CNN presents Black in America

[kitty]

I saw some parts of it... I was really surprised by the situation with Michael Eric Dyson and his brother! Who knew?!

Kitty

[Jasmine]

Right kitty. I never knew, but its all too common.

[vin]

Jul 30, 2008 14:07:32 GMT -5 Jasmine said:

Jul 30, 2008 12:59:06 GMT -5 vin said:

I did not watch it because from what I saw in the previews it wasn't worth my time. I'm sick of the same old same old when it comes to being Black in America.

But antywy.....

I heard them talking about it on the Steve Harvey show this morning. Someone called in and said the responses on the CNN website were so off the chain that they shut down the message board. Oh now they don't want to hear how America resonded to it?

It wasn't the same old sad song to me. The segments came about of one family having a family reunion, and it breaks off into the diferrent stories, and segments. but nevertheless, it was worth the watch.

I read the majority of the comments on the CNN boards, and i can't really say that I was surprised. When segments as such pertain to being black in america.. white folks feel like blacks are crying and whining. You can read the comments, but I read stuff like that all the time.

It just shows me that this country and the issue of race and equality remains divided.

I not surprised either but I guess CNN was, for them to shut it down.

Steve made an interesting point concerning how people view things. He mentioned how when the world watched Rodney King being beating mercilessly by all those cops (i remember the video) how he was just beaten the way he was. Black America saw a human being being treated worse than an animal. But a white jury saw a black man resisting arrest. Because he kept trying to get up off the ground while they were beating him the jurors saw that as some type of rebellion and that he should have just laid there and obeyed, (like a good little dog). And the officers were all acquitted.

The same with the young man who was gunned down in New York on the eve of his wedding. Offering no resistance, firing no shots, not even having a gun, but riddled with bullets in an insane attack. Then the officers all acquitted.

The issue of race in the country will always be divided. So the least we could do is choose to accentuate the positive instead of the negative. Just because someone gives us two hours for two nights doesn't mean they're doing us a favor. We still have to pay attention to what's actually being portrayed.

Were any succussful Black business owners shown?
Did they talk to us about our worship and our faith?
Did they talk to the fathers who don't abandon their young?
Did they talk to any African American millionaires and ask them how they did it?
Or to any who are doing youth camps?
How about the only woman who is a referee in the NBA who happens to be Black?

This is just me talking on the subject. Expressing MHO.

My main reason for posting was to give th info on the Campaign to End Aids. Since that's one thing many Blacks are saying they were not aware of (the magnitude) and some of us wonder what part they can play to help. That's a good place to start.

[Poetricia (G.A.P.)]

My only comment is on HIV/AIDS

I believe the campaign to end AIDS will mostly have a chance at becoming successful when people stop having unprotected sex. In this country, the majority of cases aren't a needle or transfusion, it's people still having unprotected sex. (That and the men on the DL who give the virus to their unsuspecting partners - but I don't think those statistics are not higher than your average person who just doesn't use protection).

For the last 2 years, I've been volunteering at a transitional home for women that are homeless and HIV+. I'm at once shocked, saddened, angry, and grateful - I could have been any one of them. Their stories continue to break my heart to this day.

[Nikkol]

I just learned (from a commercial) that they can test for HIV with a mouth swab.... they check for the antibodies to the virus in the saliva...... I almost flipped out when I first heard it though. Here's some more info:
www.thebody.com/content/prev/art2298.html

[Jasmine]

Jul 30, 2008 16:30:10 GMT -5 vin said:

Jul 30, 2008 14:07:32 GMT -5 Jasmine said:

It wasn't the same old sad song to me. The segments came about of one family having a family reunion, and it breaks off into the diferrent stories, and segments. but nevertheless, it was worth the watch.

I read the majority of the comments on the CNN boards, and i can't really say that I was surprised. When segments as such pertain to being black in america.. white folks feel like blacks are crying and whining. You can read the comments, but I read stuff like that all the time.

It just shows me that this country and the issue of race and equality remains divided.

I not surprised either but I guess CNN was, for them to shut it down.

Steve made an interesting point concerning how people view things. He mentioned how when the world watched Rodney King being beating mercilessly by all those cops (i remember the video) how he was just beaten the way he was. Black America saw a human being being treated worse than an animal. But a white jury saw a black man resisting arrest. Because he kept trying to get up off the ground while they were beating him the jurors saw that as some type of rebellion and that he should have just laid there and obeyed, (like a good little dog). And the officers were all acquitted.

The same with the young man who was gunned down in New York on the eve of his wedding. Offering no resistance, firing no shots, not even having a gun, but riddled with bullets in an insane attack. Then the officers all acquitted.

The issue of race in the country will always be divided. So the least we could do is choose to accentuate the positive instead of the negative. Just because someone gives us two hours for two nights doesn't mean they're doing us a favor. We still have to pay attention to what's actually being portrayed.

Were any succussful Black business owners shown?
Did they talk to us about our worship and our faith?
Did they talk to the fathers who don't abandon their young?
Did they talk to any African American millionaires and ask them how they did it?
Or to any who are doing youth camps?
How about the only woman who is a referee in the NBA who happens to be Black?

This is just me talking on the subject. Expressing MHO.

My main reason for posting was to give th info on the Campaign to End Aids. Since that's one thing many Blacks are saying they were not aware of (the magnitude) and some of us wonder what part they can play to help. That's a good place to start.

I agree in most cases.

I will say this, Balance is key to all things. If one really want to know if the show focused on the negative,and the positive, or if it displayed an even balance, they willwatch it.

[vin]

I watched some of the clips yesterday and will probably watch a few more over the next few days. Still not impressed with it but I also know that it would take a lifetime to tell our story.

I watched the two segments on relationships and I wasn't sure I liked them. On the one hand it's almost like we are screaming to America, "We want the same things you want! We're human too!" Like Blacks are still pleading their case to White America. I hate that. It's sad but it's realty. The fight will never end.

I would almost rather see us completely ignore the stigmas, defy them right to their faces. That's why I say, talk to our millionaires, our business owners, our CEO's and such. Just for once, without mentioning jail, aides, or crime. Why are we always having to explain ourselves. I get tired of that.