07-22-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
TYLER PERRY TREATS PHILLY KIDS TO DISNEY WORLD: Filmmaker reaches in his pocket after their treatment at a suburban pool.
*Thanks to Tyler Perry, it's indeed a small world after all for the minority kids who were tossed out of a suburban Philadelphia pool on claims of racism.
The filmmaker is footing the bill for 65 African American and Hispanic children from the Creative Steps day camp in Philly to a day at Walt Disney World, according to reports.
The kids reportedly cheered Monday when they learned about the actor's gift. Creative Steps director Alethea Wright says she's thrilled about the offer, especially because Perry "comes from humble beginnings" like the children in her camp.
The Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley has maintained that refunding the camp's swimming fee was not about race but rather a safety issue, in part because many children couldn't swim.
Perry, best known for his signature character Madea, is currently directing the film "Why Did I Get Married, Too?" at his Atlanta studios.
NEVERLAND NEIGHBORS REBEL: New group to fight against Michael Jackson's former home turning into a tourist attraction.
*A group of home owners near the Neverland Ranch are rallying against efforts to turn Michael Jackson's former home into a tourist destination that could disturb the area's rural tranquility.
Residents of Santa Ynez Valley announced a new group Monday called "Never!" It is backed by area community organizations that want to head off any attempts to convert the Neverland ranch in remote Los Olivos into a commercial venue, spokesman Bob Field told the Associated Press.
Field said the area doesn't have the roads, police or other infrastructure to support crowds drawn to a Graceland-like tourist attraction, which he said would disrupt the enclave's tranquility.
Such a development would require the property to be rezoned from agricultural to commercial use, a lengthy process that would require a series of public hearings where residents could express their opposition.
Santa Barbara County spokeswoman Nicole Koon said officials have not been contacted by the properties owners or the Jackson family about a zoning change.
Property co-owner Thomas Barrack, meanwhile, hasn't proposed developing the site, but Field said the Santa Ynez Valley residents in his group want solid reassurances that he won't.
"We have received mixed messages, some reassuring, some troubling," he said. "We'd like clear, concrete signs that there are no plans to pursue turning this into a tourist attraction."
The Los Olivos Business Organization, which consists of the wineries, restaurants and boutiques along the town's short commercial strip, released a separate statement Monday stating its opposition to a Graceland-like venue in its midst.
JOE JACKSON STILL SUSPECTS 'FOUL PLAY': Also, patriarch denies abusing Michael during full hour of 'Larry King Live.'
*Sporting a black fedora and a gold medallion of Africa, Joe Jackson was on CNN's "Larry King Live" Monday night continuing allegations that his son Michael Jackson was murdered by his personal physician Conrad Murray, who was with Michael when he died.
"The doctor gave him something to make him rest, and then he don't wake up no more. Something is wrong there," Jackson said. He never referred to Murray by name.
"This doctor, he ran away. They had to look for him three days to find him. To me that is foul play," Jackson said.
Police interviewed Murray three days after Jackson's death. Authorities say he is a not a suspect, though the cardiologist is a key figure in the investigation because he was with Jackson in the mansion and tried to revive him. His car has been seized after police said they believe the vehicle may contain drugs or other evidence.
Jackson appeared on "Larry King" with promoter Leonard Rowe. When asked by King how he's dealt with his son's death, Joe Jackson replied, "I took it very hard." Jackson added he didn't know where his son's body is being kept and hasn't seen the results from a second autopsy performed on Michael Jackson at the family's request.
Jackson also denied ever beating Michael, and said he and Katherine are not separated – even though she lives at the Encino family home and he lives in Las Vegas.
WHITE HOUSE SHIFTS WED. PRESSER FOR NBC: Obama administration was forced to work around "America's Got Talent."
*Thanks to President Barack Obama, America's still "got talent" tonight at 9 p.m.
In order to get NBC to broadcast his Wednesday night press conference, the White House agreed to move its previously announced 9 p.m. start time to 8 p.m., allowing the Peacock to air its heavily-promoted Susan Boyle edition of "Talent" in its regular 9 p.m. timeslot tonight.
With NBC on board, three of the four major broadcast networks will carry President Obama's primetime news conference about health care reform.
FOX was the only network to decline the White House request outright. It was not about to disturb tonight's two-hour live broadcast of "So You Think You Can Dance," and will instead direct viewers to Fox News for the presser. This is the second time FOX has ruled against covering an Obama press conference, a move the network has made in the past when the event's purpose seemed less than urgent.
CBS, which airs only repeats on Wednesday nights, was the only network that immediately agreed to broadcast the president's fourth primetime presser since taking office six months ago.
