a mule.

I am not trying to diminish what other groups have gone through, but I draw the line at any comparison that equates those experiences with what African-Americans have endured in this country.

Andy from Chicago –

I must say, I believe that your entry probably silences all of the conflicting points seen prior. You speak of something that many of the whites here keep hidden and those of color NEVER hear. Most whites in this blog session know fully well how their forbearers, the ones who raised and nurtured them, actually feel about "others". Yet, they try to act as if they've gotg nothing to more to learn about the issue and those who have suffered directly from that "hate" that you spoke of, should just "get over it".

Yes, many of us African Americans have come a long way, we've known success and we've broken many a barrier. But our experience, as a people, in this hemisphere (yes, I speak of people of African descent in Latin America as well) is quite unique...and traumatic. I, too, am in my 40's and can tell MANY personal racism stories from childhood, a former US Army veteran and my current carrer as a national IT manager. Though some of us have probably experienced first hand at least one tragic racist encounter, MOST of us can describe years of repeated, more suttle ones, that cut into ever so slowly over time. That's why we need shows like what Soledad has so marvelously produced...this helps EVERYBODY understand what it's like to me a part of THIS ethnic group.

We'll see how it's received, but I do feel that many in this country have to learn to face this demon for what it is...and don't ask us to just look the other way when things happen that DO adversly affect us.

Everyone,
While I truly do appreciate that we all have opinions and we all, evidently, have very strong ones on the topic of race, may I suggest something? Why don't we all WATCH THE PROGRAM FIRST? Even those who say they "don't want to waste their time" may actually learn something from it. We all know that we all have problems in this country (what country doesn't), but that does not mean that we have to cruel or careless with others feelings. Some of the comments I've read are both. Face it, we dont' understand each (no matter what ethnic background we come from) and we never will with the comments I've read. Some people won't even make the effort. Black people, this show is not JUST for you or about you, its about teaching others who you are and what you are. White people, this show is not about the supposed "plight" of blacks in America. I believe its to help you understand that how blacks view their place in a society that, I hate to say, is more agreeable to a light/bright/white face. Before you ignore it or deride it, WATCH IT FIRST! If its not what you expect, change the channel.

I, too, would like to see a special on White in America. But like Jimmy K., it's probably way to racial to talk about.

People consider almost everything to be a race issue, when in fact it is a class issue. Look at it this way, a decent percentage of the African American Community are in the lower classes. Most have been stigmatized since a young age to think that the world is against them, when indeed it is not true. When I left Washington to attend College in PA, I lost the since of Utopia that I had back home. I have lost count of the many incidents. The reality is that people still contribute to overt and covert racism ......and classicism. That is the issue that needs to be addressed....From the elite to the untouchable.

To: B Jiggy....

Yes, I was. I just returned from vietnam and was scouting out an apartment complex for my wife and I to move into. It was 7am and when I pulled out of the complex I was pulled over by the State Police because someone in the complex thought I was casing the place.

It happens, so get over it..

When people "look" out of place, they get questioned. Its built into our safety mechanism, but "you" think it's only against blacks. Here's the deal: When you "look" to see if are looking at you, you are going to see people looking at you. If people go into a store and start looking to see if someone is watching them then you can be damned sure you are going to raise some red flags and people are going to start looking at you. YOU however will blame on the fact that you are Black and NOT because you raised flags by looking around to see if someone was watching you..

I had always thought that race was supposed to be irrelevant. When my children were growing up, for example, I never would have said to them, "Go ask that black saleslady for help." No, I would have said, "Go ask that lady with the red name tag for help." I recall watching television with my kids when a story came on the news about the Chicago Bears football team getting a new coach – who happened to be black. The reporter made a big fuss about it, which prompted my children to ask why that was important if, as I had always taught them, a person's race is irrelevant.

How am I supposed to treat people equally and not use race as defining someone's character when a big fuss is continually being made about it? Why do we have "black coaches" (or, for that matter, Jewish comedians or female news anchors)? Can't we just have coaches (and comedians and news anchors)?

I agree with Dee from New York. When a government form asks you to fill in your race, just pencil in "human."

I don't care if Obama is black or white or green or purple or mulatto or whatever politically correct term is required nowadays. (I just want to know whether Obama is as "red" as the socialists like William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn he's been known to hang out with.)

And for those of you who love the legislation that "protects" minorities (and want more of it), I have some news for you: those laws often actually hurt the minorities. For example, there is a very strong incentive for an employer to NOT hire a middle aged, black woman over a young, white man – because the latter can be fired more easily if he turns out to be a poor employee, while the former can more easily file a (perhaps groundless) discrimination lawsuit. It's not racism or sexism to avoid black or female or old employees, it's economic self-defense if their lawsuits drive you out of business. Make it easier to fire people and it will also make it easier to hire them.

