By Andre Showell

Last week I was a part of a yearly pilgrimage for African-American journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention.  Black journos gathered in New Orleans to take part in career-enriching workshops, hone their skills, find employment and network.

It’s always good to speak with people with whom you share common experiences and passions. But as is often the case, some of the conversations gave me reasons to reflect on my purpose and to remember why I do what I do.

One particular conversation comes to mind that sent my tolerance for meaningless, idle journalism-related banter into the pits.  I was overwhelmed and frustrated.  A colleague at a decent news station in a top TV market was opining the perils of his six-figure life on television.  He spoke about where he wants to live, what he wants to do, and, of course, how much money he wants to make. It was apparent that journalism was merely a business decision for him; a way to fund his comfy lifestyle.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about upward mobility, making money and enjoying life, but there comes a time when the repetitive cacophony of misguided values and self-aggrandizement is a bit too much to bare.

There was a point in the conversation that I was asked what I wanted to do, where I want to live and how much money did I want to make.  My answer stopped the dialogue in its tracks.  “I don’t know,” I said. “I just want to tell people’s stories and give them information.”

In the age when journalists have become “stars,” it’s easy to lose sight of the challenge we’ve agreed to take on.  It is our job to ask questions, find answers and, ultimately, to serve the public.  So while I do recognize the benefits of having healthy ambition and career goals, I also see what can happen when we lose our sense of mission in the process.

A mentor of mine, the late Debra Tang, former VP of BET News and Public Affairs, once told me, “Andre, if we don’t tell them, they won’t know.”  She was calling attention to the fact that our audience relies on us to get to the heart of the truth and to share what we’ve learned with them.  That means we’ve got a lot of work to do — work that goes beyond simply climbing the corporate ladder to nowhere.

(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

By Andre Showell

It’s easy to understand how the arrest of Creflo Dollar could send shockwaves throughout the nation. The well-known televangelist accused of choking his teen daughter during an argument, has found himself in the middle of a media firestorm. But the issue is also sparking debate from parents who wonder if the minister’s attempt to discipline his child was justified or crossed the lines of what is appropriate.

If a revered member of society known for espousing the virtues of family values and morals can be arrested for disciplining a wayward child, what does that mean for the average mother or father who may already feel that their authority is being challenged by an evolving society?

Dollar has stated in a recent sermon that he, in fact, did not choke his daughter but merely restrained her. While only the people involved know the truth, this situation does bring attention to a type of parenting framework that doesn’t shy away from corporal punishment as a way to keep unruly children in line. Many old-school or traditional African-American families view spankings or beatings as a necessary tool. For years, time-out sessions, or various forms of “grounding,” have been viewed as weak or less effective than good old-fashioned spankings. But at what point does corporal punishment become criminal abuse?

And to what extent do child endangerment laws conflict with deep-rooted beliefs about a parent’s role as chief disciplinarian in the home? I didn’t receive spankings as a child, although my other siblings did. The threat of getting hit by my 6′6″ father or 5′10″ mother was enough to keep me in check. And while some psychologists would suggest that fear is not the healthiest way to curb a child’s behavior, in my case, it probably did.

Notable Black organizations like the NAACP and the SCLC have issued statements of support for Rev. Dollar as they raise questions about whether Dollar should have been arrested in the first place. Parents already worry that they are not doing enough to protect their children in an increasingly dangerous world. Now they will be forced to make one of two choices: either adopt new modes of discipline or the law will adopt its own brand of discipline on parents.

(Photo: EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS /LANDOV)

Did it really take a poll to confirm what we who follow the news and talk to real people already know? According to a new CBS News/New York Times survey, three in four people believe the current Supreme Court justices let their personal opinions affect their decisions and even fewer said the justices decide cases based on legal analysis alone.

Opinions about Congress were just as strong with just 15 percent of respondents approving of the job Congress is doing. And if you think those numbers are bleak, know that they are actually an improvement from February’s results which found that just 10 percent of people approved of Congress’ performance.

It feels as if people are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the way that Washington is conducting business. From the debt ceiling debacle to assaults on affirmative action, it appears that a general sense of displeasure is growing among the electorate. People are struggling to take care of their families and a consensus is materializing that it places more and more of the blame on our political leaders.

Partisanship is a lethal weapon nowadays and compromise is seemingly viewed as an expletive. All of the bickering, and wrangling have become so enmeshed in the fabric of politics that people are reaching their breaking point. So while it’s interesting to see a survey about the pulse of the people, what we really need is a culture shift in Washington. That’s the study I’m ready to see.

