sure it exist within black america. now on the question of barack obama and the black vote, in presidential politics, then the democratic nominee who ever that is coming typically gets the lion's share of the black vote. bill clinton got over 9% of the black vote and the same was true of all gore. they are white but they are democrats in presidential politics in particular, black america overwhelmingly goes with the democratic nominee. was that instinctual the case of barack obama? of course, it was. his color has something to do with that. those are some of my reactions. >> host: cancun mexico. good afternoon. >> caller: dr. kennedy. i am so happy for your rise to your position but i have a lot question. first of all,, there is the lot of incarcerating the thousands in thousands of young men am present in women to come i am sure for such a minor minor thing when the total the basis of the whole country is based on criminal activity. the criminal activity takes someone's land by force. if you would address at as the lot

. >>> then we ask w what does it mean to be black in america? that's what's going on in "our world," next. hahahahahahahahahaa >>> hey, i'm alicia keyes and you're watching "our world with black enterprise." stay tuned for my interview, next. >>> welcome back to "our world with black enterprise." for more than a decade, alicia keyes has entertained the world with her soulful voice. now she's taking on a new role as producer and composer of the new broadway play, "six lives." let's take a look. >> that wasn't much at all to do. >> jack and jill? >> jack and jill. >> my people weren't so as customed to jack and jill. >> jack and jill? >> no, ain't going to happen. >> thank you for having me. "stick fight" is a amazing. i dwru up in new york city, born and raised. and one of the things my mother did early is take me to the theater and it's something i fell in love with as a very young girl. it just takes you to a whole other place, a whole other world. it's magical. so here comes "stick fly" in my world. it's about an incredible black family on mart

and he does represent an important strand of thought about black america is big. there's a lot of strands of thought. black conservatives, liberals, lef tist and nationalist nationalist, reverend rights views were an important part and are an important part of black american political thought. they are an understandable part. one of the things i tried to show is he had the basis for saying what was said and i also agree with the caller when he suggested reverend wright was by no means being crazy when he talks about the view that god would look at america with disfavor there is any number of american states men who have said that. thomas jefferson had the view and said he troubled when he imagined that god is just because he recognizes that terrible up the issue of american slavery if it is just you will not look with favor on america that being a slave holding republic. abraham lincoln said very similar things. so the idea of a broad view wing america in a disfavored way because of the justice -- the injustices of america that has a long history and i talk about t

as well -- and was well aware of education and its importance for the future of black america. my mom was educated from kindergarten through eighth grade in washington, d.c.. which is recognized as the mother church of all black catholics. washington, d.c. was south of the transfer -- the mason decisiodixon line. st. augustine was established in the late 1850's during the separate but equal and in most cases on equal time. this school was started by the first order of black roman catholic nuns, the oblate sisters of providence out of baltimore, maryland. their purpose was to educate black children. these nuns persistence and unflinching sacrifice influence my mother's life and my life. my mother was in high school when the march on washington occurred. the weeks leading up to the march, my mother participated in many peaceful demonstrations and picket lines in front of the white house. again, this is another example of unshakable persistence and sacrifice. she did this being afraid and not reacting when the white agitators were spitting on her and her girlfriend. it was importan

for the black panther party, their notion was that they will do what needs to be done in order to force america to change. and so i think that being able to have this, which really has the sort of wonderful quotation that really does speak about the black panther party's commitment to their community, their desire to demand of police to not violently intimidate the african-american community, and plus the notion of the black panther being an animal that is strong and aggressive and will defend itself really sent a message for many people that a nonviolent way of change wasn't enough to change america. when i came back to the smithsonian in 2005, shortly thereafter katrina hit new orleans. one of the things that i realized is that new orleans was devastated, often the african-american community bore the brunt of much of that devastation. one of the things that i realized that was very important for us is to document that. and as we thought about what are the things that would document it, i kept seeing the picture of people being rescued. of the helicopter, the coast guard going down and having

> well, thanks. >> if frederick had come to now, what would he think about barack obama as america's first black president and also, do you feel that he would feel that thing change but things never change but stay the same in terms of the way some of the republicans are treating america's first black president? >> well, there are two parts to your question. first, he'd have no doubt -- of course, we don't know. but he would have no doubt been as deeply moved at any of us by the election of an african-american to the presidency. it's possible douglass, he could speed through time and be here today, would have been maybe less surprised than the rest of us because he would not have lived through the terrible racial history from the turn of the 20th century to the present. he would no have the lived through jim crow. he would not have had that as part of had his memory. to your second question, i think one thing you can be -- you can rest assured about, if frederick douglasss were alive today, he could no longer be a republican. i mean that party of lincoln and that party of grant

as well -- and was well aware of education and its importance for the future of black america. om was educated from kindergarten through eighth grade in washington, d.c.. which is recognized as the mother church of all black catholics. washington, d.c. was south of

