welcome to "our world with black enterprise." the latest action packed thriller smash. laz alon so gives an exclusive all access interview. then a panel of experts discusses president obama's responsibilities to the african-american community. plus, dionnen warwick sings a different song. that's what's going on in our world up next.

so, do you have any questions? what is your soup of the day? oh. how is that cooked? is it grilled? can i have it steamed? so, what do you recommend? any questions? [whispers] no... announcer: for the 10 questions everyone should know, go to ahrq.gov. throughout your body. the latest research shows cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals that spread through your blood vessels... causing inflammation and clotting...

restricting oxygen flow... and doubling your risk of heart attack and death... i'm dr. regina benjamin, u.s. surgeon general. with each cigarette, you have to ask yourself: "is this the one that will cause a heart attack?" if you really want to quit smoking, call 1-800-quit-now. when a woman is having a heart attack? chest pain, like there's a ton of weight on your chest. severe shortness of breath. unexplained nausea. cold sweats. there's an unusual tiredness and fatigue. there's unfamiliar dizziness or light-headedness. unusual pain in your back, neck, jaw, one or both arms, even your upper stomach, are signs you're having a heart attack. don't make excuses. make the call to 9-1-1 immediately. learn more at womenshealth.gov/heartattack.

welcome back to "our world with black enterprise." his acting career continues to evolve and diversify. i sat down with hollywood star laz alonso. how are you doing, man. >> i got to tell you i have never seen this many people on a set before. you need somebody to check the chairs and check the water and everything. >> i'm a high maintenance kind of brother. i need my water temperature right 72 degrees on the spot. couple m & ms. >> the truth is you're actually low maintenance. but you have so many fans these days. everybody wants a piece of you. everybody talking about you. everybody excited about you. >> honestly, this is something that for me i feel very blessed first and foremost. i give all glory to god that my career has taken off the way it

has. especially in the last couple years. having the opportunity to work with directors like james cameron and spike lee always a dream of mine. this year the success and boom continues to help just shape my body of work. >> i promise god if you get me out of this situation i'll only share my cookies with the man i marry. oh my gosh. are you okay. i'm so sorry. i could have killed you. >> until she hit him. >> would you marry me? >> an actor successful to be a leading man. how hard is that particularly for african-american men and black men in hollywood? >> i'll tell you, that's a loaded question. i'm going to say that it is hard i think for any color you know to get to a certain level of this business because it's highly competitive as you know just as it is in your field. >> yeah. yeah. >> but for us, you know, there are less black films being produced on a yearly basis.

therefore there are less jobs. and there's a lot of talent. we're all competing for the same small pool of work. when i get a job, i don't take it for granted. i'm very appreciative and humble by the fact that somebody believes in me and my talent. >> this is what i ask everybody. we like going to the movies. we love spending money. why is hollywood so adverse to making more? >> the one thing i've always heard when i was coming up through the ranks was that selling a black movie overseas is a lot more difficult than just selling a non-race specific film. >> got ya. >> so i think that the answer to that is to create movies that address not just african-american specific situations, but we're people. you know, we are black people, but people is the operative word. i think when you see a movie like jumping the boom, it's

something that everybody has a family. it's like my big fat greek wedding. everybody has a family. everybody has a crazy uncle. everybody has a situation just because where two people fall in love that doesn't mean the family's going to fall in love. and that's when you start opening up the playing field and saying, okay, this is not just a black movie. this is a movie. >> right. >> a quality movie about people, family and situation. >> right. >> i learned through my travels that saying that black actors and artists don't sell overseas -- excuse my french, is a pile of crap. we definitely have a huge fan base overseas. i was in mont co, france, and i honestly thought will smith was in the building. i found the people were there to support me and take pictures. and i was shocked. i was humbled by it to the point where i was telling my publicist take pictures. i was telling her i wanted her to snap this moment because i didn't know i had so many european fans. >> the immediate future you have

a film that just came out a few weeks ago. tell us about that. >> there's men with guns outside. >> "straw dogs." it's a film for me i felt blessed to be in and very proud of being able to do that work. i had to learn a southern accent. the movie takes place in mississippi. and it has roots in memphis as well. so i studied a lot of interviews and youtube clips of steve mcnair recently been killed in that situation. so it's kind of eerie hearing this man and becoming -- you become familiar when you study somebody. and just trying to pick up a lot of his southern dialect the way

he spoke. he was from the area that this movie takes place in. it's a movie that i was proud to play because being the only black man on the cast, he was the one character that had a strong moral voice. and he was the moral voice of this very violent town that, you know, everybody was basically fighting for their own little six inch private land. this is one of those movies that makes you think how far will i let somebody push me until i finally snap? >> wow. >> the only character that doesn't snap is my character. and i find that, you know, i like having the opportunity to play roles that contradict a lot of the imagery we've seen in the past of people of color. >> up next, exposing the media double standard surrounding president obama. and dionnen warwick shines a light on the dark stigma of hiv/aids. -i'll never forget that moment.

woman: as long as i live.

