African-American women and where they stand

Posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 4:15 PM by Daily Nightly Editor

A five-part series to air beginning Monday, Nov. 26

Throughout the week of November 26, "NBC News With Brian Williams" will take a look at the issues facing African-American women across our nation in a new series "African-American Women: Where They Stand." The series will cover a wide-range of issues from their role in the '08 Presidential race, to the increased health-risks that they need to be concerned about.

Monday's installment will discuss African-American women's progress in the education field. Nearly two-thirds of African-American undergraduates are women. At black colleges, the ratio of women to men is 7 to 1. And that is leading to a disparity in the number of African-American women who go on to own their own businesses. Rehema Ellis will talk to educators, students and businesswomen about why this disparity exists.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman will discuss the increases risks for breast cancer for African-American women on Tuesday. Mortality rates for African-American women are higher than any other racial or ethnic group for nearly every major cause of death, including breast cancer. Black women with breast cancer are nearly 30% more likely to die from it than white women. Premenopausal black women are more than twice as likely to get a more aggressive form of the disease. And, not only are African-American women more likely to die from breast cancer, but they're less likely to get life-saving treatments. Dr. Snyderman will profile one of the only oncologists in the world who specializes in the treatment of African-American women with breast cancer.

Wednesday, Ellis will look at relationships within the African-American female community. Many agree the gender disparity in education and business among African-Americans is having an effect on relationships that African American women have. Some even say the implications could redefine "Black America's family and social structure." In the past fifty years, the percentage of African-American women between 25-54 who have never been married has doubled from 20% to 40%. (Compared to just 16% of white women who have never been married today). Ellis sits down with the members of a Chicago book club and talk about this difference and how it impacts them.

On Thursday, Ron Allen will take viewers to South Carolina -- the first southern primary state -- and ask the question: Will race trump gender or gender trump race? In South Carolina , black women made up nearly 30 percent of all democratic primary voters in 2004. This year, polls show a significant number are undecided, torn between choosing the first African-American or first female Presidential candidate. Allen talks with the undecided, as well the state directors for the Clinton and Obama campaigns, who happen to be African-American women.

To close the series on Friday, Dr. Snyderman will raise the frightening statistic that African-American women are 85% more likely to get diabetes, a major complication for heart disease. And, like breast cancer, more black women die from heart disease than white women. Dr. Snyderman will profile a leading expert and a unique church-based outreach program in South Carolina that seeks to spread the word about heart disease risks to black women congregants.

Mara Schiavocampo, Digital Correspondent for "Nightly News," will address two hot topics in the African - American community: interracial dating and the impact of hip hop music on black women (For those of you who attended NABJ this year, Ms. Schiavocampo won the Emerging Journalist of the Year Award). Interracial dating is a growing trend in the African - American community. An Essence.com poll found that 81% of participants approved of black women dating non- black men. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report in 2000, 95,000 black women were married to white men. In 2005, that number increased to 134,000. Schiavocampo will talk to experts about the trend and discuss how this defines the "Black family" of the future.

Schiavocampo will convene a panel of leading black men and women from the hip-hop industry for an engaging discussion on whether hip hop lyrics and videos positively or negatively affect black women. The roundtable also will address how these portrayals are affecting relationships between black women and black men.

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Comments

I maybe judging the book by its cover, but I am ambivalent over many of the issues as they are presented in this series. The health concerns of breast cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are significant and must be discussed along with the missing issue of HIV and AIDS amongst African American women. But the fact that more African American women are attending college than men speaks volumes of how African American men find it difficult to “prosper” in a society that castrates them culturally, socially, economically, and politically well before they become men.

For Tuesday, for instance, I challenge the redefining of “Black America’s family and social structures” to be conjecture lacking evidence of the deeper issues of slavery and the resulting mental psychosis and economic disadvantages. African American women’s successes educationally and in the business arena are not the only defining factors of successful relationships between African American men and women, but that’s not a real concern for this series. Success can not adequately be defined because prior to the constitutional amendments that provided African Americans with freedom and citizenship, the nuclear family was more widely a European concept. Mara Schiavocampo’s “Nightly News” focus on interracial dating exacerbates the issue. Also, the hip-hop discussion is irrelevant. When the issue moves to the commercial rap music industry away from hip-hop culture and when European American men stop buying the music then African American women will not be dehumanized in the lyrics and videos. Unfortunately, it’s all a market driven game.

On race trumping gender or gender trumping race, the important thing is being missed. We will not have a European American male as the next president of the United States. More power to Obama, Clinton, and Richards. Race and gender trump racism and sexism!

