Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 7/23/08
We are on at a special time tonight 11p ET, after the "Black in America" documentary. Anderson will talk with CNN's Soledad O'Brien and several of the people profiled tonight.
We'll also have tonight's headlines. Check out what else is the program in Evening Buzz.
Be sure to check out Anderson and Erica on our live web camera from the 360° studio. We’ll turn the camera on at 1045p ET and turn it off at midnight ET. LINK TO THE BLOG CAMERA
We’ll start posting comments to this blog at 11p ET and stop at midnight ET.
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Karl, I often wondered about that myself. Doesn't a person who is half black and half white have the right to consider themselves a memeber of both communities? Why should they have to choose one over the other?
Gary Tuchman and CNN reporters are brave to be out there in a Hurricane, in Hurricanes.
Those pictures of Dolly as it made landfall, the storm kind of blurred the lines between the land, sea and sky. It's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Difficult weather.
Colourism...Vanessa Williams and Whoopie Goldberg. Both intelligent black women but Vanessa Williams is more acceptable based on looks. It's not right, but it happens!
Karl, they can choose, but in most cases they are more accepted in the black community.
This "Black in America" is going to hurt, offend, and disgust some but like many of the show's segments proved – truth and facts are interpreted differently by different people.
Until blacks begin to hold each other accountable for our decisions we will never conquer the challenges of single motherhood, absent fathers, HIV, and teenage delinquency and dropouts.
Many of our wounds are self-inflicted, and those of us who have reached a point of healing, are not willing to leave our comfort zones to help those still struggling. Regardless of how we got here, we will be the only one's who can make a positive difference. It's going to hurt.
I have to agree with Michael Dyson, there is a hierarchy, even within the black community that is based on skin tone.
That's what is so great about this documentary. We just keep learning more. It is bringing out the issues. I am surprised, though, that the darkness of skin color is also seen within the black community as something negative.
I am an African American woman and understand the differences between the 2 brothers. I always had a lot more opportunities than my sister who was had darker skin and an afro where I was lighter and had straighter hair. We made very different choices, but because we had very different options.
@Cindy, I agree. Many of the issues discussed are the result of personal choices, not skin color. Bill Cosby has been saying this for years, and now Obama.
Well presented; I hope this is a wake up call for blacks; how we raise our children and view ourselves. We can do better if we choose to. We have too many "stigmas" that hold us back.
Mr. Cooper,
I always hear that 1 out of 3 black men are incarcerated. What are the other 2 out of 3 black men doing, waiting to go to prison? Just from my experience 1 out of 3 black men are in college and the other 1 out of three are probably working and paying taxes. However we always talk about the 1 out of 3 prison. In the future, I would like to see some reports about what the 2 out of 3 black men are doing.
Thanks
McCain will untimately knock himself out of this election. I really believe that McCain really underestimates how many Americans want to see this war come to an end. McCain's position on this war will be his downfall in this election. My personal opinion is we should have never got into this war.
Great Job Soledad!! I really enjoyed it and will be watching part two
McCain and everyone else keep talking about losing a war. We are actually involved in something we can never win. We capture one leader and another step up. This prideful race will never lay down!! How many more troops must die before we realize that they are only resisting us because we are over there. Sadaam is gone and let the goverment tell it he was the problem. I say pull the majority out and leave some on call. We Americans would not like Iraqi troops patroling our streets so why do we think they would feel any different?
Let's face it, as a fair skin individual who is black, I know what Eric is talking about!
Way to go Soledad. Great documentary you did tonight. Looking forward to tomorrow nights program.
I'm also totally with Brent on the definition of success issue. I perceive McCain trying to use words for their emotional appeal (which of course is common) and simplicity, but he's left huge holes in what he means by these terms.
That's the way life can be sometimes that one takes different paths. The family love is still there though!
Why is it that when someone is mixed with 2 races they always call them black anyway? Can't they choose what they want to be?
I don't think that there is anything to the reason for one brother being in prison and the other a preacher because of the lighter skin. One is in prison because he took the wrong road and had no self control over himself.
Cindy...Ga.
"Black in America" was a very powerful and well-done special, and I am glad to see this story being told on a mainstream channel such as CNN. The question is... will this dialogue continue after the special ends?
Soledad O’Brien’s documentary Black in America was an eye opener for my 16 year old biracial daughter. Thank you this couldn't have happen at a better time. This has open a dialog concerning a wide range of topic to include HIV/AID's again Thanks and Congrata on a job well done
Anderson,
Hi!
The documentary Black in America was fascinating. I was impressed by the diversity of the segments. It's great to see your follow-up.
If Obama doesn't think that the surge was important why is he asking for the same thing in Afghanistan?
It is interesting that the person who shot that video of Bush bashing Wallstreet apparently didn't have any respect for Bush especially when he requested no cameras. I'm surprised something like this hasn't happen before.
no anderson the shade of the skin, choices we make, friends we play with.
Thank you CNN for showcasing a legitimate portrayal of Black America. Can we talk education? Kudos to the Harvard professor who is at least willing to try SOMETHING.
Yes. That was Dr. Fryer. I agree with him on the incentives. Hopefully he will follow up and let us know how his experiment is going.
The Obama campaign started paying the exspenses once they left Kuwait; that is the reason for the Obama's plane being used now.