It is amazing how ignorant most Americans are regarding their own history. If you took really the time to understand your history, it is simple as to why bi-racial (black/white) Americans refer to themselves as black. The Supreme Court ruling of Plessy vs. Ferguson would give many of you the necessary insight. Bi-racial blacks had no other alternative but to consider themselves black, because of the prevailing cultural and societal attitudes, and laws. Yes, blacks will distinguish themselves by skin color, however, this is rooted in vestiges of the slave culture. Ole master, when he raped his female slaves, his progeny would be afforded slightly better conditions i.e., working in the big house. I applaud your efforts Mrs. O'Brien. You are a class act. Keep up the excellent work.

It's a shame how so many people pretend racism isn't still alive and kicking. A headline on CNN.com today spoke about corrupt white police officers in Louisiana killing a young black male through extreme measures. There are evil people in all races, and then there are some trying to make a difference. The media portrays blacks negatively very often, but rarely speak of those striving to make the community and their family legacys better.So why would blacks not be happy to have a special such as this? Do your part in educating yourself and others about your own race and history, and then take the time to learn about another race. Maybe eventually, we can learn to have respect for one another and where we all come from. Plus, if you came to the "black section" of cnn's website, you must be a little interested in what's going on.

I want my affirmative action! Can I be black, too? After all, "black people come in all hues."

I have wondered about this for a while and still have not reached any conclusion other than racism. If someone in this country has one drop of African American blood in them, they are considered black. That has to go back to some racist belief that unless you had "pure" white blood running through your veins, you were black.
If someone is half black and half white is black, then what is someone who is half white and half asian. Under the "one drop rule" they would have to be asian.
Why isn't someone who is bi-racial simply called bi-racial?

Oko, I am going to go back to the original question. Usually biracial children look more like their black counterparts, not all of the time but usually. Also, the first thing people see when they look at someone is color. If you have a tiny drop of color they are first to be your black. Even the lighter the skin your black.

In addition I know of someone who doesnt seem to get the grasp of when her mom comes around some people are shocked that her mother is white. I have told her that I have cousin that are 100% black that are just as light as you (not 100% but you know what I mean as far as we can trace back to our history everyone is black in the family that living generations know of that are here today) Once again it goes back to a little bit of color and your black. She usually tells me I sooo light skin and like to "compare" to her own benefit.

I am a black woman. I have been reading many of these posts, not just on CNN but other news cites as well with articles that discuss race and the discussion always seems to be the same – caucasians complaining about 'the attention that black people get' and even one comment that 'black people need to take responsibility for their actions that lead to stereotypes about them.' Therein lies the problem. Programs like this are necessary because black people continue to be grouped together as one mass acting in unison. We are all different, we come from different walks of life, just like any other American – I think that is what this program is trying to reveal. I refuse to hold myself accountable for the actions of others, whether they are black, female, or a young 20-something adult, even though I fit into all of those demographics.
Finally, for those comments about when CNN will air "White in America" – I see that show everyday, anytime I turn on the television and watch an episode of Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Home Improvement, etc. The average American sitcom features a white cast. Being "White in America" is the norm, no need to feature it as a special.

Wow. Reading all these reminds me why I don't like people much.

This special is focusing on both the good and the bad of being black in America. The next special may be for another race, but if no one asks, it won't happen. Or maybe one of the posters should step up to do it. Maybe Soledad had a reason to do it. I enjoy studying the asian race myself, and I'm black(or bi-racial).

I will watch the special for knowledge. I have lived both the good(scholarship) and the bad(being shot at by my best friend's grandpa). It is a learning experience. We are here to learn.

Ok, I'll ask the dumb stupid question. If you are Black and feel that society discriminates against you then why don't you go back to your 'roots' in Africa? Nobody is forcing you to stay here.

Racial identity is so very personal, and not for anyone else to impose. I am mixed – part white, part hispanic, part american indian, and part black. I fit into all of those labels, but never completely. People tend to see me as hispanic, but my brother is a "white guy." I always describe myself as "mixed" because I believe that we can, and should, begin to transcend race in this country. I married an Asian Indian woman, and my daughters are the most beautiful human beings.

I admire Soledad for her coverage, however, America needs to understand: Black has been and will be a huge part of this country for many years to come. We are the forgotten children and it's time for America to start giving back by helping cleaning the drugs invested neighborhood, establish better school and better communities. After all, everything that we do and say affects everyone. So, my challenge to America is: let's stop the discriminatory in justice in schools, work, and communities. Soledad, you are doing a great job by bringing this out.

Actually, you don't ever know what discrimination really is until you are a member of that group. I was born white and male, but I am also a transexual. I lived part of my life as a privilidged white man. Then after transition, I began to understand what discrimination is. I am now a complete woman, physically perfect and no one can tell. And now I understand how society discriminates against women. Can I ever know what it is like to be black in America? No, I don't think so. Not unless my skin changes. So yes, if the majority of a particular segment of society tells you there is a problem – there is!