Clearly African American men, successful or not successful in business, educated or uneducated, imprisoned or not, lose out in this series. African American men and women are hemorrhaging and this series seems to take a snap shot with no real solution, at least for the men.

I wish for once there was a series, even a one-hour, non-commercial documentary on present day African American men who take care of their children and other’s children whether married or divorced, respect and love all women, are responsible citizens, seek out education, have a strong spiritual focus, and still engage in the struggle to uplift humanity.

As a 47 years old African American man, I can’t take another beating so I plan to skip this one. It won’t be hard because I can only play DVDs on my TV. With the price of gas, I can't afford cable or satellite.

Danny Everett, Dallas, Texas (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:46 AM)

I don’t believe any thing is more damaging to Black Women and our people then the lack of us showing and teaching our children respect for others and themselves, the importance of education and belief in God.

Shirley Rivens Smith, Washington, DC (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 8:20 AM)

African American Women and Where They Stand...what time will this air?

Lorraine Blake, Cambria Heights, New York) (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 8:37 AM)

I'm glad someone is FINALLY calling attention to our plight! It's not about rallying the sympathy of the American people...it's about people respecting our position, influence, and importance in OUR collective society.

A, VA (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 9:57 AM)

I come as a friendly critic with an urgent plea:

Your viewers would be better served if you were to add one additional segment-what NEEDS to be done to alter-change the societial harming situation you report.

Too Often we spend 90% of the air time describing the reality and a mini-second offering a solution. WOW! As a society we strive to be , do, better.

Help us do that.

Bob Alexander

Bob Alexander, Austin, Texas (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 10:01 AM)

We are a non-profit African-American org. performing services for communities on abstinence education and family relationships. We would like a copy of this five-part series, "African-American Women:Where they Stand". How can this be achieved?

Monica P. Sirmans, Florence, South Carolina (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 10:55 AM)

I applaud NBC for conducting such a sensitive but much needed discussion regarding the challenges of African American women. I hope these nightly conversations will not only address the cosmetic views of the varying disparities of AA women in politics, health, workforce, education and the economic areas, but also uncover the core issues relating to the conspiratory factors that has caused such alarming gaps.

I will be certain to view each segment and hope there will be a follow-up plan to address the series. Thank you.

Yvonne C. Hunnicutt (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 10:56 AM)

Since I've already missed it, here’s a question I have about Tuesday’s installment:

Should we be concerned with how many of us have not yet been married, compared to white women, or should we be concerned about how many of those 16% of white women have already been divorced, and how many times? I believe there are plenty of black women between 25 and 54 who haven’t been married, but are in loving long-term relationships. No, I’m not delusional…I'm also aware that many of us have been in relationship after endless bad relationship, but there’s always a brighter side, right?

Akila Kincy, Kansas City, MO (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 10:58 AM)

As the author of the book, Black Women Need Love, Too, I'm most excited about watching this series. I hope this series represents a reality that most Black women face and not some propaganda that still reinforces some type of subliminal racism that promotes more of a mammie mentality and disses Black women as if all of our problems are our fault.

Pearl Jr, Los Angeles, California (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 11:31 AM)

another sad attemp by whitey to paint the AA woman in a negative plight. why so much focus on AA women or black folks for that matter? hmmm... to divert the attention from what your own white women are doing? why are AA women, who are a small percent of the population, always being compared to white women who are a much larger percent of the population? why don't you all focus on why YOUR women have such a sexual facination for little boys. talk about why white women experience a greater incidence in breast cancer than AA women and their health issues. why do white women kill their husbands/boyfriends/children MORE than AA women. something must be wrong in the white community don't you think?

kayla, saint charles, missouri (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:06 PM)

I cant wait to see this on Nov 26. I was so excited that I thought it started On Nov 20th I was up until 11pm ha ha ha crazy. I'm a young black woman living in the U.S and I'm glad that finaly someone is talking about black women and what "WE" go through in this country. Black women have for to long sat on the back burner of America. Now its our time to step out of the shadow of the so called "black community" and America that has raped, beaten stepped on and disgarded us like garbage. I hope this segment on African America Women and were we stand will open up the worlds eyes to what black women go through everyday. Thank you

Christine, Las Vegas (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:15 PM)

I think that the series on African-American Women sounds very informative. However, in addition to having people from within the hip-hop industry on a panel about the portrayal of Black Women, Mara Schiavocampo should also have an "outsider" such as Gina McCauley on the panel. She blogs on What About Our Daughters? which is devoted to countering the negative images of Black women in popular culture and Gina, who is also an attorney from Texas, is listed as one of the 25 most influential/inspirational people in the December 2007 issue of Essence magazine along with Oprah and Obama! The panel should have balance and Gina is the ideal person to add that balance. Check her out.