ABC News often has the highest-rated coverage of Obama's primetime events and was leaning toward carrying the conference after the White House announced it on Friday. Its highest-rated Wednesday program, "Wipeout," will move from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight, and "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" will move to 10 p.m.
The ABC News special "Over a Barrel: The Truth About Oil," originally slated for 10 p.m. tonight, will now air Friday as a special edition of "20/20."
Out of all the broadcast networks, NBC was the most reluctant to bump its programming for the president because "Talent" is the most-watched program of the summer. And tonight includes a heavily promoted interview with "Britain's Got Talent" singing sensation Susan Boyle.
Faced with the prospect of only one or two major broadcasters -- CBS and ABC -- covering the event, the White House moved its start time to 8 p.m.
A White House representative told the Hollywood Reporter, "In speaking with various media outlets, we found that rescheduling for one hour earlier would help us to arrange for as many Americans as possible to hear directly from the President at the press conference."
CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST HENRY LOUIS GATES: Harvard scholar was accused of getting 'loud and disorderly.'
*Charges have been dropped against prominent Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. after Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the city's police department recommended that the matter not be pursued, reports CNN.
In a joint statement, Cambridge and the police department said they made the recommendation to the Middlesex County district attorney and the district attorney's office "has agreed to enter a nolle prosequi in this matter," meaning that it will not be pursued.
Gates was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct after a confrontation with an officer at his home, according to a Cambridge police report. Charles Ogletree, a professor at Harvard Law School who is Gates' lawyer in this case, told CNN on Tuesday that Gates -- the director of Harvard's W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research -- had returned from China on Thursday to his Cambridge home and discovered his front door jammed.
He opened his back door with his key and tried unsuccessfully from inside his home to open the front door. Eventually, Gates and his driver forced the door open from the outside, Ogletree said.
The professor was inside for several minutes when a police officer, Sgt. James Crowley, appeared at his steps and asked him to step outside, the lawyer said. According to his lawyer, Gates told the officer he lived there and showed him his Massachusetts driver's license and Harvard University identification card. The officer followed him into his house and said he had received a report of a possible break-in, the lawyer said. Gates grew frustrated that the officer was continuing to question him in his home and asked for the officer's name and badge number, Ogletree said.
The police report offers a different account of the incident. Gates refused to step outside to speak with the officer, the police report said, and when Crowley told Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in, Gates opened the front door and exclaimed, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" the report said.
"While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence, I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me," he said, according to the report.
The report said Gates initially refused to show the officer identification, but eventually produced a Harvard identification card, prompting Crowley to radio for Harvard University Police. Gates followed the officer outside and continued to accuse him of racial bias, the report said.
After Crowley warned the professor twice that he was becoming disorderly, the officer wrote he arrested Gates for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space."
Ogletree said the professor was "very frustrated" but never touched or pointed at the officer. He was released from police custody Thursday evening after spending four hours at the police station, Ogletree said.
OBAMA DEFENDS HIS 'DAD JEANS': The choice of pants for the All-Star Game's first pitch has come under scrutiny.
*With health care reform the most pressing issue for President Barack Obama these days, Meredith Viera of the "Today" show found time to ask about the "dad" jeans he wore while throwing out the first pitch at MLB's All-Star Game last week.
"You are married to one of the most fashionable women in the world," Vieira told the president during his appearance Tuesday. "Do you want to defend the pants?"
"No. Here's my attitude. Michelle, she looks fabulous. I am a little frumpy," admitted the leader of the free world. "I hate to shop. Those jeans are comfortable, and for those of you who want your president to look great in his tight jeans, I'm sorry, I'm not that guy."
Obama admitted that he would not be caught dead in any "low-rider" jeans. "Sorry ... it just doesn't fit me. I'm not 20," he said.
As for his overall fashion sense, let's just say it's not high on his agenda. "Basically, up until a few years ago, I only had four suits," he said.
JUDGE REFUSES TO POSTPONE C-MURDER TRIAL: Prosecutors had requested time to investigate an inmate who confessed to the crime.
*The retrial of rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller, who is accused of killing a teenager at a New Orleans-area nightclub, will take place as scheduled next month despite attempts from prosecutors to delay the start date.
Louisiana's Judge Hans Liljeberg refused to postpone the murder trial so that prosecutors could investigate a claim by another man that he killed the teen.
Liljeberg ruled Monday that prosecutors have less than two weeks to investigate allegations raised by Miller's attorney that Juan Flowers killed Steve Thomas on Jan. 12, 2002. Flowers is serving a life sentence in a Georgia prison for another killing.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Aug. 3 in Miller's case. The 38-year-old is charged with second-degree murder and faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted.
MARC ANTHONY OWNS PART OF MIAMI DOLPHINS: J.Lo's husband joins Gloria and Emilio Estefan as minority owners.