I plan to watch it with my wife. I just hope CNN tells the truth with it. Just tell the real truth, which is Blacks (sons of slaves Blacks) have the worst chance for opportunity in the US. We have to have twice the education and experience just to get a mediocre job. That same job a white person could walk in without a high school diploma and get it on spot.

-–
Listen people, here's the rule of thumb that applies to everyone:

If you look out of place in "any" area then you are going to draw stares and possibly even be approached by police. It happens, so get over it. When people "look" (or seem) out of place, they get questioned. Its built into our safety mechanism.

So WHY do blacks think they are profiled when they go shopping? Here's the deal: When you "look around" to see if other people are looking in your direction you are going to see people looking in your direction. It's like someone wispering, it draws attention! If you go into a store and start looking to see if someone is profiling you then you can damned well be sure you are going to raise some red flags and people are going to start looking at you. YOU, however, will blame it on the fact that you are Black and NOT because you raised flags by looking around to see if someone was watching you.

I am not saying that profiling has never happened or that it won't happen again. I am saying that many of you have probably caused your own problem and you don't even know it.

Even as a white person I would be insane to go into "any" store and start looking around to see if I am being watched because I know it will attract the attention of store security. I can't believe so many of you simply "Don't Get It!"

@ Corey I know black is not a country – I don't hear people referring to themselves as "I'm African" rather "I'm black" which is why I said that and usually bi-racial people know what makes up the white part of them which is why I said Irish, Scottish, etc.

@ Brian I'm not forcing my opinon on others. Call yourself what you want but my future children will be bi-racial – half Chinese and half white and I will teach them to say they're Chinese, Russian, Scottish and Irish. To pick only one side and say their Chinese and not acknowledging the white side of them in MY opinion is wrong.

@ Mary thanks for the intelligent post in response to my question. You explained it very well and now I get it.

Oh and I might add I have half black cousins who identify themselves as half black and half Chinese – to call themselves African is incorrect since they were born and live in Trinidad.

Can't we all just get along?

Everyone in some way is discriminated against. That is the big picture. I read this board and it makes me so sad.

Every comment on this board is true.

And that SIMPLE fact is why ...
we can't all just get along.

Gloria July 23rd, 2008 5:19 pm ET

"I, too, would like to see a special on White in America. But like Jimmy K., it’s probably way to racial to talk about."

I would love for you to elaborate a bit more on this point. I wonder if that special would include a segment on people HONESTLY explaining why they move out of neighborhoods when people of color move in, ESPECIALLY when some of the new residents are more well off than they are...or maybe they'll highlight the good ol' days of when you could go to work and not have to worry about "OFFENDING" anyone with sexist or racist jokes.

That special on "White in America" might also shed some light on why men like my grandfather, one of the Tuskeegee Airmen to graduate and fly combat missions in both Europe AND the South-Pacific (with 18 confirmed air kills), was denied a job at Eastern Airlines as an aviator, denied jobs at Grumman Aerospace AND Lockheed Martin AND McDonnell Douglass despite having a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, denied the right to own a home in EVERY veteran community he sought to live in and had to return to the military, where despite a successful combat career over Korea and Vietnam and an unblemished record, watched white junior officers get promoted way beyond his retirement rank of Colonel...after 35 years of dedicated service....and that's just ONE example!

Please DO respond...

Amazing! The comments posted on this blog indicate a severe need to continue to talk about race in America. Most people are ignorant of the history of this nation and the repercussions of the colonization of this continent.

This story of Black America is a story of "America" whether you are an immigrant, Asian American, American Indian, White American or Latin/Hispanic American. Our country was built on lies that conferred superiority on a select few and inferiority on the remaining. The legacy of these lies are what we are living today. "American" is not a term that confers equal status to all. We are not equal in this society. WE ARE NOT EQUAL IN THIS SOCIETY.

Equality in the U.S. is an ideology, a lie to keep citizens in line with capitalist ways of existing. A way to keep us in line so that we continue to believe that we are individuals with the sole choice to determine our futures. This is not to say that individuals cannot make it- there are always exceptions. The harsh reality is that our existence as a nation was made possible from lying, cheating, killing, and stealing from Indigenous people to get the land and then using Africans as slaves to build the economy of the south as well as white indentured servitude. This society could not exist if we were equal - whose backs and shoulders would we stand on?

This is a history we have veiled through ideologies of individualism, freedom, etc. A majority of "Americans" in the U.S. do not feel free and truly are not free in the true sense of the word. But our perception of what it means to be American is built upon lies and we keep trudging through life wearing these rose-colored glasses.

I challenge all to take off those rose-colored glasses and try to watch the series tonight and tomorrow outside of yourself. It's a tall order and most will not succeed but the challenge stands.

Go Ray Pitts and Aaron from TX! Tim, my man, you've been bamboozled.