SASJ, Raleigh, NC (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 4:36 PM)

I am kind of glad that the Black Women and HIV issue isn't being presented or presented fully because a Black face alone on HIV is NOT the best face in the fight against the virus. The virus should have EVERY face on it because it affects every face. By focusing on HIV as a Black person's issue alone in any presentation gives some the false idea that any other group should not put forth effort in finding a cure for the disease because it "does/will only affect them (Black People), and not me and my children." Yes HIV in the Black community is a SERIOUS problem, but as long it's affect is among a group that can be labeled "them," it will continue to remain a silent deadly killer instead of being a virus on the run from all of us. Kill the stigma of the deadly disease as it is currently associated to a single race, culture and gender, and more people will want the disease dead. HIV/AIDS must be stopped for all of us of every race, culture and gender, but mostly for the children.

Mister Oura, Albuquerque, NM (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 6:54 PM)

I think I will see a wait and see attitude to this series. I hope it isn't another situation where white people still refer to us as "them" even though we are Americans who pay our taxes and obey the law and care for our families the same. I also think I would have liked a black woman to have started this series; I am leery of what kind of perspective this white woman really thinks she can bring. We'll see.

K. Moore, Charleston, SC (Sent Wednesday, November 21, 2007 7:39 PM)

Are Black women the Enemy? YouTube vloggers examine
this question. There is a conspiracy to emasculate
Black men and Black women have been used in carrying it out! Black women aren't properly nurturing their sons, which is why they are falling behind as early as pre-school age. Black women unite around many issues, but never the issue of helping their failing sons! NBC please expose how slavery hurt the nurturing process of Black women! Thank You.

Nubian Queen (Sent Thursday, November 22, 2007 7:25 PM)

we don't need white america to tell us that we have some problems. we already know that whites have more issues than any other race in this country. all one has to do is turn on msnbc and look at the mountains of white men and now women who are sexual predators. as for marriage, there are many black women who are getting married to black men and other races of men. why do white people feel it neccessary to constantly say that we aren't and never will get married? for us to be such a small percent of the population, you whites sure do devote a lot of time on black people.

sean j., chicago, illinois (Sent Friday, November 23, 2007 12:57 AM)

I became aware of this series by way of a list that I am subscribed to and read the entire description of the series and the topics which will be focused on. I am not waiting in anticipation of this or any particular report, simply because I think that we all have the capacity to define our own individual realities and I really try to stay clear from socially conditioned group think. I did notice however, that the issue of DIVERSITY seems to be missing here as there were not any topics addressing African American lesbians as well as the roles which homophobia (particularly in the African American community), racism, sexism, gender bias and heterosexism play their experiences.

N Meredith, San Francisco, California (Sent Friday, November 23, 2007 9:56 AM)

It sounds very interesting! What time?

Sharon Brown, St. Louis, Missouri (Sent Saturday, November 24, 2007 9:12 AM)

You will mention in your so-called report that there are more Black women in college than Black men. Will you also mention that there are more White women in college than White men? What damage is that causing in the White community?

This is just more propaganda.

Mes Deux Cents, California (Sent Saturday, November 24, 2007 11:30 AM)

Dear Mr. Williams:
It was the night before Thanksgiving. I had discovered that on this dark eveing, it was also an eveninng for nurses in the emergency room, fire fighters on duty, and policewomen on duty.

But, of these women, I assume in Warner Robins their is a equal ratio of black and hispanic proffessional women working at the same time.

I then thought, which of these black women professionals who deal with emergencies in their job will act upon a call for help.

I then thought that it is the good sumaritan that may reach these professionals.

Yet, then what is it like for women professionals if they have to think for the safety of others and also have to report the news like Rhema Ellis.

Monday November 19th, I was amazed at a story that I just could not see uncovering and beginnning in front of me in Atlanta while I was sketching The Capitol, in a serious meeting in the Capitol, and also how serious the discussions I had with Atlanta City Hall officials who deal in approving of construction. Most of the city hall officials I spoke to were black women skilled in their job of Muncipal Codes and Ordinances and how much freedom they had given me to speak to them.

Most every one gave me insight and direction! These city hall officials even led a nun in her habit going on a mission walking on Washington Street at the cross street of Mitchell Street in front of The Capitol. It was like they were responding to 09/11/01 and stopping it from happening or should I say had decided to use their insight from 09/11/01?

