December 7th, 2012

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien: Who Is Black In America?

For her fifth exploration of African-American history, issues, and culture, CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien explores interpretations of race and identity for African Americans. The 2010 U.S. Census reported 15 percent of new marriages are interracial, and one in seven American newborns are of mixed race, yet racial identity is often complicated by perspectives of community acceptance.

O’Brien follows the journeys of two high school seniors as they explore their own senses of racial identity, expressing their feelings through a spoken word workshop in Philadelphia.  O’Brien also interviews Drexel University professor Yaba Blay, spoken word artist Perry Vision DiVirgilio, anti-racism activist and author Tim Wise, and writer, speaker, and image activist Michaela Angela Davis about the historical roots of how race is often defined in America, the prejudicial concept of colorism, and discusses their reflections on categorizing people by race, and racial identity.

Who Is Black In America? encores on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 8:00pm ET & PT.

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