*Marc Anthony was announced Tuesday as a minority owner of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, joining fellow Latin singers Gloria Estefan and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan. The couple bought a small stake in the club last month, reports the Associated Press.
I'm a huge sports fan," says Anthony, 40. "These opportunities don't come around too often. It's quite an honor and a privilege to be able to sit here today saying that I'm a part-owner of an NFL team."
Anthony, married to Jennifer Lopez, will also perform the national anthem on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" on Oct. 12 against the New York Jets as part of the NFL's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Meanwhile, Anthony and Lopez are said to be house-hunting in Miami.
"Jennifer loves Miami," he says, according to People.com. "So she's really, really happy about this because we're going to be spending a lot of time down there."
STARS ATTEND CAMPBELL-MARTIN'S BABY SHOWER: Samuel L. Jackson, Leah Remini, Cedric the Entertainer, Holly Robinson Peete among guests.
*Tisha Campbell-Martin and husband Duane Martin celebrated the impending birth of their son with a celebrity-studded, French Cirque du Bebe-themed shower held Saturday afternoon in California, reports People.com.
Hosted by family friend Jayneoni Moore, the bash drew pals Samuel L.
Jackson, Leah Remini, Cedric the Entertainer, Holly Robinson Peete, Eriq La Salle, Niecy Nash and Pauletta Washington.
The décor, styled by Jennifer Sbranti of Hostess with the Mostess, was of a whimsical wonderland complete with mod elephant vases, monkey statues, zebra-print tablecloths, sparkly crystals and giant ostrich feather "trees" comprised of more than 200 electric blue and golden yellow feathers.
"I was so surprised by everything and how extraordinary the party was," said the "Rita Rocks" star, 40. "I am such a control freak and usually plan my parties, but this was the most beautiful – from the people, to the decor, to the food."
The French-inspired menu was catered by The Party Goddess and included a cheese display overflowing with olive pâtés, le petite beef sliders topped with triple cream brie and homemade sweet potato fries dusted with Cajun spices.
Guests sipped on specialty drinks that included a "French Martin-tini, "Toast to Tisha" and fresh blueberry lemonade with mint leaves, – from bartenders in masks reminiscent of Mardi Gras. Dessert was handled by Heavenly Cupcakes and its 5-tier tower displaying over 200 gourmet treats.
Due in early fall with a baby brother for son Xen, who turns 8 next month, Martin was ecstatic about her Peanut Shell (http://www.thepeanutshell.com/)-sponsored shower.
"Everyone enjoyed themselves," said Martin. "It felt more like a family reunion than anything else, which was just the best!"
JANET NOT IN MJ TRIBUTE AT O2 ARENA: Singer was said to be part of the celebrity lineup for memorial concert in August.
*A rep for Janet Jackson is denying reports that the she will participate in an upcoming tribute concert for her late brother Michael at London's O2 Arena. But brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon are still scheduled to participate.
MSNBC's Courtney Hazlett wrote in her Scoop column Tuesday that Janet's rep called any rumors that she’d be at the memorial “false,” which comes as a surprise to some of those involved in the planning of the tribute. “Over the weekend there was talk of Janet being the surprise opening act,” said one person inside the tour.
A family friend was quoted as saying: “Janet has plenty going on as it is — she’s filming a movie (“Why Did I Get Married Too,” in Atlanta and the Bahamas) and she’s involved in Michael’s kids’ lives. These concerts are not about her and she respects that. She’s always been independent.”
Meanwhile, there are now two tribute concerts in the works for Michael Jackson at O2 Arena next month. The date for the first is Aug. 29, which would have been Jackson’s 51st birthday.
“As the schedule stands right now, there will be a second show on Aug. 30,” said a source involved with the scheduling.
Jackson’s brothers – Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon – have been involved in “every part of the concerts’ planning process” according to the source, and will reportedly perform a medley of the Jackson 5’s greatest hits at both shows.
The plan for a tribute show was first announced at a meeting of “This is It” tour cast and crew on June 27, wrote Hazlett. At that meeting, tour director Kenny Ortega told them that the memorial concert would be “what Jackson would have wanted.”
According to the current schedule, rehearsals will take place in Los Angeles the first two weeks of August, and they’ll move to London the week before the concerts.
AEG has yet to make an official announcement confirming the plans.
DIANA ROSS CAMP DENIES BEEF WITH KATHERINE: Rep says reports were 'ridiculous'; singer has 'deep love for the Jackson family.'
*Diana Ross denies that she is in some kind of feud with Jackson family matriarch Katherine, calling reports that the pair are at odds over custody issues "ridiculous."
Ross was named in Jackson's will as an alternative guardian for Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, if his mother Katherine was unable to care for them.