Sincerley Yours,
James Erdmanczyk
Registered Voter

James Erdmannczyk (Sent Saturday, November 24, 2007 2:37 PM)

Bravo NBC for another racist sesssion! Why don't you burn a cross while you are at it. When black women go missing- Natasha Norman anyone?- you don't even give them the time of day since they are NOT WHITE. All of a sudden you are concerned about black women? Obviously you have to feel better about yourselves every so often by putting black people down. Keep it up!

Bennet Marco (Sent Saturday, November 24, 2007 8:43 PM)

We too will be watching at http://whataboutourdaughters.blogspot.com to see if this is more anti-education propaganda.

Why is the fact that a bunch of Black women are going to college treated as a negative, a DISPARITY. As if by having black women pursuing and education is a BAD thing. Lovely. Just. Lovely NBC. Why not couch it in terms of achievement or success?What other group of folks on planet Earth going to college would be couched in terms of a DISPARITY??? We ought to be HAPPY that Black women are being entrepreneurial.

HERE WE GO, the whole " Black women are going to die old, alone, single and be eaten alive by nine cats because they went off to college and got an education. OH I can already see my blog will be hopping next week. FOOLISHNESS ALERT.

We'll be waiting to see if this is more defeatist propaganda. If it is, we'll be calling NBC on their crap!

Gina from What About Our Daughters (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 12:29 AM)

A news series devoted to black women? Especially considering that they're deemed last on the totem pole in U.S. society. I think I will see a wait and see attitude to this series.

Mes Deux Cents, this is a series on African American Women. Now when they create a series on White American women they can mention the disparity of gender between white undergraduates in college.

Rudy, Memphis, TN (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 2:16 PM)

I'm always amazed at how the perceived inability of AA women to establish healthy interpersonal relationships with their male counterparts always gets pinned to the inadequacies of the black male. Dumping the dating and marital frustations of AA woment into the melting pot of "black male inadequacies" is irresponsible journalism. You have a responsibility and a duty to get beyond the surface and dig out the truth Instead, like many of your fellow colleagues, you've sought the path of least resistance and succumb to impregnating our cultural ear with precepts that will give birth to concepts, that will make our conclusions all wrong. Should you decide to dig deep enough, you may be surprised to learn that it's probably a good bet that 50% of the women between 25 - 54 who have never been married, could be directly related their own idosyncracies. In other words, men who were snubbed because because they were'nt professional athletes, entertainment personalities or making six figure salaries just to name a few. To my knowledge, it's interesting how the media (black or white) has never attempted or completed a credible survey to examine the opinions of black men relative to finding a "qualified" black woman. However, being that our character is flawed, it's reasonable to assume that our opinions would be flawed. If you were on the front lines of this issue, you would know that these days, black women put so much energy into proving they don't need a man, then turn to media sources to complain about not being able to find a compatible mate. Maybe....just maybe.......they drove them away! If the truth be told, "it's just as difficult for a black man to find a good black woman, as it is for a black woman to find a good black man." It's a struggle on both sides and exposing only the character flaws of black men as the "lynch pin" for black women's marital and dating frustrations, only polarizes our relationships and propels functional black families into extinction. The fact that interacial marriages amongst black males, as well as black females are surging, strongly suggest that we're getting tired of each other. Just what the doctor ordered!

Derrek Evans, Atlanta Georgia (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 2:29 PM)

I will watch this series this week, but I must admit my bias. While all of these issues are very real within our community, I am not sure if this does not paint the “black woman” as victim. In my own personal universe (which certainly can’t speak for the experiences of all black women), I personally know several women who are breast cancer survivors, who enjoy healthy relationships with men, and each other. Likewise, I personally know men who marry black women, take care of their wife and children. Where are your stories of our triumphs? The issues that you will address this week affect many women in our community. However, an issue, I am willing to bet, affect even more (if not 100%) is how they have triumphed over racism, whether in the workplace, in housing, etc. Furthermore, while I do advocate black folks taking responsibility to find solutions for our community, all of these issues can be traced back to institutionalize racism in America. At any rate, I will watch the series and hopefully the stories will prove my perceptions wrong.

S. Renee White, Garner, NC (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 8:59 PM)

WHAT TIME DOES EACH SHOW COME ON??? PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME - WHAT TIME (CST) DOES THIS AIR???

