Premiere Last Night: CNN Black in America with Soledad O'Brien

My colleague, the wonderful Cuban sociologist Ted Henken at Baruch College, got me and another wonderful colleague Johanna Fernandez (writing about Mumia these days) into to the special premeire of the series CNN Presents: BLACK IN AMERICA with Soledad O'Brien. Thanks Ted!!

I was struck by the SEGREGATION of the two reports: 1) The Black Woman & Family and 2) The Black Man. This is exactly why have this blog and host SUCCESS with the OPPOSITE SEX: GET RELATED not DATED. We need to get related to the facts and the realities of the ongoing SEGREGATION of the sexes in our communities and more importantly the representations of us as separate and not equal. Daddies and daughters: stop resisting being with one another. Fathers and Single Mothers: be accountable and respectful for what kinds of relationships we are creating for young people and teens not to mention TV and the world.

"The Black Woman & Family," investigates the disturbing statistics of single parenthood, racial disparities in education and HIV/AIDS as well as the progress of black women in the workplace and the status of the black middle class. Premieres in HDTV on Wednesday, July 23, 9 p.m. ET.

"The Black Man," explores black men and fatherhood; educational, career and financial achievement; black male incarceration and the achievements of black men and the importance of black fathers. Premieres in HDTV on Thursday, July 24, 9 p.m. ET

I didn't take pictures but met this lovely African sister. She asked a daring question after the 30 mins clip they shared with us. All the pics here are hers. She asked if Africans were featured in any way in this. Soledad said no. AIDS/HIV is focused exclusively on heterosexual experiences. Ms. Africa (Africa is her nickname) commented on the parallels happening with AIDS in Africa and here. That is truly a missing but it also is an opportunity to talk about it on the blogosphere as these special reports air next week.

This was an OCCASION for me. I really had to remind myself I belonged there. I am a prize-winning author and well-recognized college professor in my field and I know it seems insecure (I am sometimes) but it was a delight to have Michael Eric Dyson hug the hell out of me at the scene (we haven't seen each other for YEARS but I am featured in a book he is publishing about Nas coming out in Jan 09).

HIGHLIGHT: I met Cicely Tyson last night and was able to share my CD with her. She was extraordinarily gracious and loving. I told her SOUNDER (1972) changed my life as a child. I also gave Soledad a CD as well as Michael. BE THE TRUE REVOLUTION, baby!

What was missing for me that I would love to see more regularly with these kinds of event? An old fashion church-style introduction or new school "Who's in the house" roll call acknowledging all who came and letting all know who they can network with at the reception (not just Gayle or Cornell). It seems we have to watch TV, look good but never touch each other and get to know the real-world resources of networking in person in NYC.

Someone said they are tired of how the black community avoids education and she had decided to work with the young ones. We cannot afford to leave ANY one behind simply because they are resigned NOT UNLIKE the woman herself who made those comments about what's possible for black men, women and children today. AND we must begin to network THROUGHOUT the African diaspora here in the US and NYC in particular and even more abroad.

SO HOW WAS THE PREMIERE CLIP?
Rather conservative at first glance but I intend to watch the series online. Don't have cable. This segment on the website called "I AM" is much more avant-garde and distinctive. And it's social media and you know I LOVE social media and networking.

'It's one of the best kept secrets' 2:03
Take a good look at Marvin Perkins. You'll never guess what group he joined and why.
• Special Reports - Black in America

My Father's Secret 2:20
Bliss Broyard discovered something about her father that not only changed how she saw him - it changed everything she knew about herself.
• Special Reports - Black in America
• Bliss Broyard Site

Statistics on Marriage, Divorce, and Living Arrangements

I often quote the statistics on black families and marriage and we had a brief conversation about the myths about black men and women around social demographics. The fact that we often say "there are not enough men" or "not enough of the right men" leads to certain behavior or lack of behavior on the part of women who may be resigned and cynical from such talk. There are plenty of men cause you only need one and there's definitely more than one out there to choose from. In any case, it is good to know the state of the black world demographically. To make choices not from what we think is going on but what the numbers, which are always changing, are at any given time. I think these numbers support the need for Success with the Opposite Sex: Get Related not Dated (TM).

On the whole, Blacks or African Americans (hereafter called Blacks) have lower rates of marriage and marital stability than all other ethnic groups. They also have higher rates of single-headed families than other groups.

• Black males and females are more likely to be unmarried than Whites, Hispanics, or American Indian/Alaskan Natives (AIAN) (42.2% for males, 40.8% for females, compared to 27.5% and 21.2% respectively for Whites, 38.2% and 30.3% for Hispanics, and 35.7% ad 29.9% for AIAN ).(ACS 2002)
• Black individuals are far more likely than Whites and Hispanics to be divorced (in 2002, 9.4% of Black males were divorced, and 13.3% of Black females versus 9.1 % and 11.3% respectively for Whites and 5.9% and 9.3% for Hispanics). (ACS 2002)
• Among married Black individuals, a greater percentage is living apart from their spouses than among married White and AIAN individuals (15.7% for Black males, 24.1% for Black females, versus 5.3% and 6.3% respectively for Whites and 11.1% and 12.8% for AIAN). Only Hispanics have a higher rate of living apart from their spouse than do Blacks – 16.2% for males and 16.9% for females (in many cases this may be due to immigration complications). (ACS 2002)
• Black families are less likely to contain a married couple than all other groups (46.0% versus 81.0%). White families have an 81% chance of containing a married couple, AIAN families have a 67% chance, and Hispanics have a 67.4% chance. (Census 2000)
• Single male-headed families are slightly more likely in Black homes than in White family homes (about 8.5% versus 5.3% for whites.). Hispanics and AIANs have a higher rate of single male headed families (10.3% and 10.4% respectively). (Census 2000)
• Single female-headed families are far more likely in Black homes than in all other groups' homes (45.4% versus 13.7%). By contrast, Whites have a 13.7% rate, AIANs have a 28.8% rate, and Hispanics have a 22.3% rate of single female headed families. (Census 2000)
• Only 44.9% of Black householders in family households live with a spouse. This compares with 80.6% for Whites, 60.1% for AIAN, and 70.2% for Hispanics. (Census 2000)
  

Statistics on Childbearing

Unmarried Black women constitute a majority of childbearing Black women and the rate of out-of-wedlock childbearing is increasing. Furthermore, teenage childbearing among Black women is high, although the rate is declining faster than in any other group.

STATE OF BLACK AMERICA - TAVIS SMILEY PRESENTS
Though one may or may not agree with all that Julia Hare says at the State of Black America CNN special in honor of Jamestown's anniversary but what you can take from this video is the need, the dire need for a transformation of what we've been through as black men and women.