this week -- grammy award winning singer and songwriter jill scott. >> like me or don't, i'm here. and i'm going to make everything i can out of this life. >> plus, blacks and the gop. what's the republican party doing to attract african-americans? that's what's going on in our world starting now. ♪ living my life like it's

golden, golden, golden ♪ >> this grammy award winning singer, songwriter and poet is known for her music and acting. she's taking on another project to help young women succeed. ♪ golden >> jill scott, always good to see you. >> good to see you too. >> what have you been up to today? talk to us. >> i've been working op the new album. i spent a lot of time in the studio. basically we're freestyling until i fall out. that's pretty much how we've been creating this record. >> what does it sound like? i've heard a lot of shift in your music from the first album to the recent one? >> there's a lot of new voices coming out. there's a mixture of indy dav venport and myself, roxanne shante/my north philly girl. there's an anita baker/michael bolton combination. >> that's a combination. >> michael mcdonald. it they both have la, la, la.

there's a combination of that. like i said we've been freestyling through this project so i never really know what voice is going to come out next. ♪ somebody is checking for us this time ♪ ♪ and i'm sorry you're about to get left ♪ >> i think one of the amazing things about you is the privilege that you have you don't just keep isolated to your family or friends. you're also building things for people. you have a non-profit and charities. talk about some of that work you're doing. >> i'm from north philadelphia and i focus my energy into north philadelphia. camden gets a bad rap too. you're from camden. that's where the thugs are, that's where the killers be. if i came from there, you know, and i think i'm pretty well rounded, i think i'm, you know, modestly intelligent, and i'm -- i love my work ethic.

i'm a hard worker. if i come from there, i know that others like -- like me are there too. if i can create something that will expand their mind, you know, get them excited about living, then that's what this foundation does. >> what are some of the programs that you all offer young people? >> well, we've been offering a scholarship program. it's not completely scholarships where we pay your way. we say, the phrase is, i don't know if i can actually say that out loud, my idea is, you don't throw pearl to swam. if you're working hard and making grade but you can't afford your books this semester, i got you. we're going to help you out. if you're working hard and you're making your grades and putting forth the effort but you can't afford dorm fees, we'll try to help you out. that kind of thing. >> like a hand up instead of a hand out. >> like all right. i respect your effort and it has

to be that kind of environment other than that because as you know scholarships get passed out and kids give up first semester. you're going to have to put in effort. that's the part of the scholarship program, where we where north it philly kids get away for a week, they don't have to watch their back and they don't have to look both ways and they don't have to wonder who has what, you know. it's a peace of mind. >> one other ways you've inspired young people and adults for that matter is to encourage them to be confident with their bodies and who they are. how has that journey been like in the public eye? you're a beautiful woman. >> thank you. >> at the same time on the business often with everybody being a size 0 and we ain't doing it like that. >> it's more important for me to dig myself, it's more important for me to be comfortable with myself, especially now because i have a child who is looking at

me and watching my body language and watching my eye movement, am i comfortable in myself or not. it's even more important for me to relax into everything that i am, you know. the judgment of people for what they look like, rather than what they do and how they are. it sadden ms toe a certain extent. i just keep it moving. like me or don't, i'm here. and i'm going to make everything i can out of this life. >> your music has matured a lot and when it first started categorized you as a neo soul person. a lot of those art it tests aren't around. what do you attribute your longevity and how do you stay relevant? >> i haven't necessarily played into what the industry does. they need you to be on all the

time, to oversaturate the market in a sense. i don't think that's the best way to go for long give itty. i think that you give and you fall back. do something else. i'll write articles or i'll act in a movie or i'll write plays and then doing something else and come back and create more music. i think you just kill yourself basically, kill your career, by oversaturation. >> you've been sharing your gifts with us for ten years, and i hope you give us another 20, 30, 40 of that. >> god willing. >> always a pleasure to see you. >> thank you. my pleasure. >> up next. >> get the impression that democratic party has since this inception has had all the answers for black people if that were the case black people would not be complaining about the problems they complained about 30 years ago, 20 years ago and today. no party has a ma onopoly on wh is best.