(Photo: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

By Andre Showell

I was reading the Washington Post when I stumbled on an article that caught my attention: “Still waiting for our first Black president.” The writer, Fredrick Harris, highlighted an issue that has been picking up steam ever since American voters made history, electing Barack Obama as the first Black president of the U.S.

It emphasizes the “one America” strategy the Obama White House has adopted in an effort to brand him as the “President of All People,” not just the first Black president. He pointed out the time I asked President Obama during a prime-time press conference in 2009 whether he had any plans of pushing targeted efforts to specifically address the Black unemployment rate, which, at that time, was double the national rate. The writer took issue with the president’s “rising tide lifts all boats” approach, asking, “But what of those who have no boats to begin with?”

When the president answered that question, I remembered thinking the metaphor was a bit ill-conceived since my premise had already indicated that Black people were already underwater from an employment standpoint. Simply making the tide rise would do nothing to stop the drowning. I remembered thinking he’d probably not win any additional Black support with such a tentative response.

In covering the president, I now know his answer was classically Obama: measured and methodical, some would say, to a fault. His approach is cautious and insightful considering the legions of detractors who are waiting to point him out as a “Black” president who serves “Black” voters.

While he hasn’t given those naysayers the obvious ammunition they’ve been waiting for, it could and should be argued that many of the president’s policies have a direct impact on African-Americans. But the dilemma before him is a delicate one. Would targeting policies directly at African-Americans mean he’d have to lose his title as the “President of All People?”

(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

By Andre Showell

As news reporters, we are used to getting the monthly jobs reports and routinely dissecting the ups and downs of the employment market.  And as the Labor Department released news that the economy created just 69,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate climbed slightly to 8.2 percent, it occurred to me that everyone else may not be so focused on the employment picture as a horse race.

While it is worth noting that this month’s numbers reflect the first unemployment increase in 11 months and that it appears that the U.S. may be pointed in the direction of a third consecutive spring slump, I wonder if the folks at home who watch and read the information care as much about the quantitative breakdown that seems to consume all the news outlets each and every month.

I’d think that if when you’re on the receiving end of a pink slip, the employment numbers don’t matter as much as the dwindling numbers on your bank account. And while the monthly jobs report does provide a quick pulse of the economy’s health, a person wondering how to feed their family, pay rent and keep the lights on each month isn’t so interested in how the rest of the nation is doing.

Economists reportedly predicted that 150,000 jobs would have been added last month. It is clear that the overwhelming concern is that the recovery is not happening at the predicted rate.  But it is also clear that unemployment is personal and we can’t forget that behind every statistic is a person who just needs a job.

(Source: The White House)

By Andre Showell

We lead hectic lives and often it’s difficult to appreciate the upcoming Memorial Day holiday as more than just a day off.  But this year, the White House is doing its part to acknowledge a number of veterans, including a man who has spent a lifetime dedicating his life to service for this country.  As part of the “Champions of Change” program, the White House held a special event to highlight the life of Sgt. Stephen Sherman, a 91-year-old African-American veteran who served in World War II.

And while most people would have been content returning to a life of leisure after putting their life on the line, Sherman did not.  Instead, he established the Dorie Miller Memorial Foundation which works to assist unemployed, disabled and homeless veterans nationwide. And as a result, he’s helped countless disabled veterans across the country.

“As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we are reminded of their unwavering commitment to their country yesterday, today and tomorrow,” said Rosye Cloud, the White House director of veterans.

So as we look in anticipation toward a well-deserved break, Sgt. Sherman’s life reminds us that there is no respite in the quest to help those in need.

(Photos: Courtesy GOP.org, Democrats.org)

Census figures that project minorities will outnumber the majority of whites in the U.S. in the future may trigger an inevitable turning point for the GOP. The news means that, in order to remain viable, the party whose base is largely white and aging now faces a major dilemma: how to stay alive in a world that is rapidly changing.

So what does this news mean for not only conservatives, but Democrats as well? I believe that the evolving demographic landscape will ultimately signal a sea change from which Blacks, Latinos and Asians stand to benefit.

It could be that the Republican National Committee, out of necessity, will have to appeal to some of the policies that minority voters care about.  If the goal is to stay viable, the party will be forced to revamp or suffer the consequences.

But don’t think that the Democratic National Committee is off the hook.  If the RNC adopts more minority-friendly platforms, Democrats will, in turn, have to work harder to keep its loyal base of supporters and defeat some of the criticism that it takes the minority vote for granted.