The decision was said to be unpopular among family members who have challenged the will, which was drawn up in 2002. Jackson's sister LaToya told reporters, "We believe there is another will which will emerge. He updated his will almost every five years, so we expect one to come from 2007.
"Michael always told us that he wanted his eldest sister, Rebbie Jackson, to look after the children. Rebbie had a nice family, which Michael loved. He told many family members that she was his choice."
Despite the controversy, Ross insists there is no bitterness between her and the Jackson family. A spokesperson for the star says, "Ms. Ross has deep love for the Jackson family."
UMA THURMAN IN FILM ABOUT UGANDAN SCHOOLGIRLS: Movie based on 1996 raid at a boarding school.
*Uma Thurman will star in the indie drama "Girl Soldier" for Caspian Pictures, playing a cleric who helped rescue 140 schoolgirls abducted in Uganda.
The story is based on Kathy Cook's book "Stolen Angels," which follows the 1996 raid at a boarding school, where a band of armed rebels abducted young girls to turn them into soldiers and sex slaves.
A teacher at the school, Sister Caroline, tracked the rebels back to their camp to demand the girls' release; 110 were returned to the nun, who then began a crusade over the next few years as she rallied parents, the government, the United Nations and the pope to aid in rescuing not only her own girls but other children in rebel captivity.
"This is a film that had to get made," Thurman said. "It's beyond me that in this day and age the exploitation of child soldiers goes virtually unnoticed and unchecked by Western media."
Caspian Pictures was founded by Will Raee and Brian Bullock last year with the goal of making socially conscious and commercially viable films with mass audience appeal. Producers are eyeing a first-quarter shoot.
DIVORCE BITS: Barry Bonds' wife thinks again; Don Cornelius wanted divorce 'before I die'; Usher copes by staying busy.
*The wife of former MLB slugger Barry Bonds has filed court papers seeking to dismiss her previous filing that sought a legal separation. Liz Watson filed for separation on June 5 with the intention of ending their 11-year marriage. They have one daughter together.
*Court papers in the divorce of Don Cornelius and his ex-wife Viktoria reveal that he was trying to get messy the ordeal over with before he leaves this earth. "I am 72 years old. I have significant health issues.
I want to finalize this divorce before I die," the longtime "Soul Train"
host said in papers submitted to L.A. County Superior Court. The judge must have seen things his way -- the divorce was granted a couple of weeks ago, reports TMZ.com.
*Usher was asked by Vegas magazine how he's dealing with the divorce from his estranged wife Tameka Foster. "(To be) able to balance it all and to keep your sanity, you have to have people who truly care about you. But staying busy makes it a little bit easier," he said. Ursh, 30, filed last month, revealing he had been living apart from the 38-year-old stylist since July 2008 and stating there was "no reasonable hope of reconciliation." He's seeking joint custody of the pair's two sons, Usher Raymond V, 19 months, and Naviyd, seven months.
BLACKS PREDISPOSED FOR SLOWER AIDS PROGRESSION: Genetic variation part of African American survival advantage.
*From the start of the HIV epidemic, it appeared that some of the people who were infected with the virus were able to ward off the fatal effects of the disease longer than others.
Recent studies have begun to unravel the cause of this phenomenon, and new research suggests that African Americans with the disease have a unique survival advantage if they have both a low white blood cell count (known as leukopenia) and a genetic variation that is found mainly in persons of African ancestry. This study was prepublished online on July 20, 2009, in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.
The research showed that African Americans with HIV who possess both a variation in the gene for the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokine (DARC) and leukopenia have slower HIV-to-AIDS progression rates than HIV-infected European Americans with leukopenia. Previous studies showed that the same DARC variant conferred protection for persons of African ancestry against a particular form of malaria, and that persons of African descent have, on average, lower white blood cell (WBC) counts than persons of European ancestry. Leukopenia is one of several blood conditions observed frequently in patients with HIV-1 infection, but its impact on disease course is relatively unknown.
"Even though leukopenia is tied to both African ancestry and faster disease progression, we found that compared with European Americans, African American patients with HIV who have leukopenia do not necessarily experience this expected outcome," said lead author Sunil Ahuja, MD, of the Veterans Administration (VA) Research Center for AIDS and HIV-1 Infection and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
This study evaluated data from the Air Force subset of the U.S.
Military's HIV Natural History Study and included genetic and clinical data from 1,132 participants. The researchers tested for the presence of the DARC variation and evaluated patients' WBC counts from diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease to determine the impact of different levels of WBC counts on survival rates.
The prevalence of leukopenia at the time of diagnosis was significantly higher in African Americans (28 percent) than in European Americans (15 percent) or other ethnicities (13 percent). The average WBC counts were also significantly lower during the course of the disease in African Americans with HIV than in other ethnicities.
