“Black in America 2″ begins tonight on CNN
Soledad O'Brien
“Black in America 2″ begins tonight on CNN, at 8 p.m. St. Louis time. Tonight’s two-hour segment will be followed by two more hours Thursday evening.
CNN’s web page about the program states:
This July, CNN continues its investigation of the most challenging issues facing African-Americans with “Black in America 2.” Soledad O’Brien reports on people who are using ground-breaking solutions to transform the black experience.
Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik suggests watching. Here’s part of his preview, titled “CNN’s Black in America 2: TV that makes us smarter”:
Whereas last year’s model focused on the experiences of black women and families one night and black men the next, this year’s follow-up focuses on what the executive producer describes as “today’s pioneers” and “tomorrow’s leaders” - African-American men and women who are making some remarkable efforts to provide solutions to the problems of American life. There is an inherent lift in that kind of narrative - and while you might not be inspired, you can’t help but be impressed by some of the people you meet in this film.
Zurawik says last year’s “Black in America” — seen by 16 million people — “helped ignite one of the most intense and widespread discussions of any TV production of the year. And most of the talk it generated was about race, a subject that TV had a long history of mostly trying to avoid until last year and the arrival of the nation’s first black presidential candidate of a major party.”
The show’s executive producer, Mark Nelson, echoed Zurawik on the buzz created by last year’s show.
“Black in America last year generated a viral conversation online. It generated a conversation on talk radio. It generated a conversation in magazines, in churches, in homes,” Nelson told Zurawik.
We’re wondering if you found yourself immersed in last year’s “intense and widespread discussions?”
(2 votes, average: 1 out of 5)
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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. 
Hey, let’s do a White in America segment!!!! Even up the playing field!
I wonder how many excuses they will make for the poverty and crime that Black America contribute to the down fall of this country? I’ll be watching with great interest and of course TVIO is in the plans.
Gov. it’s gonna be more of the same ole crap, po lil ole me! Let’s see, White in American hasn’t even had the 1st one yet, but this no. 2 for blacks? You’d think they’d get tired after a bit, but guess not, paranoia runs rampart some more!
I wasn’t aware there was a show last year so I was not immersed in any conversation. I think these types of shows can ignite anger in people. Such as why isn’t there a White in America show. Why do we need a show to find out what it is like to be Black in America? I can never be black in America, I know the problems they face are almost the same as everyone else’s. There are some exceptions but we have laws in place to try and fix people that can’t wake up and deal with someone else who has a different colored skin or different reproductive organs.
Of course there are also exceptions for women, Asians, Mexicans, Chinese…the list goes on and on.
I would be more impressed by a multi racial show. How about Life in America and do it from several viewpoints. I still think that by looking at ourselves as Black in America, White in America, Chinese in America we are doing a big injustice to us all. In the end we are all just People in America and that is how it should be looked at.
Rachel AKA Rodney King “Can’t we all just get along!”
When we as a country have a significant amount of people that think and live the idea, that their lack of success is based on another group’s treatment from many years back is wrong.
Their success or failure should be laid on the shoulders of the person they look at in the Mirror every day.
Any other position is just called the blame game. If they can’t succeed then go to another place in the world where they think they will be treated better. I move away from the majority of black people I lived around, because I didn’t like how they conducted themselves in public, or they way they ran the little government offices they were elected to.
I don’t care for the Black in America either. It just ignite anger and a misunderstanding amongst once civil people. We as a country are making great strides but we are not ready for this. As far as “White in America”…its called Fox News, MTV Real World, and so on…..the vague truhts in those shows are about as vague as Black in America. But will watch just to have something to discuss at work
Gov I agree that to each their own..If you want to be successful you as a person are responsible for it no matter the shape you are in. Everyone should work hard and make something of themselves. If they don’t then it is their own fault. Even if you fall you should get back up again. I don’t think I should apologize for slavery because I am a white person and I don’t think black people should expect an apology. I don’t think it should be used as an excuse either. Everyone in this country has the ability in today’s world to get an education they can get it for free, they can get grants, they can get loans…And if you can’t afford it then you need to find a job and work extra hard. Trust me I am a big believer of DIY
That is not to say that we can’t get along while we do it.
T. Moore I have news for you I am white and you couldn’t pay me to watch MTV. It isn’t television for white people it is television for idiots. MTV is just about the worst channel on cable today. They are music television without the music unless you find yourself awake at 2am in the morning at which time you can sit back and enjoy a lot of Rap videos which hmmm 99% of the time consist of African Americans. That whole well all the other channels are white channels anyway excuse doesn’t fly with me. I have seen all black casts on shows on the channels you speak of or didn’t bother to mention. In fact most shows are pretty damn even these days. I turned on hells kitchen last night and saw people of all races and cultures. These BET’s, the Black in America shows, programs, Whatever that are race driven and not open to all races are what divides us now.
You can’t have it both ways, you can’t say equality for all and then say okay but we get a black television station, black colleges, black specific grants, etc etc etc and it isn’t racist, but if you try and create a White television channel or have white colleges or white specific grants then that is racist. that isn’t equality.
Rehael- I think it is a misunderstanding. I am not saying they are white channels. I am saying that “Black in America” is as silly as Real Word on MTV.
You mentioned other topics that I will not speak on…but again….I am not say anything about a channel being catered to any race…thats not true…its cater towards making a profit.
Black in America is vague…as vague as Real World on MTV
thats all I was saying
Sorry, I did misunderstand what you were saying, thank you for clearing it up. I agree it is vague…and I still say MTV is the worst channel alive lol
Nuts. It conflicts with tonight’s Obamamercial, which no one will watch either.