T.O., Chicago,IL (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:23 PM)

I know that there are issues in every race. As an AA female I see and work within the AA community. There are many issues that could be addressed, however no matter how many times these issues are addressed, nothing will change. AAs always have problems with other people telling them what they should be doing. There is nothing wrong with bringing attention to us. In bring attention there may be hieghted awareness to the right people, the policy makers. Everyday there is a fight in DC to try to stop Public Health funding from being cut. In order to change some of the issues including AA females dying from heart disease (preventable), AIDS (preventable), breast cancer (treatable when caught early). I mean this will hopefully be a program where awareness will be raised enough to have the right people (those of power) want to take action and help us thrive. If no one else brings attention to it, we (AAs) sure are not going to do anything for ourselves. It seems after MLK Jr died so did the spirit in the AA community. So we need to stop complaining about the white folks and let any one that wants to help us, help!! I really do have more to say but I don't want to see anti-anything, when I really want to help, but we are a frustrating people to work with!!

LaDell A. Virginia Beach, VA (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:40 PM)

Thanks, NBC Nightly News for starting the examination of the challenges African-American women face, with this series. The Omaha Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, will be hosting viewing parties, to not only engage others in watching the series, but to begin a serious dialog on the impacts and opportunities in local communities across the country, of the plight and disparities that we still face in this country. I encourage other leaders to do the same...if you can't host a live viewing party, host discussion forums at a later date...we must begin to acknowledge and address our collective and indivual power to overcome.

Tawanna Black, Omaha, NE (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:42 PM)

Check local listing for TV broadcast of NBC (Nightly) News, Monday-Friday, 6:30-7 p.m. ET.
Also, i believe that you can catch a replay on the internet after 10PM(?) at www.msnbc.msn.com (look under Nightly News).

day.break (Sent Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:50 PM)

As an African American school Founder/CEO it would have been nice to have been able to participate in this series. The fact that I founded and opend my own private school that serves students with learning disabilities, without the assistance of any big name funders or local school officials I think would have been a good story. I would like to show other African American women interested in starting their own business, that it may seem impossible but with faith, hard work, dedication, many prayers, and family support all things are possible.

Though it has been a difficult year and 3 months, we have continued to press on giving our students all the individual attention required for their academic and social growth. Fully certified by the District of Columbia State Educating Agency, to service students with specific learning disabilities; we strive to see our students successfully complete their high school diploma and go on to college.

Ruth Logan (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 12:25 AM)

Unfortunately, the reality is that Black society has lost its value system, neglects as one writer noted, its responsibility for its children, especially its sons and has not taught our women how to sustain a relationship with a man. I have high praise for Black women, for the failures they now experience are not of their own making. Back in the 60's when white women were seeking access to the labor pool for reasons of self actualization, our Black women had already been pulled into the labor pool as a matter of economic survival. These white women, also had the benefit of family networks nearby, who could help with child rearing, since white families, did not experience the great migration(and dislocation) from South to North in pursuit of jobs. So our kids, particularly in urban areas were left without parental supervision, or famimilial guidance, while both parents worked. When white women, said as Germaine Greer wrote, that a woman without a man was like a fish without a bicycle, our women, unfortunately went along and felt they could make it without their Black men. Unfortunately, now 30-40 years later, we are experiencing a generation of Black women, who while well schooled in the art of survival, are inept in the area of sustaining relationships and buidling a family with a male. Remember the guidance of Black mothers to Black daughters throughout the nation, back in the 60's and 70's to "hide something away for yourself". Sadly those same Black Mothers so well versed in sustaining their own relationships,did not pass along that knowledge. Now as for Black men.

We too fell into the trap of popular culture, guiding our morality and our social mores. Remember how songs, such as the "Ohhh Girl", by the Chi-Lites, spoke of "letting the woman take care me" as if that was the sign of the valuation of her the manhood of her partner. In Superfly and other Blaxploitation movies, the kept man was deified as the Holy Grail of male role models. What that really taught our iimpressionable young males was to make ourselves expendable in our relationships. What woman wants a man,who cannot help protect her and her children, help manage the challenges of life, help prepare the family for future days when income earning capacity is diminished, in other words, the only value the man could bring to the relationship was his imagined sexual prowess...which we now know, as the increasing rate of interracial marriages show, is possibly more imagined than real. And whatever skills he mght bring certainly don't provide sustainable sustainable benefit to the male-female relationship.

So both of our relationship roles were terribly damaged by popular culture, we fell for solutions developed for a different situation experienced by the majority, but deleterious for us. And it is happening again, when we allow, even promote the self flagellation seen in the Black music industry, perpetrated by those same Black youth, primarily males, who were never taught how to respect a woman in their homes, by a strong Black male and now who from their commercial bully pulpits, shower our women with abuse and degradation. Shower out men with physical abuse and model, that low value of Black life by always promoting a quick trigger, or hard fist as the solution...yet when have you seen a rapper, foster their violent nature upon any creature other than a Black woman or man? When have you seen those "fearless" drug dealers stand on the corner in any neighborhood, other than ours? Or those of our Hispanic brothers and sisters? Yet they speak of such courage to challenge authority...