The researchers found that leukopenia was generally associated with a faster disease progression from HIV to AIDS, independent of known predictors of AIDS development. "On average, leukopenic European Americans progressed nearly three times faster than their non-leukopenic African or European counterparts," explained Hemant Kulkarni, MD, first author of this study.
"However, leukopenic African Americans had a slower disease course than leukopenic European Americans, even though twice as many African Americans in the study had leukopenia."
The investigators found that the DARC variation, not race, explained the differences in WBC counts in African Americans with HIV. Among those who were leukopenic, only those with the DARC variation experienced a significant survival benefit. Additionally, this survival advantage became increasingly pronounced in those with progressively lower WBC counts, suggesting that the interaction between DARC and WBC counts was the primary influence on slowing HIV disease progression in African Americans.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The 'CNN Presents: Black in America 2' Interview with Kam Williams
Soledad on Ice
*Born on September 19, 1966 in Saint James, NY, Maria de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien is the fifth of sixth children born to Edward and Estrella, immigrants from Australia and Cuba, respectively.
She and her siblings excelled academically, and all attended Harvard University. But while her brothers and sisters pursued postgraduate degrees in either medicine or the law, Soledad settled on a career in journalism.
Ms. O’Brien bounced around the television dial for a few years, enjoying stints on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and at MS-NBC before finally finding a home at CNN where she co-anchored American Morning from 2003 to 2007, often going on location to report such disasters as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Thailand.
Last year, she anchored Black in America, a groundbreaking, two-part series focusing on the state of black society which was watched by over 13 million viewers. In 2008, she was also a member of CNN’s self-professed "Best Political Team on Television" covering the 2008 presidential campaign.
Among Soledad’s many accolades are an Emmy, the NAACP’s President’s Award, the Hispanic Heritage Vision Award, and even the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award which was established in her honor by Morehouse School of Medicine. Furthermore, the fetching freckle-faced (that’s right, freckle-faced) mother of four has been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine and one of the “Top 100 Irish Americans” by Irish American Magazine.
Here, the perky, peripatetic journalist took a break from her very hectic schedule to talk about all of the above and about Black in America 2 which is set to premiere on CNN on Wednesday July 22nd and Thursday July 23rd at 8 PM ET/PT.
Kam Williams: Hi Soledad, I’m honored for the opportunity to speak with you.
Soledad O’Brien: Not at all. How are you?
KW: Fine, thanks. I have a lot of ground to try to cover, because my readers sent in so many questions for me to ask you.
SO: Blast away!
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks what originally interested you in making Black in America?
SO: The first time around, we wanted to take a look at where we were 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King, because the Black in America series actually started with a two-hour documentary on his assassination. This time around, we were really trying to answer a question that was put to us many, many times by people who said, “I loved the documentary, but what are we supposed to do?” So, really, Black in America 2 was an effort to answer the question “Now what?” by taking a look at what some people are doing very successfully and in ways that can be replicated.
KW: Are you bringing back that rapper introducing each segment with a poem?
SO: He will not be back this time because we’re doing something different. Did you like him or not?
KW: I hated him.
SO: Really? That’s interesting. I knew the guy personally and was fine with it. But it seems that people either loved or hated it. My mother loved it, my father hated it. My brother loved it, my sister and best friend hated it. And I mean hated. Hated! [Laughs] And they asked, “What were you trying to say with that?” or “Why is he rapping?” or “Why didn’t you have classical musicians playing?” I found it funny because it was something that I’d put very little thought into since I was so focused on the documentary itself. I just thought that as a nice, spoken-word poet he’d make an interesting artist to have introducing the segments. Here’s what was interesting to me about that, actually. With this entire project, people have a very personal attachment to the story in a way that other communities don’t. For instance, my own mother complained to me at the end of the first Black in America, saying “Oh, so no Afro-Latinos. Why none of your own people?” And I was like, “Give me a break, mom!” But I get it, everybody wants their story in there and a personal connection to the material.
KW: Speaking of your mother, was she accepted by your father’s family when they were married back in the Fifties? After all, she was a black, he was white, and interracial marriages were very rare and still illegal in most Southern states.
SO: I’ve asked them a lot about that for a book that I’m working on. They both had left their families to come to the United States. My mother’s from Cuba and Australians didn’t have any particular hostility towards black Cubans. Plus, Australians have very stiff upper lips, meaning, if there were a problem, no one would know. So, my mom says she felt very accepted by my father’s family.
KW: Were blacks even allowed to enter Australia at the time they were married?
SO: That’s a good question, and I don’t know the answer to that. I know that when I asked them why they didn’t go back during that period, the answer was that my dad was working on his Ph.D. But they did eventually take the entire family at the first opportunity. In fact, my little brother was born there.
