African-American Issues

Commentator Gayle Pemberton remembers the "Birmingham Bombing", which killed four young girls and galvanized support for the Civil Rights Movement.

Atlanta-based writer, performance artist, and award-winning playwright Pearl Cleage. She's also a columnist for the Atlanta Tribune," and, more importantly, a "third-generation black nationalist feminist." She has a new book of essays, "Deals with the Devil: And other Reasons to Riot," (Ballatine Books). One of her columns, "Mad At Miles," is about her anger at Miles Davis for his "violent crimes against women," about our willingness to forgive the sins of a genius, and the violence done to black women by black men.

Documentary filmmaker Jim Chambers, who put together the new film "112th and Central: Through the Eyes of the Children", a documentary about the effects of the Los Angeles riots on the young people who lived through them. The film is put together from interviews of friends and family filmed by the children themselves, including 12 year old Cleophas Jackson whom Marty also interviews. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Kristin Clark Taylor worked in the Bush administration, and was the first African-American woman in history to hold that post. She's written a new book about it, "The First to Speak: A Woman of Color inside the White House."

Arnold Rampersad, professor of Literature at Princeton, biographer of Langston Hughes, is coauthor of tennis star Arthur Ashe's memoir, "Days of Grace." Ashe died this year at age 49 from AIDS he contracted during open heart surgery. He was the first African American tennis champion, winning the United States Open in 1968, and going on to capture three Grand Slam titles. He has remained a vital presence in the sport, and his autobiography features portraits of the great celebrities of tennis.

Allen and Albert Hughes, 21-year old twins, and directors of "Menace II Society." Their mother steered them away from drugs and gangs when they were twelve by buying them video equipment. After making several music videos and short films, they've made their first feature. It's firmly in the gangster genre, an unflinching film about young men growing up in Watts. The film's 23-year old screenwriter Tyger Williams explains: "For every 'good' kid that makes it out of the ghetto, there are five more who don't.

Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead fills in for our regular film reviewer Stephen Schiff. Whitehead reviews "Posse," a new Western by Mario Van Peebles.

Alexander's songs were recorded on early records by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. His new album, "Lonely Just Like Me," is his first release in twenty years.

The athlete is proud of his career as a second baseman, as well as a well-rounded player. He has a new memoir called "Joe Morgan: A Life in Baseball."

Gaines wrote "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" and "A Gathering of Old Men." He talks about growing up in rural Louisiana and his new novel, "A Lesson Before Dying," which brings together two black men -- one a teacher, the other a death row inmate.

Harris is the writer and director of "Just Another Girl on the IRT." She became one of few African-American women film directors to have her film released nationally. The film won the special jury prize for a first-time film maker at the Sundance Film Festival. It's about a high school junior, Chantel, who is an A-student, with a gift of gab and an attitude.

Moses was a leader in the Civil Rights struggle, helping to register black voters in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. He's still a civil rights activist, though his weapon now is math. He's the director and creator of the innovative Algebra Project which opens up educational opportunities for young African-Americans. Moses established the project in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1982. Since then it's been implimented across the country, and has reached 9,000 inner city youths.

Professor of African-American studies, Gerald Early. He'll talk with Terry about the dilemma of being a middle-class African American intellectual, and how that kind of life can separate a person from the black community. His new book is "Lure and Loathing: Essays on Race, Identity, and the Ambivalence of Assimilation."

Tamra Davis is the director of the new rap satire film "CB4," which stars Chris Rock of Saturday Night Live. Davis is well-known for her work directing music videos with everyone from Sonic Youth to Bette Middler. Her first film was "Gun Crazy."

Former Police Commissioner of Philadelphia Willie Williams replaced the controversial Los Angeles Police Department chief Daryl Gates. Williams' challenge has been to improve the relationship between the police and the community, and to build-up morale within the force. Williams has also had to prepare the department for possible further disturbances in the community, in light of the April riots over the Rodney King verdict.

George is one of this country's most prominent chroniclers of black music and culture. He was the black music editor at "Billboard" for seven years and is a regular columnist for the "Village Voice." His new book "Buppies, B-Boys, Baps and Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture," is a collection of his writings about the last two decades in Black urban culture. George also edited the book, "Stop the Violence," a collaboration of top rappers working to end black-on-black violence.

Reverend Youngblood is the leader of St. Paul Community Baptist Church in one of Brooklyn's poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods. Youngblood came to the church and turned it around from a dying institution to a thriving center for religious and community activity. It has created a school and, through innovative programs, brought young black men back into the church. St. Paul's has also, as part of a coalition with other churches, built housing in the area and replaced brothels and numbers joints. "Upon This Rock: The Miracles of a Black Church" by Samuel G.

Neely has brought a strong African-American female voice to the genre. The heroine of her debut book, "Blanche on the Lam," is Blanche White, a 40-year old housekeeper with big thighs, a wry sense of humor, and a jaundiced view of the rich. Blanche is on the lam from a 30-day jail sentence for a bad check; she can hide in plain sight, because of her invisibility as a black housekeeper. One reviewer writes though the book works well as a crime novel, it's "less about a mysterious murder. . .

We remember the boundary-breaking African American athlete with an excerpt from a 1989 interview. Ashe died over the weekend from complications related to the AIDS virus.

Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Alvin Poussaint. He was a consultant to "The Cosby Show." He co-authored the book, "Raising Black Children," about the parenting of African American kids in a way that affirms their identity and addresses reality of racism.