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announcer: re-learn life without cigarettes, free, at becomeanex.org. a new way to think about quitting. for the first time since 1997, two black republicans will serve in the house at the same time. is this a sign that more african-americans aring joining the gop? joining us to offer their insights are lenny mcalley sister, vanessa jean luis and arm strong williams. thank you all for being here. the first question that i'm going to ask you all is a question that everyone who watches black republicans is going to ask from the other side of the aisles, why would you do it? why would you become a black

republican in light of all the history of the republican party, why would you choose this path sh. >> we have to look at the best ways to bring about prosperity in black america. unfortunately, the mantra of bigger government and more taxation and increased bureaucracy has not given us the results we're looking for. therefore it's prudent for us as african-americans to look for the best resolutions possible and perhaps there are solutions that we feel, we feel confident in, that the republican party offers when implemented properly will bring about better iscation for our communities, et set ta ra. >> why would black people make this choice as opposed to using the same arguments in the democratic party it? >> i wasn't always a republican. my parents came from haiti and they identified with the democratic party because they were told that's what black and working-class people do. what's sort of converted me, if you will, after i began working in the inner city as a school

counselor and witnessed how a lot of democratic policies purported to help black people to their detriment, that's when i sort of reevaluated my allegiance. >> arm strong, you identify as a conservative but don't identify as a republican. what's the process to make you a black conservative but not a republican? >> there's an inherent problem even in the question you ask. you give the impression the democratic party has since its inception has had all the answers for black people. if that were the case black people would not still be complaining about the problems they complained about 30 years ago, 20 years ago and today. no party has a monopoly on what is best no matter who is in power at the white house black people should be at the table. you should want to be a participant. i'm a republican because my parents are a republican. >> you are ap aren. >> >> third generation. never left the party of lincoln. but i believe that you should not put all your eggs in one basket. you should have equal participation in each party.

there are too many issues in this country and the republicans have maintained power for too long for black people to say i'm going to remain on the liberal plantation because it is a plantation. you got to go in there with work relationships, work the communities for their improvement. >> what do you say to people who say the republican party isn't a comfortable home for black people because they're marginal? you go to the rnc convention, i was there in 2008, and there are black janitors, black radio hosts, black people in the stadiums, black people down the street. when i look on the floor, very few african-americans in the crowd, having prominent positions in the party. what is the republican party -- >> that was the harvest of southern strategy for 40 to 50 years and came back to bite republicans on the tail. you had barack obama on the other side of the aisles running and making history but you look two years later, michael steele that came in as the rnc chair, diversity throughout the state level and federal level of candidates. you're starting to see that change within the republican party. now again it goes back it to, are these going to be seeds that are going to take root. is that where the challenge

comes in it. we have to make sure the communication of what we're doing as far as diversifying the republican party as we go through this culture war, because you have the establishment republicans that aren't necessarily down with this as much as the new school republican is. >> i want to -- i don't necessarily agree with you. you know, i think lenny, and vanessa, a very important sign of the progress that the party is making. i think that the democratic party, the unions, and the left has done a very good job demonizing republicans as being racist, an it ti black, you're not rm there. members of the ku klux klan and forget about former senator robert byrd, the grand dragon of the ku klux klan. >> how many years ago? >> but he was still the grand dragon. if he had been a republican he would still be vilified today. if you're a liberal grand dragon and republican grand dragon. >> how many black people do you have to lynch to be a grand in

the ku klux klan. that's my question. i want to piggyback off what my ideological brethren have been saying and i think we need to hold both accountable. we need to hold the republican establishment accountable for not doing enough to convey how some republican policies can benefit the black communities and hold black people accountab accountable. don't dismiss something someone is saying by virtue of them being -- by virtue of them being republican and don't automatically accept what a democrat says. i believe in a la carte politics. look at what both sides have to say and make -- form late an objective opinion. i don't believe that i want all black people to become republicans. but i would like to see -- >> democrats. >> i would like to see xe ittition because we benefit if both parties are competing for our attention instead of mon listically giving our votes to one establishment and not get any results for it. >> don't cheapen the brand is what you say. make them earn our vote and our

respect. >> we're going to talk about how to earn the votes and policy and president obama right after this break. stay right with us. >> if we take off the label republican and we take off the label democrat, and we ask most black people which views do you align more with? more black people align ideologically with the republican party.

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get selsun blue for itchy dry scalp. strong itch-fighters target scalp itch while 5 moisturizers leave hair healthy. selsun blue. got a clue? get the blue. welcome back. i'm here with lenny, vanessa, and armstrong. we're it talking about blacks in the republican party. i have to ask you all a question because there are a lot of cynics out there who would say that black folk join the republican party because the line is shorter, right? you can get to the top of the leadership that you can get on the pundit circuit, write best-selling books if you're willing to expose values as a black person. >> number one you have to show the values are part of your way of life and to go against that criticism you have to show you love black people and america more than the republican party. all you can do is try to help people with the policies and the philosophies that you epous spouse. if you can't do that you are

what people are calling you. >> i take question with the premise of what it is you said. if we take off the label republican and take off the label democrat and ask most people which views do you align more with, more black people align ideologically with the republican party. the difference between us and them is we -- >> on certain issues. >> on most of the issues, okay. the difference between us and them we vote the way we think. >> listen, as i said earlier, it's a way of life for me. but i think you really marginalize someone. you think about the harshness, the criticism, the questioning of your racial authenticity and all that, listen, you believe in something, you care about this country. it is really not about being black. people get caught up -- >> what do you mean when you say that? >> it's about the policy, it's about what best works best for you when it comes to health care and the role between -- >> there's a dimension of race with that. three strikes bill affects blacks. welfare reform affects black