I am trembling with as much excitement and awe as I did when Roots aired. Thank you CNN for airing this while Fox news prefers to wallow in the mud.

If there were more positive media coverage about blacks and brown, this program would not be needed. The bad out weights the good and if you keep calling a person certain names they will belive and live it.

there it goes Larry, I've been waiting on that question all day. Here's the answer. WE ARE AMERICAN..... JUST LIKE YOU.........

Kudos for opening up the discussion and I will be watching tonight. Every newspaper in the country should be blogging on race in their own neck of the woods! I am a professional African American female with several advanced degrees and over 15 years of experience and I still have problems obtaining equitable employment. I agree with Chris we work twice as hard to achieve to only recieve half of the chance. I also think that some of the African Americans that have so called "made it", are not ensuring that the same door that they walked through stays open for others. So as we look at this body of work that Soledad has poured herself into, I think we would be well served ask ourselves what have we done to change the plight of Black America in our respective communities.

I wish that everyone could see themselves as Americans first. It does not matter what the skin color is, we are all Americans. There are all ethnic groups that suffer some type of prejudices placed upon them. I, myself, try to treat everyone the same and not let any bias of the past effect my decisions and the way I treat a fellow human being. I have been called many names that were very unpleasant by blacks, however, after our encounter...most of them apologized for treating me poorly. Yes, I am a police officer, so I hear many slurs sent my way...unwarranted...but yet I still hear them.
Yes, America had slaves in the past. Yes, America treated blacks with disdain for many years. However, the Chinese were worked to death on the railroads, Irish were worked for pennies in sweat shops, yet they moved on. Was it right?...no way! Does this mean that the blacks need to put up with prejudices?...no way! This country is a great place to live and has opportunities for all races that they would not have in other countries around the world.
We need to bring people together and not keep placing wedges between ethnic and racial groups. We are Americans and need to remember that.

I am so tired of all of the "problems" that blacks supposedly have. If whites, asians, hispanics complained as much as blacks do, then everything would be put into perspective. Black people are about the only race looking for a reason for their issue in daily life. Maybe they should start pointing the finger in the right direction for their "problems". Take a look around, you see cities passing laws to get people to wear their pants correctly instead of acting like they are jail with no belt, like their rapper heros. Blame them.

I am 12% Cherokee (Native American). Do you plan on having a special called, "Native American in America"??

RE your shopping story: I'm white and was recently shopping at a drug store in a majority white neighborhood. Three teenage black males came in and were wandering casually down the aisles. My first thought was they looked sneaky and out of place. My second thought was shame for thinking that. I was profiling them and I think profiling is so wrong. Then one went behind a counter, picked up an expensive (for that store) piece of camera equipment and stuck it down the front of his pants. I must have looked shocked because he walked close to me, made eye contact, laughed, and left the store with his buddies. Another white customer saw this and yelled 'shoplifters!" The manager took off after them; they got away. I'm really struggling with how to process this incident - and wondering how I might feel if I again see people who strike me as "out of place." Your thoughts?

Dear Ms O'Brien,

As a Canadian who tried to help down in St Bernard Parish two years ago, I have a particularly interesting (to me at least!) story:

I was down for a week helping with Habitat for Humanity, working on the Musicians' Village in Lower Ninth Ward. It was hard work but amazing to meet some of the people who would presently be occupying these beautiful houses. I met T & T, a young woman and her brother – the kindest and sweetest people. We clicked right away, talking about differences in culture, lifestyle, and life itself. Well, at the end of the day, I, along with three other Canadian volunteers, did not want to part with T & T – the feeling was mutual.

So they met us in downtown New Orleans, had dinner, laughed, cried, and just basically fell in love with each other... And at the end of the night, standing near our rental car, I hugged both of them so tightly, to wish then well, and to say how much I had enjoyed their company.

As we parted, the brother turned to me and said, "I ain't never hugged a white person before! This is so cool!" I stood in shock and amazement, then I cried:

You see, I had never even noticed the colour of their skin, only the beautiful smiles, their courage, and their tenacity to do what needed to be done with such joy. I still think of them often and smile... Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I see people, I have never seen colour. But it certainly shocked me to realize that is not always the case.

I read several of the comments about the program that is to air tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing the entire show. I'm black, educated, and work in corporate america as a professional. When I read these comments one in particular stating, that the writer is a immigrant and has gained a measure of sucess in America. The writer wishes that "Blacks" would stop marching and work hard like other immigrants and they (blacks) too would be sucessful. This person needs to watch the show more than most. This person is standing on the shoulders of the millions of "BLACKS" If they were so hard working and special, they would not have needed to immigrate to America. Some immigrants forgot who laid the foundation for their (success)

I'm sorry, I didn't realize there were still slaves today. My father grew up in a war torn country, living in poverty, and saw both of his brothers blown up in front of his eyes. He does not wallow in it or let it affect his life. My friend's grandma whole family got wiped out in the Holocaust and she survived and she came to America and did not let her experiences get her down. So people born in the richest country in the world, who never experienced slavery, let something that happened over 150 years ago affect them. But people who actually experienced horrors in THEIR ACTUAL OWN LIVES can move past them? Makes sense to me. Not!