man: i realized, at that moment, when we first saw the damage, these people really needed us and i was going to make a difference, right here in my community. together with local responders, we cleared trees and collapsed walls. we had to get to the family trapped beneath. as a citizen-soldier, i made a difference. announcer: be there for your community, at nationalguard.com.

welcome back to "our world with black enterprise." every moment of every day headlines are made. now it's time to bring you the hottest issues going on in our world. >> joining me for this discussion patricia cesaire, anthony hard aiway and janet taylor. a lot of people are talking

about president obama. saying he's not doing enough for black people. he needs a black plan, a black press conference. what do you say? >> i think president obama needs to be re-elected. look from health reform to what he's done in this similar package, he's doing a lot for all people not just black people. i think it's an unfair criticism. >> but when people vote for barack obama, do you think he was going to do something special for black people? >> i think you have seen the minority, who have benefitted in this country, the wealthiest tend to look alike. there's usually an advocate in the administration that finds their interest to be top of priority. i think in this case it would be interesting to see there is similar attention drawn to folks who are similar to him. i'm not saying it should be exclusive. i'm not saying it should be something that isn't fair or well appropriated. but i think it makes sense you would focus on the needs of a demographic that understand you and voted for you overwhelmingly. >> he come on and say i got a black jobs plan, i'm going to do

a bunch of stuff for black people. >> i don't think that would be right. i think he has to look out for everyone. i know black people when they voted for him thought it was going to be all about us. but he has to take care of the entire nation. not just black people alone. >> if he gets re-elected, he has no more pressure about being elected, do you think he'll do more? >> it's about general topics. health care, jobs. he has to focus on it for everyone and hopefully as black people we can't just entertain our fantasy that because he's president he's going to lift us all up. we have to work hard at lifting ourselves up as well. >> i think it will be easier for him though. he won't have to worry about the looming re-election. he'll be able to do things in a more pragmatic more proactive approach when it comes to our community. absolutely. >> i agree. but do you think to some extent maybe we're laying him off the hook. if a white president were doing the same things, do you think black people would respond differently? >> i think they respond differently. >> i think so too. >> i think they respond differently. it's a topic now.

we just need to get him re-elected and see what happens from there. right now he's doing what he can do. >> what i think his administration has not done good enough job exactly what he has done for all communities and i think that's an administerminii issue and not just the community. >> a lot of people say he's doing policies that help the rich. a lot of people say his policies continue to help the rich. people like you. [ laughter ] >> i'm just sayin. >> he also has a very defiant congress at this point with respects to the majority. so i think a lot of what happens now is dependent upon what boehner and his folks in the gop want to happen. and there's an element of compromise there. they say politics is the art of compromise. i think he's in a heck of a lot of that. it would be nice to see him doing things more appropriate for what he'd like to do. >> he got health care reform passed. health care reform increased the people who could qualify under medicaid, medicare, included a different age demographic. that helped a lot of people. not just rich people. >> it did.

but the plan no longer looks like what was originally devised. everything gets watered down. >> that's the concern. he's compromising too much. some people say he's caving on everything and getting so much disrespect. he's getting abused by the republicans and playing the nice role and he's not winning just compromising. >> his personality style is one that doesn't go in like a bull in a china shop, he thinks through things. now things are tough for a lot of people, we can't criticize him but say this is why we elected you because he's common pool and we can't jump on his back. >> one place people are not compromising is the nba. there's a whole lockout going on been going on for months now. there's much talk that the season won't even happen. we may go not just to january but may without any basketball action happening. one of the complaints people have is that both sides are asking for too much. the players are asking for too much, the owners asking for too much. let me start with you. you know a thing or two about the nba. >> yeah. i think it's just a situation where, you know, the owners are making a lot of money off the

players. nba's making a lot of money and the players are wanting their due. they're wanting a fair market value. they're able to pay them. when it gets to this point what happens is both sides are being stubborn. i think there will be a season. i think the owners make enough money to pay the players whatever they're paying them. >> some people look at contracts and see nine figure contracts and say nba players make too much to be dribbling a basketball or throwing a football, whatever the case may be. what do you all say about that? >> is it proportional to what the franchise earns? if it sunt that's when we question whether or not it makes sense. >> exactly. the owners are running a business. and the average nba player certainly isn't a nine figure average and the average life span in the nba is only three years. guys who need to make as much money as they can and hopefully save it. but they're not as qualified and as talented as anthony. so they don't have the longev y longevity. those are the players that you

need to protect and think about. >> my question is how come nobody has complaints about these industries when there's not black people in them. people get mad when players go straight from high school to the league. no one complains when a minor league baseball play goes to the league. is it mad young black people are making so much money? >> i think they're just upset someone is dribbling a basketball is making so much money. i don't know if it's racist or not. dribbling a basketball and making that much money, it's something you can do for free. we played for free growing up, but we make millions of dollars and we earn it. >> maybe they're mad because they can't dribble as well as you,aboutny. >> there's a lot of good that happens. but for black athletes we read about them when they've done maybe something wrong. so there's not enough media representation that paints a players in good light. most nba players i think are good upstanding people and not people that have a million babies and million cars. they're doing the right thing. >> yeah. i just gave a million dollars to the university of memphis three