Imagine a Republican party that promotes affirmative action, the Dream Act and entitlement programs, or a Democratic party that pushes for reparations or a national apology for slavery. This may sound like political science fiction, but given the new projections about the looming majority minority electorate, OUR vote may be THE vote that everyone wants.

(Photos from left: AP Photo/Sanford Police Department, Courtesy Facebook)

Sometimes polls are just baffling. The latest Rasmussen Reports finds that 40 percent of Americans now say that Trayvon Martin was shot in self-defense by gunman George Zimmerman. That figure is up 25 points from the reported figures in March and up 16 points from last month.

What’s more interesting is that now, according to the survey, 24 percent of American adults still believe that the man who shot Martin should be found guilty of murder. But that number was 33 percent in March.

It is clear that, if the results of this survey are to be believed, the nation seems to be taking a more lenient stance in regard to Zimmerman’s potential culpability. As more evidence unfolds in the days leading up to the looming trial, people are beginning to believe that Trayvon managed to get a few blows in and that Zimmerman was hurt in the process.

But why does this fact somehow mean that Zimmerman was justified in killing the unarmed teen? It’s reasonable to believe that most people would do something to protect themselves when encountered by an armed predator on a dark road. So it seems like a leap for people to think that, based on that fact, Trayvon’s killing was somehow warranted.

Thirty-six percent of respondents remain undecided, but even that number is shrinking from the 55 percent figure back in March. It seems that many people are less sympathetic to the notion that Trayvon fought back against the gunman. But I wonder if, as more evidence surfaces, Trayvon’s attempt to defend himself will mean that Zimmerman should be off the hook.

(Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Lott)

I remember learning in grade school that at one time people believed that the Earth was flat. But the progression of scientific discovery, trumpeted by the great Greek scientist Pythagoras, postulated that the Earth was round. Still, some held tightly to their own faulty information, clinging to their old, inaccurate beliefs and condemning those who dared to embrace the truth.  I wondered how this could be.

The whole birther debate over President Obama’s birthplace caused me to revisit the feelings of confusion I had as a child about those odd people who refused to accept the facts even when they’ve been proven.

It has been widely established that the president was born in Hawaii. He has produced both his short and long-form birth certificates. But that has done little to stop the birther buzz.

First, news broke last week, pointing to an instance that may have started the whole debate.  It was discovered that, back in 1991, promotional brochures from the president’s literary agency referred to him as being “born in Kenya.” Led by conservative site Breibart, the media pounced on the news, prompting the literary agency to blow off the story as a fact-checking error.

So you’d think that the whole thing would be settled, right? Wrong.

Enter Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett. He’s now threatening a move that could keep the president’s name off of the ballot in the state altogether. Before the ballot can be authorized, he wants the state of Hawaii to verify that the birth certificate released by President Obama is the real deal.

The obsession with the president’s birth certificate is mind-numbing and a bit difficult to understand. At a certain point, I’d expect people to come to grips with what we now fully accept as the truth. Obama was born in the United States and has every right to run for a second term.

(Photo: Wikicommons)

By Andre Showell

You should never judge a book by its cover. I know it’s a cliché but it’s also the plain old truth. I learned that lesson this week after I traveled with colleagues to the Republican National Committee Convention walk-through in Tampa, Florida. In addition to checking out the lay of the land for the upcoming convention, we also had a chance to spend some quality time with some of the movers and shakers behind the Republican Party.

James Davis, the director of communications and chief spokesman for the RNC Convention, was one of the most engaging.  Beneath the pinstripe suits and wingtip shoes lies an interesting story that separates this husband and father of two from any preconceived notions many people have about Republicans.

While James is a vocal supporter of Republican ideals, he has a personal journey that was far from typical.  He grew up in Vidalia, Georgia, in a poor neighborhood. He said his was the only white family in a Black community, so he has never been afraid to stand out.  His experience also explained the apparent ease with which he seemed to connect with our all-African American delegation of staffers.

James explained that he, like many in the Black community, is the product of teen parents and was raised by his grandparents.  And despite a less-than-ideal upbringing, he worked his way through school by waiting tables, until his fate changed. During one of his shifts, he waited on a customer who changed the course of his life. That customer happened to be a former assistant secretary of defense who ended up helping him land an internship at the Department of Defense during the Bush administration. James took the offer, got a loan to cover his expenses and was eventually hired as a researcher.

And the rest is history. He ascended the ranks of the GOP and today plays a key role in the election bid of the presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney.

This political operative knows more about the needs and concerns of the struggling and underserved than I ever will. And while he knows what it’s like to live life along the margins of society, when opportunity knocked, he was ready to open the door.