Use to be that a sideways glance from a parent was enough to keep a black kid in line. But today our communities look a lot different than they use to and as a result many Black parents our finding what use to be called White people’s problems.

 This week on Meet the Faith, Dr. Ian Smith and his guests – Black parenting expert Dr. Jeff Gardere, comedian Roz and author and media commentator Sabrina Lam tackle the touchy topic of Black families dealing with so called White problems.  What do you think?

When it comes to loyalty in the Black community, it seems Blacks love unconditionally causing some to question whether certain celebrities, athletes and politicians are in fact scandalproof.  On “Meet the Faith” this week host Ian Smith asks the questions who gets Black loyalty, who doesn’t and why? What do you think?

Do some Blacks still feel the need to pass for White? Should bi-racial people be considered a separate race? Those are just some of the provocative questions raised on this week’s Meet the Faith hosted by Dr. Ian Smith

Smith’s guest included CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Elizabeth Atkins, who is bi-racial and author of “Dark Secret,” Bintell Powell, author of the book “Betrayed” and Larry Wilmore, creator of the Bernie Mac Show and Senior Correspondent on “The Daily Show.” What do you think? Who is Black and who is not? Does it matter?

On Sunday’s “Meet the Faith,” talk-show host Oprah Winfrey fires back at those who criticize her decision to build a school in South Africa rather than in the United States.“To Hell with your criticism,” she says. “I don’t care about what you have to say about what I did. It’s what I did.”But charitable giving by African Americans is just one of the topics on this week’s program. Joined by corporate attorney Donald Smart, BET correspondent Jeff Johnson and the Rev. Eugene Rivers, host Ian Smith leads a candid discussion about Black spending patterns. What do you think?Rajan Says…..What do you think of editorial cartoonist Rajan Sedalia’s latest drawing? This is Rajan’s take on this week’s Meet the Faith topic!”Delayed gratification - what does it mean? Taking the long view… askingyourself how will your behavior today affect your life in the future. Whatdo you need versus what do you want?These questions have led to many arguments between myself and friends &family. Do you really need wireless internet, the latest phone, the latestclothes and cars? Can you fore sake the comfort of driving, and walk a toyour destination? Even if it means sweat on your brow? How about doing situps at home and riding your bike to the grocery store instead of the $120per hour session with a personal trainer or pilates.All of these things mean deferring the quick, glamorous & comfortable actionfor the unadvertised, slower paced action. Even though you’ll never see atelevision commercial implying that a walk to work will make you feelspecial and appeal to the opposite sex like a car commercial, the walk getsto your destination while exercising. Now, you don’t have to join the gym toexercise.Ask yourself - why do all the things that make us feel special or importantseem to cost so much money? Is it because someone is trying to sell ushappiness?”

  Americans by the millions watch reality television, but how real is it and has it gone too far with some of its stereotypical and buffoonish portrayals of Blacks? “Meet the Faith” host Ian Smith sifted through “the good, the bad and the ugly” of reality TV.Guest panelists included Randal Pinkett, fourth season winner of “The Apprentice”; Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, “The Apprentice” participant; and Harvey E. Walden IV, of “Celebrity Fit Club.” So what’s real when Blacks take on reality tv, and what’s not?

 Are Black people overly paranoid, or are we justified in thinking “The Man” is out to get us? This week Dr. Ian Smith and his guests — fitness expert Donna Richardson Joyner, Dr. Jeff Gardner and pediatrician Dr. Corey Herbert — take an emotional look back at historical injustices against Blacks; and of it’s time to let bygones be bygones. What do you think?  

This week BET’s “Meet the Faith” will take on homosexuality in Black America - how we view it, the frictions it causes in our community and how gays and lesbians themselves live their lives in the face of hate, prejudice and relatives and friends who misunderstand them. Who knew actress Sheryl Lee Ralph was such a staunch supporter of gay people? She came out swinging - shoulders shaking and full of emotion - arguing with Zoe Ministries pastor, the Rev. Bishop Bernard Jordan in support of gay right. Jordan, who leads Zoe Ministries, was the voice for African-American clergy opposed to gay rights and gay marriage. To be fair, he was the only one defending his position on the panel, so he was definitely outgunned by Lee’s star power and Boykin’s familiarity with the subject. But Jordan was neither persuasive nor passionate about his point. He insisted, however, that there’s nothing to debate: the Bible says homosexuality is wrong so it is wrong. Jordan says while he doesn’t oppose homosexuals just because of who they are he insists that the act of homosexual sex is sinful.Gay activist, author and attorney Keith Boykin (who also used to be a White House aide) was also on the show. Boykin reminded Jordan that the Bible was also used to defend slavery and discrimination against women. Boykin also argued that the whole “down low” syndrome is part of the larger right wing “conspiracy” against homosexuality. There are no stats to back the notion that high rate of AIDS in black women is a result of black gay men who bring it home to them, he says.

A dirty secret is circulating around many poor Black neighborhoods and it’s making many people sick. Millions of Black people live within walking distance of environmentally hazardous factories, landfills and highways. this week. host Ian Smith and his guests talked about “going green,” and the impact environmental racism plays in placing Black families in harms way. Do you agree? 

If someone were to remix one of James Brown’s classic soul hits, its new title might be “Say it Loud, I’m Black, Yellow, Red and Proud.”

Mixed race and mixed up is the subject of this week’s show. Host Ian Smith led an eclectic discussion on an issue most Black people have asked themselves: “Who am I and where did my ancestors come from?” Not surprisingly the answers, like the show topic, are mixed. What’s your take?

Prince, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor and Whitney Houston have all been regarded as geniuses within the Black community. On this week’s “Meet the Faith,” host Ian Smith examined the concept of genius and whether Black brilliance is a gift or a curse.

Joining Smith on the show this week were Paul Mooney, comedian; Andre Harrell, entrepreneur; and entrepreneur Bill Stephney. According to Harrell, being a genius begins with a “higher power.” “It starts with the gift to be able to sing or the gift to be funny and managing the gift so that you can continue to inspire will allow you to become this genius.” What do you think?

According to editorial cartoonist Rajan Sedalia: “Being a genius is easier than being labeled as a genius.”