years ago. >> you gave a million dollars? that is admirable. >> thank you. >> i'm late on my car payment. i'm going to let you know. >> that's what we do. we give back. >> he kept talking. right, right. [ laughter ] >> i got a question. i've been waiting to save this to the end because i want to get you warmed up. and also because i'm scared. i'm scared what ya'll are going to say. on the internet there's been a trending topic which says you cannot date me if. >> right. >> and people write in the thing you can't date me if you have a car that's older than you. that kind of thing, right? >> yeah. >> what's on your list? you know, this is going to be on tv. somebody's going to see you all. >> right. you can't date me, this is basic, if you're married. so if you've got a wife. >> that's a good one. >> i'm not available. also that includes tan lines, lesson number one, ladies. tan line, he's married. he just took it off. you can' date me if you're married or have a questionable tan line on your ring if i th k think. >> what if it's complicated?

he might be separated for a few years. >> yeah. you can work on that. get that taken care of. and then circle back. >> you want to see the paperwork first. >> yes. finalized. >> okay. how about you? >> you can't date me if you can't laugh. i love to laugh. >> he picked a safe one. [ laughter ] >> if you're too serious, i can't date you. >> does that happen you date somebody you out and you're telling jokes and giving best material and they stand there and freeze. >> yeah. you don't want that at all. i love to laugh. >> how do you deal with that? do you not call her back or let it fade out. >> let it fade out. [ laughter ] >> he's a nice guy, man. he's a nice guy. how about you, janet? >> you can't date me if you don't have a good relationship with your mother. >> that's a good one. i like that one. what if the person's mother is like absolutely crazy. >> mothers are mothers. and even mothers are crazy. most people try to have a good relationship with their mom. you absolutely shut them out -- obviously there's circumstances, but i think that says a lot about a person. [ laughter ] >> you get exceptions like your

mom's precious mom or something. get down to the welfare, right. good relationship with mom. got to be able to laugh. and you can't be married. >> what about you? >> huh? this is my show. and i would love to answer that question, but we are out of time. thank you so much for your time. thank you for watching. we'll be right back. up next, dionnen warwick hits the stage to educate us about a serious epidemic. blue state.

announcer: we come from different places. uptown. downtown. but when we live united, we create real, lasting change in the education, income, and health of our communities. both: live united. real change won't happen without you, so give. advocate. volunteer. live united. sign up at liveunited. org.

i love you i love you too. c'mon, let's do it then. all brain cells to battle stations. inner conflict. [voice 1] should we, shouldn't we, should we, shouldn't we? [heart] we love each other. why not? [voice 2] girl, we are only 15! [voice 3] we could get pregnant! [voice 4] half of teen pregnancies occur within six months of first sexual intercourse. [heart] but it feels right! [voice 5] one word: aids! [voice 6] not to mention syphilis, gonorrhea...

[heart] we don't want to lose him! [voice 7] just tell the truth [voice 8] we love him. [voice 9] but we're not ready. [heart] ok, that makes sense. i want to wait. welcome back to "our world with black enterprise." for years dionnen warwick has moved us with her music. now she's using her voice in a different way. she's a slice of life. [ music playing ] >> for 50 years she has been entertaining the world with hit songs that touch the soul.

[ music playing ] >> 50 years, my goodness. and it has been 50 years. wonderful years. i've been truly, truly blessed. i've been able to travel and do exactly what i love doing, singing. and get paid for it too. you know. >> for the last 30 years she's also been doing fi lan flan tlop pi as an advocate for hiv/aids. >> when this disease reared its ugly head, i, like everybody else, we sat around. we thought it was cancer. we had no idea what the devastation it would be causing along the way.

and during the course of us looking at people who had contracted it, especially within my industry, i felt that, okay, i've sat around this kitchen table and talked about it long enough. let's start doing something about it. >> so she visits clinics and shelters across the country spreading awareness and encouraging people with hiv/aids to live life to the fullest. >> we're the largest provider of housing for homeless people with aids. we have over 588 units spread throughout the city. >> to have somebody of her presence in the african-american community to take up an issue such as hiv and aids is significant. it lends a voice to the message we're trying to get out there which is people should get tested, people should get treated for the disease. her presence is significant. >> dionnen sponsors an annual town hall on hiv/aids. this year it was in harlem, new york, where one of every three

african-american residents is infected. >> in that period of time i've seen much happen. and i still feel and have felt that for a very long time still not enough has happened. >> we need more people to come and support us to get the word out that what's going on. because it's not going nowhere. our people are still getting infected. so i'm glad she's out here tonight saying something about it's still going on. >> it's an unfortunate disease that has a stigma attached to it. and that stigma has and still is lasting. and we're trying to get to the point where people understand that it's a disease. it's a disease no different than cancer. no different than heart disease. no different than any other devastating disease. and that we have got to be

cognizant of the fact these are human beings carrying this disease. we have to be more compassionate. >> not everybody comes to harlem united, celebrities, to just give their support in the flesh a lot of people do cash, but to come in the flesh, she walked amongst us, and i felt really very good that she's doing this. >> i got on this train at the very beginning of this issue. and i'm going to be on it until we finally reach our goal. we'll be right back.