"When I read the comments on this board, it further reinforces my feeling that topics like this are completely worthless. This is more about the person who initiated this topic, then it is about making any change. I am a black male, and I have never been profiled, I have never been detained in any store, I have never been wrongfully arrested or detained because I fit a profile. But more importantly, if I had, I would not sit around complaining about it. Why, because complaining makes not one bit of difference to anyone. I, and I alone, am responsible for whatever success or happiness I achieve from the few years I have on this earth, and I have to overcome whatever discriminations, whatever unfairness, whatever challenges, my skin color, my weight, my face, whatever it is that some people will try to use to make it hard.

The problem is not white discrimination, or unfairness, or racism. The problem is that too many black people do not consider themselves 100% accountable and responsible for WHATEVER happens to them. Our problem is not being unfairly profiles in stores, or by cops. Our problem is failing to become educated, failing to maintain two-parent families, failing to have a real moral compass, failing to know the difference between a rap video and real life, failing to make achievement and education top priorities for our children, failing to rid ourselves of leaders who do not espouse the aforementioned values, failing to ostracize criminals and criminal activity from our communities and families, failing to demand that we get more from all of the black churches and preachers that fill up our poverty laddened and crime filled neighborhoods but evidently make little difference to either. In 2008, the failure is OURS, not the government, not white people, not racism or discrimination. OURS!"...

Tim, I don't know where you reside, but I pray that you come up out of that rabbit hole into the real world. It's easy ring off all these do's and don't's when you haven't experienced it first-hand. I come from a two parent multi-racial house hold, educated and have been held accountable for my actions by both parents. My parents demanded greatness from their kids. And after all the knowledge, education, accountability, and spiritual upbringing, it still didn't stop the racial profiling(traffic stops) I have been subjected to in my lifetime. Once in VA, Twice in the Chicagoland(Buffalo Grove and Schaumburg) area, and 3 times in my hometown of Dallas, TX(my first one being in the 10th grade on the way to a highschool basketball game). I have yet to this day to receive explanations other than I fit the description of a black male in the area... We don't control anything. The moment we think we're in control, God shows you who really is... My Tivo will be set on CNN tonight.

Change is coming...Prepare yourself!!

I am tired of hearing about it. It would take pages to cover how I truly feel. We are probably going to have a black president, I'd say equality is getting pretty close these days. The fact is the work put in to build this country was predominantly done by Caucasians and those people's descendants are going to reap more of the benefits. Organized education has been a greater part of the European and Asian culture than it was African culture and it will take time for that to change. Until the African American culture embraces education the rest of us will be guarded and uneasy. There is no way for anyone to "help" other than the black community. Imagine the turn out if a bunch of white people offered to hold educational classes in an impoverished black neighborhood. Lepers would be be received better.

Black in America is a culture and it has to change, accept a little bit more of the mainstream, uncool, white culture. If white's have it better, act like they do.

I am so sick of hearing about this crap. Everything is racist. You know what, deal with it. Racism isnt ever gonna leave. I was the only one of two whites on a college basketball team. I was treated like crap from the black players. You dont see me crying. If all your going to do is cry racism everytime something happens because your black, then go to another country.

Sad to say but not ONLY whites are racist against African Americans but also all other minority groups have a dislike for them as well... For instance, being an African, my family advised me to marry a white man rather than a AA. And Indians, Asians, Arabs and all other minority groups (in general) feel the same way... We just had a recent incident in GA where the Pakistani man had his daughter-in-law killed because she was black. I had many discussions with minority groups who confirmed this believe to me. My heart goes to the AA community.. I really hope that lots of your AA are going to watch this program and help them be motivated. Very sad.

Historically in America if you have even 1/8 African blood you are considered Black. It's not a choice it's the "Classification" one falls under. My grandmother is half white (Irish), she was born in Louisiana in 1923 and her birth certificate says "Negro". I don't believe there was any other classification. Our society sees anyone part Black as Black. That's just what it is. Why all the anger?

