Finally, an Unbaised Look at an African-American Culture in the Media

CNN is hosting a special report Black In America, on July 23 and 24. There will also be an HBCU tour where CNN tours such Historically Black Colleges and Universities as Hampton University, Howard University, Atlanta University and A & M schools in North Carolina and Florida. To promote the tours CNN is hosting a contest where students can submit a video report on such subjects on how HIV and AIDS is affecting African-Americans, why you should or should not choose an HBCU over a regular school, the state of professional Black women that have never been married and other issues.

This is great news first off because African-Americans need positive discourse about the state of affairs in the African-American community that will be watched by someone other than just other African-Americans. Secondly the platform is CNN, whch is still a trusted source in the news media particularly for positive and uplifting news and third this isn't another State of the Union type of presentation hosting by Blacks for Blacks. Usually, when there is a special presentation about something in the African-American community it tends to be negative. There are exceptions, particularly the dedication that PBS tends to show throughout the year though it is more prevalent during Black History Month when everyone else is wearing their badge proudly as though it were the pink ribbon of breast cancer research.

They also get you to think because they still host programs like Tavis Smiley's show where he hosts one on one interviews with some of the brightest minds in entertainment, politics and academia. CNN has always had a presence but is probably better known for their commentary by Roland S. Martin than anything. I was watching the BET Awards Show yesterday and they were hosting promos for another installation of Baldwin Hills; a show not unlike The Hills of MTV though here the focus is of one of the richest predominately African-American communities in the nation.