northern liberalism and join with white america throughout the country and face responsibility to black america and i also say native america. this is a road to national reconciliation. maybe this is a way to try to address this issue before it gets to the congressional level. healing history requires healing everybody's hurts. listening, careful listening, respectful listening. not excusing human rights violations, vicious racism, behavior that is clearly immoral but there's some wonderful people whose feelings are also hurt in the white south. yankees are totally oblivious to it. i've come from that yankee tradition. one of the things i hope will come out of this session today is much more examine nation of the northern contribution to the hurt. the resentment is very much alive in the american congress today. it's paralyzing the ability of our first black president to really govern this country because there's so much unfinished business in that relationship. >> he didn't like the yankee evolutionists. he once called him a big old meat ball. >> i love it. thank you very much. >> maybe humor

and i have to say to thank america's black madonna for america's black madonna for performing at the

apart from a few pieces of poetry here and there, abraham lincoln has never been the thing in black america that he has always been in white america, which suggests to me -- and this is speculation b i say it in the book, i surmise that black people know lincoln, have always known it, at a depth beneath words. at any rate, they have not felt it necessary. they have not felt a need or the interest to addre him the way white historians have addressed him. >> if you had had the opportunity, what would you have said to martin luther king when he was standing on the steps of the lincoln memorial, giving his "i have a dream" speech in 1963? >> i would have said that you're absolutely right, when you said that you issued a check and it came back insufficient funds because the emancipation proclamation was precisely th. i would have said you're absolutely right to say that the real task now is to get together and write the emancipation that lincoln didn't write, becau as i say in this book, martin luther king jr. had a healthy dose of skepticism about what abham lincoln meant and what abraham linco

. >> some people argue why you have a magazine focused on black america. i say why not?ple that whether or not it is black americans or not black americans that need and want to understand the authentic voice of black america. >> reporter: under rogers, the magazin magazines' once sagging circulation numbers are on the rise and there is a slick new website. >> it's a beloved brand. you mess with it too much and people say it's unreek niezable. >> it's a balancing act. we didn't want to change it. we wanted to revitalize it. we are proud of the work that's been done. >> reporter: rogers, too, is in the midst of her own renaissance after a public fall from her perch as social secretary of the obama white house. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> reporter: in the heady early days after inauguration rogers was the glamorous friend of michelle obama brought in to plan 'vents at the white house while cultivating the image of the first family. you came to washington and made a splash. >> i didn't try to make a splash! >> reporter: you couldn't help it. were you surprise bid

pockets turned out at the community sees it especially in the very real context of the history of black america. and they are not caring about their dead and this is not just happening because it is an accident. that is what they want and anybody who watched the campaign, months of controversy about the jeremiah right, this is what he was talking about. the larger section of the sermon from which that line comes goes something like bring the drugs into the country and give them to our kids and pass the three strikes law and put everybody in prison and asbestos stand up and sing god bless america. no, god damn america. that is what he was talking about. the conviction on the part of the community that we're doing this to them on purpose. and when people believe that they will not stand shoulder to shoulder with the cops and tough young men to put their guns down. they will not cooperate. they will die on the street and not tell you who shot them. it is brokering a process, the cops have to lead on this. cops will go to the neighborhood and say we get it. it is not working. we are jacking up your

behind the headlines: this black history month, we introduce you to vernice armour-america's first blackfemale combat pilot who chased her dreams and flew her way into u.s. history. former marine corps captain former marine corps captain vernice armour, nicknamed "flygirl" made history when she flew a super cobra attack helicopter. she did so during the 2003 invasion of iraq and is comfortable breaking gender barriers. >> i believe dealing with the male culture for me was pretty muchecd nature becausef having three brothers, i played in the trombone section, did rotc, joined the army, i was a police officer, i was in a motor cycle squad. i feel like my whole life was prepared for me to write a book on women in male-dominated fields, because i lived the experience. going into the marine corps was a different experience, you know many people say it's the last of the boy's club, and women were not even allowed to be pilots in the marine corps until 1993. >> she served two tours during operation iraqi freedom. armour says in battle you wait until you are "cleared hot" by your superiors, but

what i'd like to know if frederick would come now, what would he think of barack obama as america's first black president? and also do you feel that he would feel that same change, or the change would stay the same in terms of the way some of the republicans are treating america's first black president? >> well, there's two parts to your question, first, he no doubt -- of course, we don't know, he in ve been -- by the election of an african-american as a president. he would have been maybe less surprised than the rest of us because he would not have lived through this terrible racial history from the turn of the 20th century to the president. he would not have lived through jim crowe. so the thing you can be rest assured about, if frederick douglass were alive today, he could no longer be a republican. that party of lincoln and that party of grant that he so vehemently defended, promoted, stood for, voted for, worked for, all of the last 30 years of his life is no longer the same party at all. the modern contemporary republican party has become essentially the american white conservative party,

