NBC Series on Black Women to Tackle Tough Issues

I received an email a short while ago announcing that starting next Monday, NBC will begin a five-part series entitled, "Afrian-American Women: Where They Stand". Since I can't seem to find the information anywhere else on line to validate this information, I'm just going to include what's in the release and you can confirm it for yourself as the week goes along, or I'll post something here. I'm pretty sure it's authentic. I'm usually at the gym around the time the network nightly news airs, thus my fixation on Lou Dobbs, because my gym only play CNN and some sports channels--which is fine with me, but I'm just making a point. I will be recording the news for the week.

Anyway, the week's topics include:

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. 

Tuesday, 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 Chicagobook club and talk about this difference and how it impacts them.
 
Dr. Nancy Snyderman will discuss the increases risks for breast cancer for African-American women on Wednesday. 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.
 
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. 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.

Pretty heavy stuff right? Should be interesting. However, most of the "packages" that air in a 30 minute newscast are only about 2-4, maybe 5 minutes long. It will interesting to see how they cram all of that information in. Should make for a great week of blogging next week! Hostess, Babs, iamnostarjones and all the lot of you! Are you ladies listening!!!!? Tivo my dears! Tivo. --SUGAR

Comments

[Lord Hannibal]

*SIGH*

I can barely contain my excitement!

*SIGH*

[glory]

sounds interesting. but it'll probably be a regurgitation of stuff i already know...

[aly cat]

How come they never ask me or anybody I know? Sometimes I really don't like those "surveys" cuz I'm wondering what point they really trying to make.

To say "black women aren't marrying like they used too" AND . . . the point is?? They still making babies, they just not marrying a crazy mo'fo because they got pregnant (which is what women did in the past because if you didn't you where "shamed" and you child was called a "bastard")

[crushcrushcrush]

It breaks my heart to see some statistics like these. Black women rank highest for breast cancer diagnosis, and highest in mortality rates. We need to all stand together and make sure we don't lose more of our sisters. I also lost my father in 2004 to cancer, and now I am working with Pantene Beautiful Lenghts and Million Inch Chain as a community ambassador. Together, we are trying to gather 1 million inches of hair to make into wigs for women with cancer.

We are trying to give these women back their confidence by giving them the hair that was taken away from them. I am asking if all of you out there would want to help out by donating your hair to this amazing cause. If you would like more information then please visit this website http://www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/million_inch/million_inch_qa.jsp

[iamnotStarJones]

Why isn't Sugar or Spice on that panel?

[Sugar]

Aly cat, I hear you and the numbers do always sound so depressing, but I believe that surveys are necessary to be able to get a picture of what's happening and to see what can be done to correct any problems. We've got a lot of work to do.

Hey crushcrushcrush [wrong for making me type that three times!!! :)]! I'll check that site out and pass it along. Thanks! Lots of cancer in my family, so this is a cause I'm always willing to take up.

iamnotStarJones, the Afrosphere is full of people who would have made for great subjects right!!? lol