So as we migrate the challenges of our current situation,which does not have to be a permanent state, we'll have to learn how to mend our relationships, build respect for the uniqueness of each gender and its role in the relationship, create that sense of greater love for our kids than we have for ourselves and consecrate our elders for the battles they fought and won on our behalf.

As an expatriate, I will miss the show, but I'll be reading he website each day and the Blogs to see how it is received.

Warmly and respectfully,

Bernard

Bernard Chapman (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 12:58 AM)

I just hope this is not one-sided. As a Black woman I often find that we are all grouped together as believing in one thing and feeling one way. That is simply not true and I hope these segments reflect the many facets of Black women. The last thing I need is to have to go to work the next day and defend who I am as a Black woman in America.

HellOnHeels, Houston, Texas (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 3:07 AM)

As I read the comments about the upcoming special, I began to wonder why now, why this time of year, why just before Christmas would you air a report to remind the African American family of their shortcomings, their lack of medical care and their rising rate of disease, the timing is astonishing to me. One reason of many reasons AA women have rising numbers in diabetes and cancer is due to the stress that society has put on them. In alarming numbers, it is the AA woman's responsibility to feed, cloth, house, and care for her entire family in some cases her man as well. When a woman is borderline diabetic it will likely turn to full-blown diabetes due to stress. What use to be a rising rate of health problems among AA men has now been transferred to the AA woman because now she is the head of the household, she has become the main source of income for the family. I'm not going to blame anyone else for African American problems, yeah it may be harder to get a job, that's why AA women have decided to go back to school to get a degree, she has to and she should be commended for that, not made to feel guilty or looked down upon because Caucasian woman show better percentages. It's funny how the exact number of Caucasian woman polled compared to the exact number of AA women polled are never shown, but if that were shown I guess it would have a much less effect on what is really being said. College could also be an avenue for the AA men but some would rather sit back point fingers and blame someone else while the AA woman does not have time to do because she's got a family to feed. The AA woman has to make things work in a way it will benefit her entire family even if it does kill her in the process. I praise AA women because they put up with prejudges in their family, in their community and also on the job, but as a whole she still manages to make ends meet at the end of the day.

African American Woman in this country I commend you, and I thank you, hold your head up, never let THEM keep down!

CJ, Wash, DC (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 8:04 AM)

Many years ago the great Gil Scott Heron had a song called "Winter in America". The key hook line is "It's Winter Winter in America and ain't nobody fighting because nobody knows what to save." This song written thirty years ago is exceedingly relevant today. This show is but a bit part of a very large story about todays black community. If it starts a dialogue that enables us to slowly come up with solutions I am cool with it. Sometimes you have to over exagerate the negative to get to a positive. Unfortunately too many of the few black media outlets we have are also not promoting positive efforts in our community or dealing with the negative influences in our community. Too often they perpetuate the "it is the man who is causing us problems" when some of the problems are perpetuated by ourselves. Sure their is institutional racism. It has been going on all of this countries existance and is getting more sophisticated every day. We as black folks have to figure out a way to build our own edifice. "The Man" has proven he is not going to do it for us.

Kevin Harewood (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 8:18 AM)

It would be helpful if you would let viewers know what time the series will air in various time zones. I've looked everywhere on the website it's very frustrating.

KP, Bethesda, Maryland (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 8:46 AM)

Black women are in need of a stronger belief in God. There are so many facets of Black Women, I cannot speak for all women, but for me my self as a black woman - I rely on the father above. He is the only one who has the best intentions for me and knows what lies ahead. He has blessed me with the things that I have, but most of all He has blessed me with WISDOM - Godly WISDOM.

Telisa Johnson (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 8:50 AM)

We'll be watching and talking about it in relation to the article "Open Season on America's Black Women?" which i feel is the quintessential article addressing this matter. Looking forward to the NBC series; hope they do a fair, accurate job addressing how unjustly black women are treated in this country, by the media and black men. Black women just want black men to be MEN and respectful of their own and of themselves.

Martha R., Chicago, IL (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 9:01 AM)

I am so tired of all the disillusioned Black people that are so caught up in what "The Man" and "White America" are doing to us. I hope this series will explore what we are doing to ourselves. Historically, Blacks have had tremendous challenges in this country since the middle passage, and now we have more "freedoms" than ever before. However, we have more issues within our communities and class disparities between us than ever before. Yes, there are more Black men of college age in jail than college, yes, Black on Black crime is ridiculously out of control, (just last week in Chicago, 2 Black male college/graduate students were slain days apart), yes, Black drop out rates, health care indifference, teen pregnancy, discretionary spending, disrespectful rap lyrics...all these things are of epidemic status! Yet, we want to focus all of our attention on some knuckleheads in Lousiana and Don Imus. I think if King were alive, he'd think we had lost our minds...