McCain has made huge mistakes in constantly attacking Obama rather than defining what victory is aand dealing with the economy. Hillary did the same thing.
The paper bag test. If you were lighter than a brown paper bag, you are acceptable to whites.
As a white high school teacher married to a successful black woman, I found the section on interracial dating and marriage interesting. As always with television, i wish it were a more in depth treatment of the subtleties involved in race and class in the United States, but this is a nice start to a discussion that I hope will continue.
What was Pres. Bush thinking????????? I don't like his comment!!! I think that was not right to tell people wall street drunk!
I think Soledad did a great job and can't wait to see part 2 tomorrow.
A mortgage rescue bill now? It's just a little late. June was supposed to be the last major push of mortgages becoming delinquent, so to speak. How much can this possibly help, now? Not as much as it should, I'm certain.
So is John McCain's statement his way of starting up the "swiftboats" for this election? I agree with Catie's statement and I just find it very unpresidential.
For Sen. McCain to say that Sen. Obama would rather loose the war and win the election is a sad case of lashing out without truely thinking about what he is saying. He is essentially saying that Sen. Obama does not care about the thousands of our troops that risk their lives everyday for our country.
Soledad O’Brien’s documentary ” Black in America” was awesome and long overdue. Hopefully, it opened the minds of the citizens of this country to the source of the struggles of African-Americans. While I do believe people have a personal responsibility to take care of themselves and their families, African-Americans have had a harder time trying to do so.
Kudos for raising the issue and raising the bar on the conversation.
And thanks to the people who so generously shared moments of their private lives so that we could gain some understanding.
I have to say that to me the special just showed that we all have to take responsibility for our own actions. You can't blame where you were born, your race or anything else. It's up to you to take care of yourself. We all can achieve the same things if we try hard enough.
Cindy...Ga.
I was wondering what Soledad has been working on for the last 18 months. What a piece of Art......Please tell Soledad, to inform the Havard Professor that he should really look at Early Childhood Education as a means of making realistic changes in black kids. When you change and promote self esteem early on in a child's life, trust me you will create a wonderful human being.
John, they have said what victory is. It is an Iraq able to defend itself both internally and externally. The hard part is determining when that is true. If you call it too early and leave, you risk the whole thing falling apart.
I am half black and half white, and I understand what Barack Obama and Soledad O'Brain, and others half to go trough when it comes to race. Especially with my two brothers and I being the only whites onmy dad's side.
Hi Anderson, Erica, fellow bloggers.I had a lot of thoughts during Soledad O' Brien's Black in America report but one that might be worth sharing is that HIV and sexually transmitted infections in general have seemed to be off the mainstream media's radar for a while now, but that may be because of the focus on the primaries and the election.
I can't believe the way Mccain is talking about Obama. Republicans are trying everything to smear Obama. The sad part about all this is that Mccain was supose to be different kind of republican. Yeah, right.
As I sat and watched the segment presented by Soledad, I wasn’t shocked by the reports. I was actually able to relate to many of the stories presented, especially the segment on education and beating the odds despite your environment. As an educator, I witness students who are disengaged with school and fail to see the connection between academic success and success in life. It's a trend that teachers as well as parents must discuss with students. I look forward to watching tomorrow's segment. Hopefully, Soledad will also discuss the issues of revitalization and gentrification of Black communities all across the United States. "Why Is Your House Bigger than Mine" discusses these issues in full view.
Yes, Susan, it's great that he says what he means, we should expect honesty from our politicians, which is sometimes a rarity. But, it's a simple matter of respect for your opponent. Obama has to respect the contributions McCain has made to this country and vice versa without resorting to petty accusations that border on accusations of treason.
Why do these shows have people on who just repeat democratic and republican talking points? I'm so sick of that. I would actually enjoy some real analysis for a change. Luckily CNN has David Gergen,
Anderson, the woman on your panel said some form of WIN,VICTORY OR SUCCESS multiple times....why for once, don't you ask one of these characters what their definition of success is....they use these loaded words without being challenged on them...I have yet to hear a nuanced discussion on what success is in Iraq.
Ms. Tara Wall needs to tell Mr. McCain to admit the War was a wrong War. The Surge is an after the wrong fact. Their still no respect for the tribes that came together, and the sieze fire, within Iraq. Ms. Wall is just defending blindly, and any educated American with common sence should be able to read all that.
Hi Erica!!!!
I agree with you too. I can't wait see her program tomorrow tonight. it is so amazing documentary!!!!!!
Thank you CNN for showcasing a legitimate portrayal of Black America. Can we talk education? Kudos to the Harvard professor who is at least willing to try SOMETHING. Sure, we'd love for kids to love learning for the sake of learning, but when kids see the only alternative for "making it" is to sell drugs or their bodies, then you have to do something dramatic and non-traditonal to get them to see that there are other alternatives. Let 's be real...this is a crisis, so "by whatever means necessary" we have to get these kids back on track and eliminate this achievement gap.
The Black in America coverage was awesome. This piece brought to mainstream America's front door the struggle that African Americans face day to day. There is a true "mask" that African Americans must wear to achieve success in America. This documentary displayed this 100 fold. The piece in Baltimore really touched my family and I because my mother was raised in one of the city's roughest areas, and fought tooth and nail to remove my siblings and I away from the inner city and its violence. Thank you CNN, I just hope tomorrow night is just as intoxicating as tonight!!