African American issues

Author and journalist, Marshall Frady. His new book is "Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson (Random House). The book tells the story of Jackson's ambitious life, from his illegitimate birth in poverty stricken South Carolina through his years working with Martin Luther King and his unprecedented runs for the presidency. Frady writes about political figures and social and racial tensions in the United States for the New Yorker. His first two biographies were about George Wallace and Billy Graham.

Commentator Gerald Early comments on "The Future of the Race."

Novelist Terry McMillan. The film adaptation of her 1992 novel, "Waiting to Exhale" was last year's box office hit.The book sold nearly 4 million copies. McMillan has recently completed her fourth novel, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (Viking) which is available in bookstores this week. It tells the story of a 42-year old career woman on vacation in Jamaica who falls in love with a 20-year old unemployed resort worker. According to McMillan, "it's as close to autobiography as I've written in a long time".

Los Angeles prosecutor Christopher Darden. He'd been a Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for fifteen years before being selected to be on the team that prosecuted O.J. Simpson. He's written his memoir, "In Contempt," (Regan Books, written with Jess Walter.

Reverend Al Sharpton. The controversial advocate for the rights of African Americans has written his autobiography (w/Anthony Walton): "Go and Tell Pharaoh: The Autobiography of The Reverend Al Sharpton." (Doubleday)

Commentator Gerald Early puts into historical context Louis Farrakhan's trip to visit various heads of state.

Commentator Gerald Early considers Black History Month.

Commentator Gerald Early reflects on his wife's work with the Junior League of St. Louis. She is the first African-American woman to be elected president of that city's chapter.

Michael Eric Dyson is considered one of our most important black intellectuals. He's also an ordained Baptist minister who once struggled as an 18-year old father in Detroit. His work has appeared in "The New York Times," "Rolling Stone," "Vibe" and other publications. His new book is "Between God and Gangsta Rap" (Oxford University Press) about contemporary Black culture. Dyson teaches at the University of North Carolina where he is a Professor of Communications Studies.

Director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University, Manning Marable. His new book is Beyond Black & White, (Verso). In the book he argues that race is "essentially a social construction, not a permanent fact of biology or genetics." He calls for a politics that goes beyond "racial-identity" where the goal is "a black face in a high place."