When “Black in America” aired last summer on CNN, the poignant, touching and sometimes-controversial documentary was a glimpse of what it meant to be an African American in a country with a conflicted racial legacy. At the time, the populace was buzzing at the prospect of having a black Democratic presidential nominee. That nominee is now President Barack Obama, and as the outpouring of jubilations at his historic election have begun to subside, and with Americans confronting the sobering reality that racism cannot be quelled with one fell swoop — no matter how monumental — it is the perfect time to take another look at the African American experience in 2009. Some members of the CNN family reflected upon why they feel “Black in America 2” is just as — if not more relevant — than the original. –todd williams
Soledad O’Brien Soledad O’Brien
Host, “Black in America 2”
“Through documentaries, I’ve been able to create little stories [about] civil rights [and] true heroes. And the experience has changed my life. And in ‘Black in America 2,’ we are discovering that all of our fates are intertwined.”
Jeff Reid Executive Producer, CNN Jeff Reid
Executive Producer, CNN
“The most rewarding experience for me [in] working with ‘Black in America’ [is that] after being in this business for almost 30 years; [I’m] able to finally tell the stories that impact my people and my family, and impact black Americans — the good and the bad.”
Richelle Carey Weekday Anchor, Headline News
Richelle Carey
Weekday Anchor, Headline News
“I’m thrilled that a company that I work for would take on ‘Black in America’ and ‘Black In America 2.’ … It takes something like ‘Black in America’ to show how multifaceted we are — both the challenges that we encounter and the things that we are capable of accomplishing.”
Johnita Due Chair, CNN Diversity Council Johnita Due
Chair, CNN Diversity Council
“What gives me the most gratification is just [knowing] that we are making a difference by telling the stories that are sometimes untold or under [reported]; and by putting faces and people behind the statistics that you sometimes hear.”
TJ Holmes Host, CNN TJ Holmes
Host, CNN
“This [is] a conversation that we started with ‘Black in America’ last summer. [It’s about] taking a good look, hard look and a sometimes painful look at what it is like for black people in this country. Whether you loved it, hated it, or were kind of so-so on [‘Black in America’], it was important to get people talking. And a lot of people were talking, and so it is good that it continues.”