L. Williams (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 9:09 AM)

I applaud NBC, knowledge is power, so knowing about this important issue will hopefully stimulate others to take action on the details we see and hear that impact us individually and collectively. I also would like to see solutions portrayed for not only the AA female, but the nearly extinct AA male, who has throughout history been depicted as the under dog. Let's began a process for lifting up the endangered species, AA male.

Marty Tabbath (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 9:30 AM)

I'll reserve my opinion until after the broadcast but I agree with Dan Everett, Dallas TX. Black women have always been allowed to fare economically. My father said that when he was growing up in Tenn in the 30s and 40s Black men and women didn't make so much of an issue of who was more educated. It wasn't unusual for a school teacher to marry a carpenter. They had a deeper understanding of why Black men were barred from the mainstream.

nancy harris (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:03 AM)

I am so happy that NBC is doing this segment. Why all the criticism before the segments even air? We shouldn't be so quick to judge. If they were doing a segment on caucasian women, we'd be upset and wondering why they aren't doing one for us. But finally, they're highlighting african-american women and we should at least be supportive until we have a reason not to. I swear, I wonder if "they" can ever do the right thing in our eyes. Stop being so ultrasensitive!

Shamina, Jackson MS (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:28 AM)

Thanks, Bernard....well said!

Gail Brown Louisville,KY (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:30 AM)

Danny,

You stated "Clearly African American men, successful or not successful in business, educated or uneducated, imprisoned or not, lose out in this series.

An extensive series has already been done on the plight of the African American male. I believe last year the Washington Post did an extended series on black men, called "Being a Black Man." The URL is http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/interactives/blackmen/blackmen.html. A book has also been written and is out in bookstores now, which compiles all of the articles from the series into book form. I would encourage you all to not only read it for yourself, but pass it on to the black men in your family and in your close circle.

Michael Lang (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:42 AM)

I will reserve comment on the series itself until after having watched it. But I am struck by the comments that it is an attempt to be racist, point fingers of blame at black women and black men. Often we complain as a community that we don't have a voice in America, that everything is slanted toward white america.

I'm a educated black woman living in Minneapolis. A city where I can assure you that no one is interested in or respectful toward black women, mainly by black men, followed closely by white women. While this is a generalization, and not true of all citizens of this city. Many, many, many black women who move here, move away or live a life of silent anger, invisibility in this community, and feelings of abadonment by our brothers who actively chose white women over us. I am among them and will be moving as well. I am excited that for once, for a week, that focus will be put on us - our strengths and opportunities to improve. Day after day i have to hear about white america, mostly what's right about them. White culture is pushed upon us, while our culture is steadily imitated by them. They hate us and want to be us all in one breath.

Now if we get to the end of the week and it was handled horribly, I'll voice my disappointment then. I do wish they would address black women and HIV though. I'm very curious to see the explanation of our marriage rate. As a single professional black woman in Minneapolis, I am OFTEN passed over for white women without so much as a "hi". Would like to know white women's divorce rate too. However, I don't experience that outside of here. Lastly, I'm interested to see how we have contributed to our own successes and our own setbacks. How a small percentage of us perpetuate the stereotype of black women as promiscuous through media outlets (mainly rap videos), or how it is portrayed for us on tv, movies, and even commercials.

My hope is that this will be a fair and informative reporting of our reality, because this is a very dangerous subject to not get right NBC, i hope you know what you're doing.

A. Harris, Minneapolis, MN (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:46 AM)

Okay, let me understand this. We now need another TV "news" series on the "black" experience. To tell us what? I guess we need to know that more black women die because of poor medical care. I guess we need to know that the hip-hop music that is now being passed off as "art" and or "free speech" demeans and objectifies black women. I guess I need to be "grateful" that NBC is willing to devote some a few minutes to my reality.

Perhaps we all need to stop being grateful and demand more...from the corporations that we spend our money with, the churches we attend, the employers we "give" our talents to, to our children that we sacrifice our happiness for. WE BLACK WOMEN have to demand more than a short....series devoted to a few snapshots in our experience as black women in this society.

