Black in America 2: Insight into the African-American Community

CNN released its second chapter of the miniseries entitled "Black in America 2" on July 22. Many believed that the first "Black in America" was "well-done" and "very educational," while others thought it was "narrow-minded." I did not like "Black in America," but I was excited about "Black in America 2" because it was going to show African-Americans making a change, and that is exactly what "Black in America 2" did. "Black in America 2" not only showed the issues that face the African-American community, but it also showed African-Americans making solutions to combat those issues. For example, one of the problems facing African-Americans today is education. In "Black in America 2," Principal Steve Perry is an example of an African-American trying to bridge the education gap. According to CNN News, at Perry's Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut, they prep their kids for college. According to CNN, the school has a nearly "0 percent dropout rate" in a state with "one of the largest achievement gaps between black and white students in the nation."

I also thoroughly enjoyed the "Black in America 2: Tomorrow's Leaders" segment. I thought the children participating in Journey for Change were a part of an excellent experience. These children had the chance to help those in their global community, which is an opportunity that not everyone has. To see the kids excited about being in South Africa was inspiring, to say the least. It made me feel proud to be an African-American in today's world. A lot of the time, I always felt that the negative was highlighted more than the positive in our community and it was refreshing to see these kids passionate about helping others.

Final Thought: CNN's "Black in America 2" was very well done. I felt that it attacked both the issues that affect our community but it showed that we are also trying to find solutions. It reminded me that, despite the negative, we still rise above the stereotypes or the negative and look forward to a better day. I felt that in a way, the miniseries captured the strength of the African-American & African community and that, despite the many obstacles, we still find a way to move forward.