KW: It is very impressive that all six of you attended Harvard. What was your parents’ formula for raising geniuses who realized their potential?
SO: It’s less about the O’Briens are geniuses who all went to Harvard, and more about the importance of role modeling. I truly believe the reason we went to Harvard was because my sister, Maria, who was a great student, demystified it for the rest of us, and made it feel readily achievable. I didn’t see her as a genius, but as my sister who was a very hard worker. I could look at her and think, if she could go to Harvard and do well, I certainly could go there and do well. That has made me realize that you are at a giant disadvantage, if you don’t have role models in your life.
KW: Each of your five siblings is either a doctor or a lawyer. Does that make you the black sheep of the family?
SO: [Chuckles] Yeah, I’m the black sheep of the family, although I think they’d love to get on TV.
KW: When I think of you, I think of the Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Thailand. Do you specialize in covering natural disasters?
SO: When I was a morning anchor, a story had to be big for us to do the show on location. And disasters kind of fit that bill, whether it might be the Virginia Tech shooting, Hurricane Katrina or something else. But it was less about disasters than a place from which you could anchor the show for a week. We traveled for many different types of stories. Sadly, the disasters just happen to be the more memorable ones.
KW: How do you feel about the fact that so many ethnic groups are trying to claim you as theirs? I’m on the NAACP Image Award’s nominating committee, and we gave you the President’s Award. You were also named one of the Top 100 Irish Americans and received the Hispanic Heritage Vision Award.
SO: My dad’s brother saw a photo of me receiving the NAACP Award and he said, [impersonating an Australian accent] “Oh, Solly, you look so Australian!” That was so funny. I think it’s great because I’m multi-cultural in a lot of ways. I invest a lot of my personal time and energy in different communities. Also, as a journalist, I think there’s a big benefit in being both an insider and an outsider on an assignment. There’s value being an insider in terms of compassion and credibility, whether the community you’re covering is women, working moms, black people or Latinos. And then, as an outsider, you have the freedom too ask the tough questions with credibility. So, I find myself to be comfortable in many situations which might be uncomfortable for most journalists. I kind of fit in everywhere and yet don’t precisely fit in anywhere. And that’s a really nice thing for me not only as a journalist, but as a human being.
KW: To what extent do you embrace your Irish heritage? And is it easier because of your last name?
SO: Funny, I never really think about my Irish heritage unless someone brings it up to me. It’s the same way when someone asks me if I’m black. I don’t have the time to think about it day in and day out. I just see myself as an overworked, crazed mother of four. But then I might meet someone who wants to know where in Ireland my father’s family is from.
KW: Like me. Which county were they from?
SO: I have an aunt who has traced our genealogy back to County Cork.
KW: Australia was settled as a penal colony. Were your ancestors criminals?
SO: Sadly, no. Down Under, having a convict in your family tree is the equivalent of coming over on the Mayflower in America. My relatives were just poor people who migrated there during the Potato Famine.
KW: How did it feel to make People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World list? Did you feel any pressure, since most of the women on it are starlets and pop divas?
SO: No, I agree with you. I’m not a starlet, so there was no pressure to live up to anything on that front. The greatest irony is that I was pregnant with my first daughter and threw up the entire time during People Magazine’s shoot for that article. I think it was God’s way of telling me not to get a big head. But it was certainly a very nice thing for People to pick me.
KW: How did you come to get the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award? Is that Lou Gehrig getting Lou Gehrig’s Disease?
SO: That’s a terrible analogy! I was actually floored. It was such a surprise and an amazing honor for Morehouse’s School of Medicine to recognize my body of work and to establish an award in my name, mid-career, and hopefully not end of career, although I have been in the business for 22 years. I ran into Dave Chappelle at the Four Seasons the other day and he asked me how I was doing. When I complained about all the traveling and he said, “Don’t quit! Don’t quit!” I can’t tell you how many people tell me that.
KW: Dave told you that even though he quit his own show?
SO: That’s what I said to him. And he just smiled and said, “I should know, right?” It’s so incredibly helpful when I’m feeling spent from traveling to have someone say your work matters and we need you around.
KW: What’s it like raising four your children and being on the road so much?
SO: It’s really hard. I’ve been traveling as much as six days a week for this project. That’s impossible to maintain. That’s non-viable. So, we won’t do that again, because I’m a hands-on mommy. It’s really hard on the kids. Even though they understand what I’m doing, someone needs to be there to kind of run the ship at home, which is me. So, we will do things a little bit differently logistically, because I can’t work non-stop and then be off for three months. I have to create a more sane schedule. And that should be very doable.
KW: Reverend Florine Thompson wants to know what you think of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.