America is a racist country and it's not JUST white people. It's all races. At least we used to be able to say the word and not cause a riot. Being racist is a RIGHT that some choose to express. I'd rather know if my neighbor hates my skin than not. Least I know whose house to avoid.

writing to you from europe and being an immigrant living in germany many of your experiences such as discrimination and self-doubt because of your name or the way you look (not blue-eyed, not blonde..), seem familiar to me. children from immigrants still have a much lesser chance to finish high school, finding a (decently paid and secure!) job, are much more affected of poverty etc. the statistics concerning immigrants and / or their children are very similar to those of black people in the usa. talking about immigrants or their children in german media most likely will mean talking about the crime rate or similar negative things. xenophobia and discrimination are quite common in germany – especially in the eastern part of this country with areas where people who look "foreign" should not leave the house during nighttime, at least not alone, unless they want to be harassed by neo-nazis. a new research has shown that the number of people with inti-immigrant sentiments has (again) risen in the last two years.
let me just add something that is (unfortunately) rarely talked about, which is, that there is no such thing as "race". it is nothing but a construction that was invented to stereotype people with a dark complexion. it was a welcome term and philosophy during the times of european colonialism in africa and other continents to clame that europeans are inferior to people from other parts of this world. even the unesco has come to the conclusion that a thing like "race" (also concerning biology and genetics) does not exist.
every person is an individual with individual looks – some have big ears, some small, some have brown eyes, some green, some are tall, others small, some have a dark skin colour, others have a pale skin colour.

I just saw a small segment of the first installment of Black in America. I can certainly identify with the gentleman who is unable to find a job because he is black and does not have a college education. I have a MBA and can't find employment. Being an educated black female is also a challenge. You would not believe some of the things that have been told to me in interviews. I only wish that I would have had a microphone or a camera crew with me. My parents taught me to work hard and I would find a good job. Before Hurricane Katrina I actually kept a file of the rejection letters, cards and emails I received...yes, it was that many and I said that one day I would look back on this and laugh. That day has not come.

I was also told at a job interview that even though I was by far the most qualified for the position they had to hire someone else. There had to be a certain number of minority in the company. I was cheated out of a job because I was white. Wheres Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on that one?

I am a 50 yr old black woman. I have never been married. I work with white women that have been married 2 or 3 times. Would I like to find someone to spend the rest of my life with? Of course. But how do I answer the question to white women who have access, and are preferred by not only white men, but men of all races???

Looking forward to the show.

Shoplifting is a crime. It's theft. It has nothing to do with the color of one's skin if one is arrested for shoplifting. Please stop looking for racism where there is none.

I'm looking forward to this program by Ms. O'Brien. It is long overdue.

For the most part, most black people are really bi-racial in one form or another. If it weren't by way of great-great-great-grandparent/slave master accosting the slave women as if they were property it was by way of some runaway slaves living with the Native Americans and some taking Native American wives/husbands or both.

This is the United States. We are a visual society. We go by what we see instead of by what we actually know or can find out if we ask. In this case, when we see Senator Obama and Ms. O'Brien, we see black. One thing is for sure is that when one is pulled over, the cops only see black. They don't want to know your lineage.

As for Senator Obama and Ms. O'Brien 'denying' their white parent. That is an internal private family matter. Not our business. Whatever they want to identify themselves as, that is their business, not mine.

The example of "not seeing nuthin" is playing out during this election cycle. Black folks can;'t see Obama for what he is; an inexperienced, but polished politician who will say or do anything to get elected. What a joke!

And he sat in that pew for 20 YEARS!

I'm black too; although, I'm also Native American and I have a white great-grandmother. I once married a man who was also of mixed lineage–he was Mexican, Spaniard, Apache, and Yaca. We asked our daughter (one born in the US and one born in Germany during our military service) what they wanted to be known as. My oldest chose Native American; my youngest chose Alisha–her name is also Alisha. When we said, "No baby, what nationality." She replied, "I'm not a nationality, I'm Alisha." She was 4 years old and brilliant! So there you have it. She's Alisha. And I think I'll just be Alisha also.

First of all let me say that I have read most of the blogs on this website. Some I agree with and some I don't. I am an English-American (White) woman with a college education that I am still paying for through student loans. My husband and have worked all of our lives and have been married 20 years. I have never, ever, ever had a government handout of any kind and have had to work for everything I have ever acquired. I am sick and tired of hearing about prejudice in this country. If you want to be respected, you need to get an education, find a job, pay taxes and mind your own business. Most jobs where I live, they either are bilingual or I am told I am the wrong color. Yes, believe it or not there are prejudices against whites too. Most of us white taxpaying citizens just don't march, gripe or have television specials about it. If you want to be counted as a production member of society, please exercise your right to become a tax paying citizen and encourage members of your race to support their own families and quit flooding our street with drugs. I do not support Obama, but I do support his stand that black men need to stand up and take responsibility for themselves and their families. Why does it make black people so mad to hear the truth? As a white female, i have no problem with anyone saying that there are alot of white men that need to pay their child support and fulfill their fatherly duties. I guess if the men start doing their part, then then women can't keep having babies on the system......

I see people as humans first with a focus on how much alike we are. I think the focus is all wrong and I am not sure if this series is helpful or if it just continues give fuel to the wrong focus, which are the differences between us. It is easy to see and exam differences, they are all around us. Whether the differences are weight, skin color, sex, religion, the list can go on and on. This is a very easy task, one that has been done over and over. I don't find anything new about this series.