people. >> affects all americans. >> i agree with armstrong but then i have a little bit of contention with that because we specifically have an obligation to speak to black america and if we are the fewer on this side of the political aisles, we have more of an obligation -- >> how do you speak to black america? >> we are african-americans, leaders in the media. we are at the podium. >> do you identify with african-american? >> american. >> do you identify with african-american? >> i identify as an american. for me, what the media and the world defines as being black and black culture and the kind of images they show i don't want to have anything it to do with it. many people buy into these stereotypes. >> don't you have to be in the house to fix it? >> >> that's a different issue. >> that's politics. >> not race. >> i'm talking about the issue of race. okay. >> i did want to turn the corner a bit and get some grades and some assessments. first of all, if you had to give a grade to president obama for how he's done so far, what would it be? >> c-minus to c.

>> what do you say? >> d-plus. >> what do you say? >> d-plus. i voted for him. i'm thoroughly disappointed. >> the issues and election with president obama, that only white men had ever occupied the white house and they definitely weren't the most competent and best we ever had and the most qualified, history was so strong with me for barack obama. my vote for barack obama had nothing to do with economics, had nothing to do with the best it interest of the country. i voted for him because he az was a brother. race played a role. there is no way at that point in my history -- >> you put issues aside. >> i had no choice. >> you are somebody who doesn't identify as black, voted for somebody because they were black? >> history pulled me where i had no choice but to pull the lever for him. i could not do it any other way. i wanted to tell my kids and everybody else one day, when that moment was upon us, no

matter whether i would vote for him again or not, at that time i had to. >> is the republican party ready to nominate a black person? >> they wanted to put up colin powell. he said no and that was ten years before barack obama. i think so. >> the good news -- >> the way to nominate one. not have one run. >> they will nominate one, won't be because they're black, it's because they're the best candidate and have the right values that the republican platform's -- >> michael steele, purely because he had the best possibility to be a leader or because he were black. >> if president obama was not in the white house michael steele would not be chairman. >> he's a good true -- >> michael steele was more than just being a black man running the rnc. michael steele had at that time he had the media presence at the rnc chairs didn't, he was able to touch the young voters and young people in the republican party. >> he started the hip-hop republican movement. >> but he mentioned it. he had no problem dealing with the tea party. >> the republican party should appeal to the hip-hop generation. >> he's been able to talk to

folks in a diverse way the republican party had not been able to do previously. with that said he's been successful in a way previous chairmans have not been. >> okay. sit right there. we have a little more time but i want to go to commercial for a moment. we'll be right back. >> 2012, does barack obama get re-elected? >> if there's a republican that can speak to middle america unlike mccain and some of the other candidates he's going to lose the white house in 2012. -somebody got a brand new car! -it's got that new car smell... -wait, wait, wait, wait! -what? -c'mon, man. you gonna say no to this? bam! -double quarter pounder. -with... -cheese! -cheese! if i see one sesame seed... [ male announcer ] totally irresistible and fully loaded with flavor -- the big mac, double quarter pounder with cheese and angus third pounder. oh, let me get a napkin. thank you. ♪ i'm in the back seat. ♪ it adds character. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] the simple joy of giving in to flavor. with your mortgage,

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2012 does barack obama get re-elected yes or no and why? >> if there's a republican that can speak to middle america unlike mccain and some of the other candidates he's going to lose the white house in 2012. >> if we have another ronald reagan he'll get ousted in four years like jimmy carter did. >> i'm really concerned. i see this sarah palin movement and i never thought it was serious enough, but i actually think that it's frightening actually, that sarah palin could be the nominee. if she's the nominee, president obama will win again. >> are there any black people on the horizon to be the next president or speaker? >> i would have love to see condi rice go after something, but i think she had too much of the bush au ba tras. she would have -- the same thing about president obama helping our international reputation, she would have done that if she

would have been able it to become president. >> despite being one of the architects in arc and wart in afghanistan. >> she was under the direction of president bush at that time. she would have been her own woman as the president and a a first woman president it would have made a significant difference. >> that does it for us on "our world" with black enterprise. visit us at black enterprise.com. check me out on facebook and follow me on twitter. i'm marc lamont hill. thanks for watching "our world with black enterprise." ? >> promotions considerations for "our world" are brought to you by -- and seven moisturizers. feel the heal. gold bond medicated lotion relieves itch on contact. look for the healing seal. gold bond medicated lotion. stop itching. start healing.