Ellen, Monroe, Louisiana (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:53 AM)

I have enjoyed reading all the comments from my brothers and sisters above. I am somewhat skeptical of what this series is going to "really" address and its impact on my African American community and the perceptions that will be formed from those outside of my community. However, since I am not yet aware of any black stations that will consistently cover the issues in our community, and work diligently to resolve them...I guess I will just watch what MSNBC has to say about the issue. So many of your comments are right on target, and if you missed it...you need to scroll back to the top of this blog and get the fullness of responses prior to responding yourself to avoid repetition. Several key points stand out: the impact of slavery on the African American community is real, while there are more African American women in college than men...this also holds true for other races and we are not alone in this plight; there absolutely is and has always been less resources available to African American men to be successful and those that have made it have struggled severely to get it; African American women are looking to other races for marital bliss although there are many issues that surround this decision; and finally racism is still alive and well in America, particularly when incidents like the Jena 6, OJ on trial again, Michael Vick going to jail for dogfighting, attacks on Barry Bonds, TI arrested for security guards having guns...and the highlight of any black male doing something wrong in Hollywood. I can't remember if anyone went to jail for killing horses in the movies, or chicken fighting, or dog fighting for that matter in ole West Virginia...I digress...Nonetheless, I love you my brothers and sisters...and regardless of what the media may paint...I know that you love me too...and I will never give up on you. That's real...from an educated, IT professional black female, married to a black male taking care of his wife and 6 kids. And yes, we are the parents of them all. Thought I'd throw that in there to keep it really real.

Black Love4Life, NC (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 10:58 AM)

As a 37 y.o. AA woman, I say WE have come a long way. We can no longer depend a man (black,white,or green)riding in town on a white horse to support us and the children we bare for them. We must look to empower and better ourselves by any means necessary for the simple fact of survival, self existence, and a better future for us and our families. Therefore, Education is the key to our continued success. However, on this road of success while caring for others and taking care of what needs to be done, we tend to forget about No.#1, ourselves. This leads to stress, bad eating habits,preventable diseases, etc. Furthermore,the family structure must continue and finding a mate of the same racial group is not critical, but finding someone with the same values, views and love is most important. Strong families make a strong community, strong communities make a strong nation. With a strong nation we will come together and vote for the best candidate not based upon their gender or race.

Toi Holliday, Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 11:42 AM)

I hope the NBC Nightly News workforce is diverse and that there were many African American colleagues who reviewed the entire series in advance and were able to provide input, making sure that what airs does not offend and/or misrepresent us.

My fear is that, like too many shows/documentaries/articles, the series will perpetuate the downtrodden African American woman stereotype instead of providing the stereotype-shattering FACTS. For example, it's important to point out that AA women die of breast cancer more than other women, despite the fact that they get screened at equal rates. But it would also be valuable to inform America that AA women are less likely than white women to smoke or drink during pregnancy and have reduced teen pregnancy at a faster rate than any other racial group. Enlighten America on the fact that AA's have significantly lower rates of underage drinking than most other racial groups, including whites. I only know these things because I work in public health; these FACTS are inconsistent with the false images of AA women (and men) that are portrayed in the media over and over again. Your show is an opportunity to set the record straight on a lot of misconceptions people have about us.

I am really looking forward to viewing the series. I hope to hear about all of the Black women who despite racism, despite sexism, despite classism (in some cases) have managed to not only survive but to excel.

Lisa, Atlanta, GA (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 11:48 AM)

I feel as though most of the comments that have been posted are incredibly silly and defensive. Black people need to stop blaming white people for all of our problems. Institutionalized racism exists. Slavery happened. Too many black men are in jail. Got it. We need to be talking about solutions, not blaming white people. If there are a disproportionate number of black women and men in college there is a problem that needs to be addressed. If it is the same in the white community it needs to be addressed as well, but not by me because I’m concerned with solving problems in my community first. I can barely believe I am writing this, but clearly some black people haven’t got the message that you need to help yourselves and stop blaming others. Do not depend on anyone to give you anything. No one should be defensive regarding the topics discussed in this series. Everyone should be saddened and brainstorming solutions. Knowledge is essential and I guarantee this series will teach everyone something new. Watch it and become a part of the solution.

Brooke, New York, NY (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 11:55 AM)

"Nearly two-thirds of African-American undergraduates are women. At black colleges, the ratio of women to men is 7 to 1. And that is leading to a disparity in the number of African-American women who go on to own their own businesses. Rehema Ellis will talk to educators, students and businesswomen about why this disparity exists."

Disparity between what? AA women and AA men who own their own businesses? So I guess successful women who go on to run their own businesses -- uh, that's a problem? I smell an agenda and propaganda, and it stinks.

There may be balanced reporting elsewhere in this series, but sexist and racisit statements like the above don't make me hopeful, or eager to watch yet another report on the "problem" of black women achievers.

Suburbanbushbabe (Sent Monday, November 26, 2007 11:55 AM)

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