SO: I think the fact that you’re looking at a Latino nominee is an indication of a demographic shift that’s actually been going on for a long time. Despite the hoopla around it, if you study the demographics, it’s really no surprise. That being said, her addition to the Court will be historic, although who knows what kind of a justice she’ll be. My sister has argued a case before her, and said that she’s very thoughtful and runs a tight ship. By all accounts she’s bright, smart and hard-working. To me, those things are more important than her being Puerto Rican. But from a history-making perspective, the fact that she’s Latino is obviously critical.
KW: Reverend Thompson was also wondering if you think her struggle with type1 diabetes should be taken into consideration.
SO: No, her diabetes shouldn’t be an issue at all, period.
KW: Laz Lyles asks, if the election of President Obama makes will Black in America 2 more relevant or less relevant, and what impact the show will have on the country?
SO: I don’t think Obama’s being President doesn’t affect the relevance of the show one way or another. When you examine the breakdown of viewers, the audience is not overwhelmingly black. It’s a mix. I didn’t create the show for anyone or to have an impact on the country. My job was to tell really good stories in a way which would stick with people.
KW: Do you see a declining significance of color in the Age of Obama?
SO: I talk to teenagers and they’ll just sort of roll your eyes when you talk about race, as if they don’t get it and as if race doesn’t matter. They look at me the same way I looked at my parents when they reminisced about saving up for their first mortgage. It’s as if I’m talking about something that’s completely irrelevant to their lives.
KW: Are they colorblind?
SO: They’re not colorblind, they see the differences, but they don’t matter. They just don’t see race the same way we see race. And in some ways I think that’s good in that race has become completely demystified the way Harvard was for me watching my sister go off to college. So, I have a lot of hope for my kids’ generation. My daughter looks black but is as blonde as could be. And so many of the children at my daughter’s school are just as diverse-looking.
KW: How do people react to your identifying yourself as black, given your appearance and Spanish and Irish names?
SO: Occasionally, someone will thank me, saying, “You don’t have to admit you’re black.” And I’ll go, “Really? Because I often travel with that beautiful black woman with an afro who’s my mother. What do I do about her?”
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
SO: That’s a really good question… No, but I’m going to have to think about that though.
KW: I’ll consider that a compliment coming from the consummate interviewer. The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
SO: I’m rarely afraid physically, because I don’t do stories that are dangerous. The only fear I have is of being inaccurate, of making an error or of getting the story wrong. Any journalist worth their salt should be afraid of that.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
SO: God, I’m so happy, and I don’t know why, because I literally have not slept in two days. But I’m a nauseatingly-optimistic and naturally-happy human being. I enjoy the company of others and feel very, very blessed. My kids are healthy and hilarious… I have a husband [investment banker Bradley Raymond] who is the most-amazing human being.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good belly laugh?
SO: I have a good laugh all the time. Half of it is so silly it would make no sense to you. I’m here in New Orleans to get an award from McDonalds, and I’m sitting next to my best friend Kim Bondy, my executive producer, who moved back here after Katrina to rebuild her home. And we were just laughing about the fact that I haven’t been to sleep for two days. I flew in from California in on the red eye, arrived at 5 in the morning and never went to bed. So, we laughed about the fact that my life is so chaotic and spinning out of control. Still, I have the best job in television news. I’m not bragging and I don’t mean to sound arrogant. It is such a luxury to be able to do stories that matter. Every day, literally, strangers come up to me and thank me for the work that I do. To hear people say that is so amazing. It’s a great gig!
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
SO: Oh my gosh! I’m in the middle of reading The Soloist by Steve Lopez. It’s fantastic! I didn’t see the movie. A better question would be, what movie did I see last?
KW: I interviewed Jamie Foxx for the film, but I didn’t read the book yet, because I had to review the movie. And whenever I read the book first, I end up hating the movie. The music maven Heather Covington question: What music are you listening to nowadays?
SO: Anybody who knows me, knows I love Luther Vandross. That’s what I love to listen to. He’s my hero. I love him. He was supposed to be on my show, but canceled, just before he died. It was the saddest thing, because after he died I knew I’d never get to meet the person I was so in love with. I also listen to India.Arie and John Legend who I think I scared when I interviewed because I told him, “I love you so much, you’re the greatest!”
KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
SO: What an interesting question! I don’t know. I’m not a big blamer of things on anything but myself. So, if there have been any failings in what I’ve done, it’s been in my not working hard enough.
KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?
SO: You know, you have some really fascinating questions. What I really appreciate is helpful feedback sharing what specifically moved or irked them about a story. I’m a student. I like to learn from what people have to say. And I’ll often write back to a fan and get a good correspondence going.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
SO: [Giggles] That’s so funny. When I look in the mirror, I’m always surprised that I have this face full of freckles. I’m 43 years-old, but feel the same as when I was 26 and just getting some traction as a reporter. So, I look like a mom, but I don’t feel like a mom. I look in the mirror and see a light-skinned black girl with a face full of freckles. And I go, “Oh my God! I’m middle-aged now! That’s crazy!”