What would be challenging and interesting is to do a series on how much alike we are and how much we can, and do accomplish, if that is our focus.

Hmmm. The same time this show was aired, there were two black cousins suing one another on Judge Mathis. One, not older than 23, has already fathered 6 children with 5 women, isn't married to any of them, and doesn't even have a job.

Flip the channel and we find Barack Obama, a millionaire US Senator. Flip again, and we see Whoopi...a millionaire bigmouth. Flip again and we see a story about gangbangers.

Which "Black America" is the real one? Oh, all of them? Well, then it's no different than White America. If you work hard, get an education, have some ambition, and stop knocking up women out of wedlock, you can also succeed...white, black, red, yellow, or purple.

If blacks feel so sinned against and treated badly, why can’t they repatriate back to where they came from? Despite the many changes that this country has undergone African American always complain of something. Jews were settled in Israeli after World War II (1948), by the League of Nations. Part of Palestine was caved to settle the persecuted Jews. All Jews in different part of Europe were settled there, and they have advanced themselves, they do not keep on complaining about the Nazi’s or the Slavery they faced in Egypt.
If African Americans feels persecuted in USA they can be taken back to Africa. This was tried during President Monroe when freed slaves were settled in Liberia.
It’s evident that the black man cannot govern himself well, look at the blacks all over the world. Haiti, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Somalia, US, blacks in UK, blacks in Brazil etc South Africa is progressing because the white man is still there.

Why it is that even in US the well to do blacks wants their kids to go to schools with white kids or live in white neighborhoods? Probably because they don’t trust their own black people, personally I have not heard any white person wanting to go to black neighborhoods or schools (even the top leading black schools). It’s only blacks who are interested with integration; whites don’t want their kids to be mixed with unruly black kids.
Black people need to have confidence in themselves and solve their problems before they start blaming others for their own failures. Fact; blacks in America live better than any black people in any part of the world. If they still think US is a bad place, United Nations can create a country in Africa somewhere between Angola and Congo where all the 13 million African Americans can leave in harmony devoid of any white man racism. But remember, the descendants of freed slaves repatriated to Freetown and Liberia still want to come back to US.

Soledad,
I am eagerly awaiting the airing of this show "Black in America". Like it or not, racism is deep rooted in this country. I will only believe that americans have matured beyond this when I do see the first balck preseident elected to the Oval office.

Although many African americans have transcended the race disadvantage and achieved great heights in all fields, the odds for an average person of color is stacked so much against them. Many white Americans cnnot even understand that such discriminations exist in society because they have never had to face such issues in life at all.
I am sure your show tonight will be a huge success and a big eye opener for all americans.

I can related coming from a mixed back ground. I was told that I would get further ahead in my career if I say I was Spanish but I do not speak fluently. I was also told to date white men because I would be treated better. I am the same color as Soledad. I am wondering what is the catch. Men and women treat you the way they see you and not for who you are trying to be. I have been called red-bone. white girl, you look white. where did you come from and you do not have black features. I still do not get it. I find when I am around darer skins people with their families, I am treated as if I am the slave lady or the hired help. So therefore, I try not to get caught up with must of these southern folks and escape their horrible ways. God made me just like he made everyone else strong, black and beautiful. I look at the person's heart and try tp discerm their spirit if they have one. I just stay true to who I am and not who I am trying to be. God Bless us all!

As an African-American woman in America, I applaud CNN's decision to produce this series. African-Americans do not have an adequate platform to allow them to express their point of view. CNN is doing an admirable service to the African-American community by publishing our point of view.

I will be watching tonight with my daughter.

I commend CNN and Soledad O'Brien for attempting to have an educated discourse about race relations in America. If I ever doubted the need for such a program "melting pot" of a nation and the growing numbers of equalities for all minority groups in this country, the ignorant and uneducated comments from some posters have proved me wrong. The prevalence of ignorance on this forum just demonstrates the need for such a program on national television to shatter the stereotypes we hold about Black America.

If all your going to do is cry racism everytime something happens because your black, then go to another country.

"Going to another country" wouldn't solve a thing, considering that racism against blacks is prevalent world-wide. It would be wonderful not to have a reason to ever "cry racism", but since blacks are still being discriminated against and treated unfairly by some of the same people who wish to remain in denial about racism, it only ensures that those "cries" will continue to be heard.

I believe the word you are looking for that means a mixture of black and white is "mulatto." Why not have a word that celebrates people that are bi-racial, a word that brings a person's mixed hertage together instead of denying it?

When my son began driving, I had to talk to him regarding his behavior behind the wheel.

As a young driver, I was stopped numerous times while driving responsibly. I was just targeted to be stopped.

After questioning my son, he admitted that he was also stopped many times for
DRIVING WHILE BLACK.

Racial profiling is alive and quite active.

