Search the Fresh Air Archive

Close Search

Black Perspectives on the War in Iraq

Terry speaks with three guests about how African Americans are engaged with the Gulf War. Diane Pinderhughes is a professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois and the author of a new report for the National Urban League on the role of blacks in the Gulf War. Damu Smith, the founder of the peace group, the African-American Network Against US Intervention in the Gulf, talks about the social forces that lead many African American to military service. Muhamad Abdul-Aleem is resident Imam of a Philadelphia Mosque. He just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia as part of a delegation of Muslim American leaders, where they debated their position on the war.

21:10
Queue

Guests

Host

Related Topics

Other segments from the episode on January 29, 1991

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 29, 1991: Interview with Diane Pinderhughes, Damu Smith, and Muhammad Abdul-Aleem; Interview with Ed Dorn.
Queue
21:28

How Civilian Inequalities Lead African Americans to the Military

Ed Dorn, a senior staff member of the Brookings Institution, considers the question, "Does the US military really provide equal opportunities for African Americans?" Dorn points to the fact that blacks make up a disproportionately large percentage of the Armed Forces, in part because many African American recruits have fewer economic opportunities in the civilian world.

Interview

Transcript

Transcript currently not available.

Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

You May Also like

Queue
26:51

Clay Blair on "The Forgotten War."

Military historian Clay Blair. His new book is titled The Forgotten War: America In Korea. As a reporter in the Fifties, Blair was the Washington correspondent for Time and Life magazines. He later wrote for The Saturday Evening Post. For the last 23 years, Blair has been writing military histories. In The Forgotten War, he tells how warfare changed during the Korean War, and how this war, a war that the United States didn't win, affected our military strategy.

Interview

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Learn How
Advertisement

Recently on Fresh Air Available to Play on NPR

52:30

The voices of Sept. 11: 'My first thought was ... I can't believe that I survived'

(1.) Former FDNY Deputy Chief JOHN "JAY" JONAS. He was in the North tower on September 11th when the South tower collapsed. He and his crew made their way down from the 27th floor. On the 20th, they came across a woman who could barely walk. They made it to the fourth floor when the building collapsed around them. JONAS retired from the Fire department in 2022 after almost 43 years. (INTERVIEW FROM 2011.09.07)

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

35:17

How the WNBA became a political prop in the culture wars

SABREENA MERCHANT covers women’s basketball for The Athletic. The WNBA is having a moment, fueled by rising stars like Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, and Angel Reese, recent leadership changes, and the culture war debates over trans athletes. MERCHANT discusses the latest in professional women's basketball —including the controversies surrounding the WNBA, on and off the court. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW.) (INTERVIEW BY SAM FRAGOSO.)

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

See All Recent Segments

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue