Blacks in Congress seek more diversity on Sunday talk shows
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are asking the Sunday morning talk shows to add more minorities to their guest lists.
An article in the congressional newspaper The Hill carries this quote from U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Black Caucus:
“I’m not pleased at all with the diversity issue as it relates to talk shows. We have, what, 17 subcommittee chairs and four full-committee chairmen? These members are brilliant; they know their stuff. They’re powerful and they should be part of the Sunday morning talk shows.”
Reporter Mike Soraghan of the Hill writes:
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), secretary of the CBC, calls himself a “fan” of the Sunday shows, but said he’d like to see change.
“The morning talk shows need to increase the number of African-Americans,” Butterfield said. “Not only for diversity, but it would also be good for the ratings.”
The comments come three years after a study found a striking lack of black participants on the shows. The original study was completed before Democrats took over Congress in the 2006 elections, which put many more black and Hispanic lawmakers into positions of power.
But some legislators say that hasn’t been reflected on the shows.
Lee said the CBC, composed of 41 House members and Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), is working on the issue and has been in communication with the producers of the shows.
Later in Soraghan’s article:
Roll Call tracks lawmakers’ appearances. The CBC member with the most appearances this year is Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), with two. The only other CBC member on the list is House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who appeared once on “Fox News Sunday.” No Hispanic members are on the list.
This past weekend, not one minority lawmaker appeared on the Sunday shows. All seven of those who appeared are white and six are male. A majority of the Congress is composed of white males.
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Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
Should the majority cares what Lacy Clay has to say? I can see it now, affirmative action for talk shows Yes! is this country great??????
Hey lunatic - Did you read the last line of your column? “A majority of Congess is composed of white males.” Perhaps that could be the reason why white males are on the sunday talk shows rather than blacks. This is such common sense. You liberals are so caught up in political correctness and cow towing to whatever the black community (black caucus, NAACP, etc) claims as an injustice that you forget your common sense.
Oh please put Maxine Waters on the air - she is so my fav!
Honestly, I think they don’t want to appear. I actually heard Mike Wallace on a Friday say he was having trouble finding Democrats to appear on his show to defend the Administration. Gee, I wonder why?
Good Grief, Obama is on ever newscast 24/7. Where does it end. Maybe give Barney Frank a talk program, to run simultaneously on all stations, his buddy could solicit on the program.
With all respect to Barbara Lee, doesn’t everyone pretty much HAVE to serve on committees? If they happen to have some seniority, don’t they get to be sub-committee or full committee chairs? Being in that position as a member of Congress doesn’t make you brilliant. They may be brilliant people, but your argument doesn’t prove squat. If the GOP took over the House tomorrow, how many would be chairs? None, that’s right. What happens to their brilliance then???
What’s interesting is that all these networks, who tirelessly push liberal agenda after liberal agenda, who constantly point out the gaps in female and minority practices in schools, businesses, and so forth, cannot and do not practice what they preach on the nightly news…
As a follower of Fox News in the evening, I can attest to the fact that they have a lot of black guests on. Johnh, you are dead on…Obama is covered ad nauseum every day, every hour, every minute on ABC, CBS, NBC and his hind end kissed by every newscaster and reporter. Do we need more hind end kissing by guilt-ridden white guys on Sunday mornings?
This just in: It has been discovered that there is a severe lack of black announcers, coaches, players, owners, general managers, and fans at all NHL games. This disparity must be corrected at once! A national boycott will surely be called soon by the Black Caucaus, NCAAP, UNCF, ACORN, and Bad Boy Records…
How many blacks and Hispanics were asked but declined to appear? I notice that that question wasn’t part of the “Sunday Morning Apartheid” report.
After the last time Charlie Rangell appeared on Fox News Sunday, I bet he never picks up the phone again. He had his butt handed to him on a plate.
Go_fish makes a valid point. Before you get upset, you need to see how many black and hispanic folks were asked and declined to attend. If they do decline, this changes the complexion of the situation. There is no legitimate beef.
However, I am assuming (and we all know what happens when people do that) that this is not the case, because if it were, this would not even be worth reporting. That being said, what is the harm in asking more minorities to be included? What is the worst that could happen?
When you are the majority, as white folk are today, you do not have to be worried about being represented. There are plenty of people out there similar to you, with the same thoughts, ideas, and beleif systems. It is easy to make jokes about the people who do not feel represented, and go happily on our way. We take this for granted.
People on this blog often state that minorities need to realize how the game is played, and start following by the rules. Okay, fair enough. But what happens when you try to fit into a system, but that system does not include you? It is easy for most of us to relate to the people who are on these shows because they are like us. What if it was the other way? What if there was no one there for us to relate to? How could we possibly connect? We wouldn’t. We would feel alienated.
I can imagine that minorities feel the same way. If we want them to play by the rules we have established, then we have to include them, which, apparently, we do not always do. We can’t say, “Pull yourself up, and do it like we do it!” if we deny them the opportunity.
Tim also brings up an excellent point. The media is as guilty as any other institution that discriminates, and I doubt they will notice the hypocrisy in their claims. Again, the media seems to drive a wedge between the people of this country instead of uniting. However Tim, I seriously doubt an NAACP boycott of the NHL would do much damage to professional hockey.
Clyde said: Tim, I seriously doubt an NAACP boycott of the NHL would do much damage to professional hockey.
You’re correct, but there is always a Big BUTT. If some Black Hockey player came along with the skills of a tiger Woods, the media would fall over and break its neck promoting him not because of his skill, but because of his color. They did the same with Woods in the beginning; he has sustained himself because of his talent nothing more as it should be.