As the mother of biracial children me being a white cuban and my husband a black man. I identify my children as being black as well. I know my children identify with the black culture more so than white or even hispanic because of who and what they were raised around. I guess like you pointed out yes black people come from different backgrounds, but majority of whites that may have never been around black people initally think of how they see black folk on t.v. not a well spoken women like yourself. Or a very educated, well composed man such as Obama on the way to the most powerful seat in the country as "black". And maybe subconsciencly thats how they expect or would perfer to continue to see black people as some sort of comfort for their psyche.

Not that everything is racist either seen a lot of that on the board but there are differences in races. Not that its bad or even good I really find it funny. And someone who said racisim will always be around may be right. But old farmer john that is racist he has no affect on the black community. But a job recruiting officer may, Or a police officer like the one who tazzered a young man 9 times to death. So you cant always just deal with racisim.

I think more than race what it really comes down to is money beyond anything I know I cant explain how I feel fully while im on this blog at work in my cubical lol but I was reading and felt like I could express and share thank you for the great journalism

Soledad, I love all of your specials.

That aside, like many others I don't understand completely why you identify as black. I'm not suggesting that you should not, but had you been raised in a country where racial discrimination was not so prevalent and where the law imposed that identity on you because you carry one drop of black blood, do you think it would it be as important to identify as black?

Miss you in the morning.

Thanks.

White people do not understand the racism that Black people face in America today.

I am a sales representative for a large pharma company and travel all over the southeast calling on customers. Sometimes, I travel with a white, male co-worker. When I do, it's as though I'm not even there. Our customers look right through me. Some don't even shake my hand!

White people will probably never completely understand, but CNN's Black in America will at least help us get closer.

This whole conversation about Black and White, from a White persons view point, has nothing to really do anymore with color. It has more to do with perception.

From the view of many White people, Black people have their own way of talking, walking, and carrying themselves which, quite frankly White people do not value or respect. It does not "fit" with English taught to them in school.

Words without the correct meaning are inserted into sentences to complete the "speak". These are unique to Black people and seem to be purposely different than what is taught or accepted as proper.

It is not about color anymore – it is about purposely being and acting and behaving differently that what is normally accepted. I do agree this come from a White perspective, but English and Grammar are taught in school in the accepted way. It just seems Black people speak and act differently to, well, be Black and different from White people.

This is wrong. We all live together and should speak and behave in a similar manner. Obama gets this – as you can see by his actions. It is also why he has been so successful for a Black or White person. And that is how it should be. He does not act "White" as I have heard Blacks say .... he just uses proper English and behaves as a person. Period.

Hey people were not still in the sixties! This whole thing about whites being racist of African Americans is getting old and tiresome. I see more racism coming from the older generation of blacks towards whites nowadays. Look at the whole Rev. Wright thing and then the younger generation with the whole Jena six situation when at the BET awards they get a standing ovation for putting a "white kid" in the hospital. My point is that it is time to let go of the past and start being plan AMERICANS, were all in this together and we need to build a strong UNIFIED country.

I think its great that black culture is being explored. As a race and culture , they have overcome unbelievable odds and discrimination.

I think that black is a cultural identity and it is my opinion that all cultural idenities are learned. If a white child is adopted and raised by a black family, that child has more claim to that black identity than a black child raised in a white family.

I think that black culture is beautiful and powerful. It makes a significant contibution to American society and is an undenaible aspect of our greatness as a nation.

James (white)

From the day I was born, racism has always been my shadow. My mother, White, the youngest of fourteen children born of Italian immigrants. My father, Black, an only child born in Winter Park, Florida. My mother originally followed the family tradition of marrying within her race. She had three children and divorced. She then met my father. To her families dismay, she married my father in the very volatile 60's. Her family severed all ties with my mother shortly there after. I have never met my maternal family members. With 13 Aunts and Uncles living right here in Rochester, I'm sure I have a boat load of cousins. I might work with one of them, but I would never know.

My father died when I was six. Picture this....A White mother, three White kids and the little Black girl with the kinky, unkempt hair that no one in the house knew how to take care of. My mother would wait a month or two and then take me to someone to comb through the mess. I would scream and cry while whomever faced with the task that month would try to comb through the mangled locks. Sometimes they would have to cut big pieces of my hair out because they couldn't comb through it. As I got older, I learned how to take care of my own hair and that could be the reason why I wear my hair short to this day, but the painful experiences didn't stop there. When my family and I would go out to restaurants, the host/hostess would always address my mother the other kids first and then come to me and ask, "can I help you?" When we were out and about doing things, people would always ask my mother, "who is the little black girl?" When she would tell them I was her daughter, they would always get that same funny look on there faces. Then there was the time when my brother who was grown and married at the time, wouldn't let me come over to his house because a friend of his was over that didn't like Black people because a Black man had killed her husband.

I won't go into the hundreds of other life scarring family situations I have endured. I will save those for the Therapist's couch or my book. But, I will say again, "Racism is alive and well"!