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CNN’s BLACK IN AMERICA 2…
By Anthony | July 26, 2009
Greetings,
I like Soledad O’brien.
Her on point comments during the initial stages of Hurricane Katrina’s wrath were refreshing, and in a mainstream television news world where over-the-top sex appeal and bluster are pushed far more than substantive coverage her reportage is welcomed.
However, during the recently debuted Black In America 2 series on CNN I felt that it was all about O’brien as she anchored, did in-the-field reporting and voiced every segment - from South Africa to Bushwick and points in between – of this the network’s second documentary series on the subject which should have been titled, Soledad O’brien’s Black In America.
Watching this year’s four-hour presentation I yearned for other Black faces to do some of the reporting.
Roland Martin, T.J. Holmes, Fredricka Whitfield, Suzanne Malveaux and Don Lemon all should have been a part of this presentation. Not unlike HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel where he serves as the navigator leading you into pieces that are reported on by others while offering his commentary afterwards.
Unfortunately, their contributions were deemed unnecessary, and in this day and age where Blacks are at best marginalized in many leadership roles of on-air mainstream media – just take a look at the hosts of any prime time cable news program - it was disappointing to not see them during this heavily promoted production, especially when CNN has several to choose.
Now I am not aware of the number of Black people who worked on this series behind-the-scenes as producers, researchers, writers, etc., but what was apparent was the face out in front of each moment was that of Mrs. O’brien, who from my perspective could have used some extra eyes doing the reporting, or perhaps even in areas of support, as there were times when context and depth were sorely needed.
One such example occurred during the story on the beautiful efforts of Steve Perry as principal of the Capital Preparatory School in Hartford, Connecticut, when the story arc took us to one of his students, Glorious Menefee, who courageously overcame the kinds of harsh family issues that challenge many young people, and excelled.
However, the fact that her parents – both overcoming years of crack and alcohol addiction, respectively – were there for her high school graduation together as one family is equally encouraging and empowering, and we needed some word from the adults about their recovery efforts in bringing this Black family back to some semblance of wholeness, instead of how many years the mother was on crack and the father’s verbal abuse.
Additionally, the absence of any mental health professional discussing the internalized effects of being Black in America was equally disjointing.
Malaak Rock’s Journey For Change program took students from Bushwick, Brooklyn to South Africa, but failed to give broad historical meaning to the young people’s trip to their ancestral continent, nor the stench of the centuries old, yet recently ended, apartheid system on the inhabitants.
Certainly, the appearance of the aforementioned Black reporters on this program does not guarantee the depth I am asking for, but they are also Black in America and a part of CNN’s news team, therefore raising the issue of why management chose the multiracial O’brien for the face and voice of this entire project is essential.
PEACE
PEACE
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