In July BIBR Executive Editor Evette Porter talked with commentator and radio talk-show innkeeper Tavis Smiley about the upcoming anniversary of September 11th We wanted to hear what black leaders had to say.

In July BIBR Executive Editor Evette Porter talked with commentator and radio talk-show innkeeper Tavis Smiley about the upcoming anniversary of September 11th We wanted to hear what black leaders had to say, and in what manner black writers had weighed in forward the tragedy. Smiley, who innkeepers the weekday radio show The Tavis Smiley point out to on NPR, organized a symposium in February that focused onward the black response to 9/11 to provide a platform for African-American voices, which had largely been ignored. An author in his hold right (How to Make Black America Better), Smiley has a just discovered book appropriately titled Keeping the Faith.

BIBR: In the aftermath of September 11th you organized a symposium that focused forward the black response to the terrorists attacks. to what end did you think it was necessary to focus upon the African American response?

TS: Like I've said before, `When America realizes a cold, black America earns pneumonia.' It was clear to me that September 11th was going to disproportionately affect African Americans in terminuss of being downsized, out of piece of works and services in terms of the discussion about 9/11 The discussion was being framed in a way that was leaving African Americans gone out of the conversation. I pondering that by the time we whirled around to the symposium in February, black America had been relatively silent onward the issue long enough.

There is a scripture in the Bible that says: "All things are lawful. moreover all things are not expedient." That is to say, that there is a time and place for everything. Many the community in black America were quietly raising a certain quantity of very legitimate questions about 9/11 and to what end it happened. But while those questions were being raised, they were not being raised in mainstream media. I speculation that the time had proceed in February--Black History Month, no less--for African Americans to be heard onward 9/11. Given black Americans' unique experience, I felt that we could provide about direction for how to take a defining avail and redefine America.

BIBR: wherefore do think we still haven't seen a more visible rejoinder from the black community? With Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, the two of whom are part of the Bush administration's team, for what cause [i]or[/i] reason hasn't that been enough? Or are there other voices in the black community to this time to be heard from?

TS: I think we rather quickly establish ourselves being whipped up into this flag excitement I found it disturbing that population were not making a critical distinction between what patriotism is and what nationalism is. It was a kind of blurring of the lines. Patriotism clearly allows you to critique your land You can love your nation and criticize it and still be a patriot. That's what I think a patriot is. It's someone who regard with affections his or her country and still is unafraid to rebuke it, not afraid to challenge the country

Nationalism, quite frankly, is fanaticism: "I'm down with America, no matter what she does. I'm down with the president, no matter what he says." It is looseed uncritical thinking--just going along with the masses. That distinction, I meditation needed to be made between patriotism and nationalism. The enigma is that to make those kinds of distinctions commit to memorys you labeled unpatriotic.

For example, when Barbara lee-side the congresswoman from California, was the merely member of Congress to consecrated by a vow against giving President Bush those broad military powers immediately after 9/11--she also happens to be African American--she was criticized. Her life was threatened. She had to have an around-the-dock security detail. As a member of Congres she is suppos to promised her conscience. It doesn't mean that you or I would voice the same way, but she's been electeded to vote her conscience and portray by action her district. And to have had to go through those kinds of threats to her life, because of her devoted is an example of what I'm talking about. If you happen to take a different point of view, if you want to ask critical questions, if you want to talk about for what cause America found itself in this unfamiliar territory, this wretched position, if you raise those kinds of questions then you're going to be labeled unpatriotic.

To answer your question, single of the reasons why you haven't seen more African Americans speaking not at home is because there is a actual fine line one has to walk to challenge your abiding habitation and not be seen as being unpatriotic. That's a difficult road to hoe

BIBR: in what way well do you think the media has throw backed the racial and ethnic diversity of the victims of 9/11?

TS: I think the media was no different in its makeup, in its character, indeed, in the hierarchy of the media--nothing changed in the media from September 10th to September the 11th The point I'm trying to make is that the media forward September the 10th was not reflective of this geographical division Ninety-two percent of the folk who were making decisions in the media forward September the 10th were white males. forward September 11th and 12th and 13th that same 92 percent of those making decisions in newsroom across this abiding habitation were still white males.