KW: How do you feel about the passing of Michael Jackson?
SO: It’s interesting to me how many people of all ages and from all walks of life have been telling me how saddened they are by his death. Not many an icon’s passing would profoundly affect so many different subsets of people? That’s really an indication that he was truly a world pop star.
KW: We also lost Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays and Karl Malden.
SO: It’s been so sad, that’s a lot of loss in one week.
KW: Marcia Evans said that she found Black in America 1 “painful because it put us in a negative light.” Did you get a lot of feedback like that?
SO: I had some people say that, but I don’t think that that’s true. My job was to answer the question we had posed, namely, “Where are we today?” For instance, someone asked me why I had to talk about the black male dropout rate. My response was, why aren’t you screaming bloody murder about the low graduate rate? That’s insanity! You can’t have a successful country with a 29% black male graduation rate. And I was curious about why someone would find my pointing that out would reflect on them personally.
KW: How is Black in America 2 different?
SO: My approach this go-round was to focus on the anatomy of success.
KW: Did you ever make a faux pas on an open microphone like your colleague Kyra Phillips? Do you have a sister-in-law like her who’s a real control freak?
SO: [LOL] No, my sister-in-law is fabulous. She’s a dermatologist and she recently helped out when my son had a terrible rash. I emailed her a photo from my Blackberry and she diagnosed it for me. I get along great with all my siblings. We are a very tight-knit family, and my parents are alive and happy and well! I haven’t made a lot of open mic faux pas, but I am the same person on and off camera. So, you kind of get what you get with me.
KW: Vanessa Goldstein asks, what did you think of Henry Louis Gates' PBS series African-American Lives?
SO: I loved it. You know, Skip Gates was a professor of mine at Harvard, and I’m a big fan of his, both personally and professionally.
KW: Marcia Evans has a suggestion for Black in America 3. She asks, why don’t you cover what black America was robbed of and what America owes blacks?
SO: That’s an interesting suggestion. Certainly, the entire structure of economic disparity is built on generations and generations of people whose work went uncompensated. But I don’t see us doing that in the near future, because I want to cover current-day stories which are unfolding in front of us.
KW: What is your favorite meal to cook?
SO: [Chuckles] I don’t cook. I microwave. My mother will drop off food for us. She makes the best black beans and rice. I can make pasta sauce and tacos, but I really do not enjoy the cooking process, and I don’t do it very often.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
SO: My advice would be: stick it out! We’re see some great movement in terms of diversity, and a bunch of different voices are beginning to get heard. It’s been a battle to get those stories done. I would love to have someone say, “Soledad, you’ve done a great job, but you can retire because I’ve come to take over.” Those words would be music to my ears.
KW: And when you retire, how do you want to be remembered?
SO: As a really good mother who tried to include her children in her work, because she thought her work was important.
KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?
SO: My mom’s at the top of that list. She used to say to me when I was younger, “Don’t let anybody tell you you’re not black. And don’t let anybody tell you you’re not Cuban.” And she never cared what other people thought about her. Another thing I inherited from her is the idea that you “Do what you want to do, and don’t worry what other people are going to say about it.” When my parents were getting married in 1958, it was so controversial the ACLU contacted them to see if they wanted to be the couple that would test the ban on interracial marriage. But they were low-key and didn’t care about the crazy stuff or the fact that people would yell things at them when they walked down the street together.
KW: Where did they marry?
SO: They were living in Baltimore, and they had to go to Washington, D.C. to get hitched. Another hero of mine is Malaak Compton-Rock [Chris Rock’s wife] whose charity work is highlighted in Black in America 2.
KW: Well, thanks again, Soledad, and best of luck with Black in America 2
SO: My pleasure.
KW: If you’re inclined, maybe we can chat again after it airs, and I can come armed with a set of questions based on my readers’ reactions to the series.
SO: Absolutely! I’d love that. Perfect!
To purchase a copy of the original CNN Presents: Black in America, visit :
To see a trailer for CNN Presents: Black in America 2, visit:
http://www.hvc-inc.com/clients/cnn/bia2/mov/bia2_trailer.mov
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation." — Jack and Garry Kinder
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
July 22: Singer George Clinton is 68. Actor Danny Glover is 62. Singer Keith Sweat is 48.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
The What About Our Daughters blog is considered by some as the quintessential Web site for activism. Definitely worth a visit and your support: www.WhatAboutOurDaughters.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
July 22, 1861: Emancipation Proclamation is read to the cabinet by Abraham Lincoln. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