his blacks in america bibl graphical essays help to staff african-american history as legitimate scholarly discipline. as the vietnam war came to the foreof american consciousness, a conventional truism assumed those who oppose the war would later become conservatives or certain of their children would, an idea so common it became a premise for the popular tv show "family ties" that propelled j. michael fox to stardom. mcpherson examined ab listis and children's after the war and demonstrated most abolitionist's children stayed the course, reflected strong religious idealism and continued to work for reforms. by the 1980s mcpherson was a caldwe well respected historian. this changed with battle cry of freedom, the kifl war era. to date it sofld sold more than 700,000 copies making it one of the most popular works of history ever published. it reached number six on the "new york times" best seller list. critical claim included pulitzer prize, christopher award and best book award of the american military institute and became one of those rare books that resonated with both professional hist

his black in america bib league graph cal essays in 1971 helped to establish african-american history as legitimate scholarly discipline. as the vietnam war came to the foreof american consciousness, a conventional truism assumed that those who i pose the war would later become conservatives or certain of their children would. an idea so common it became the premise for the popular tv show "family ties" that propelled j. michael fox to stardom. mcpherson examined the abolitionists and their children after the civil war. in the legacy from reconstructions to the naacp most abolitionists and their children stayed the course, reflecting strong idealism and continued to worm for reforms. by the 1980s mcpherson was a well respected historian, inflew next his field, but not widely known outside the academic community. this changed with the publication of battle cry of freedom, the civil war era. to date it sold more than 700,000 copies, making it one of the most popular works of history ever published. it reached number six on the "new york times" best seller list. its critical claims inclu

your real estate value go down because we'll continue to have homes in every neighborhood in black across america, with some exceptions, continue to be foreclosed, and continue to be in the downward spiral. if you wanted to say the other side of the coin is -- everybody we can keep in their home is a plus because they're not out on the street. they don't have the stress of losing the home. but more importantly for pete's question, they don't, then, have an abandoned property or a property sold as a short sale or a less value that puts everybody else's home values down and makes it much tougher for everybody to recover from this economy so you can come out that froot point of view that pete has that, this isn't fair. i pay my mortgage, why should someone else get relief. i don't subscribe to that. i think everybody wins when we do this fairly. this solution doesn't help everybody. part of what it does is clear the way for people who should be foreclosed on. no matter what happened they are not going to be able to stay in their homes. we're talking about a way to make sure we don't have unnecessary

not only for black america, but for white america, but for all americans.ing soul music straight to your home. this show started before youtube. before twitter before all these other ways of sharing what's going on with music and fashion and dance. it took these things that people might not have gotten to see in their hometowns and they got to see the latest moves. the latest dance moves. the artists they only heard on boom boxes or walkmans. they got to see them in their homes and experience what other people were getting to see in the big city. >> i read somewhere, before there was mtv, there was "soul train." you were a kid in suburbia, watching "soul train." and that show was perfect for suburbia. can you explain that? >> a lot of times, "soul train" focused on urban music. it was for everyone. especially people who didn't get to have the kinds of acts come to their hometowns. i grew up in a small town outside of rochester, new york. we didn't get to see aretha franklin and stevie wonder. they weren't there to perform for big stadiums. we got to see the

but first we ask students to ask what the month of february represents in america. black history month, which is the shortest month of the year. coal bright valentines day and some high schools a winter break. >> for me it's black history month and how we celebrate theblacks that have done a lot for me. >> i don't like valentines day so i know that it's black history month. >> many people around the world are still wondering what caused the death of whitney houston. she died at the age of 48. it's no secrete that she struggled with drugs. the director of the substance abuse program says that her fame and fortune crowded her. >> she had the best voice in the planet and that probably impowered her to think that he could handle the the addiction. >>> for militaries vet vans returning home can be difficult. when veterans are college students it's even bigger. >> staff sergeant returned home three years ago and said that being a soldier and student is difficult. he is a student and takes online classes every time that he is deplayed. >> online for me are frustrating. i don't l

were mentioned in were in conjunction with the issues of slavery and civil rights and the black experience in americas so much broader than that. >> are you jaden. >> yes. >> jad-a-d-e-j-a-d-e-n. thank you. >> it is important for me, especially for black kids to read this book. the only time they see black people being successful has to do in two areas, sports and entertainment. >> why did you choose inventors? >> these invento are scientists and mathematicians and engineers. people that young kids in the inner city did not look to as being heros and achieving extraordinary things. >> finally, something i really care about. thank you. >> did i know brook washington carver. >> no, i am not that old. >> no one raises hair hand and says i really want to be an engineer they want to be a superstar basketball player. >> if you talk to young kids they want to be lebron james or jay-z. >> born louis in new york he rose to national prommen innocence playing under legendary coach john wooden. >> you as a ki kid were a city kid in catholic school in manhattan. what was your experience like? >> my experience was