There seems to be growing tension between American-born Blacks and Black immigrants. Host Ian Smith examines the irony of a divided Diaspora on this week’s “Meet the Faith.”

West African comedian Michael Blackson, BET correspondent Jeff Johnson and Michelle Bernard, president of the Independent Women’s Forum, shared insights about relations between Black Americans and the 2 million foreign-born brothers and sisters who now call the United States home. “Coming to America for any African is like a dream come true,” says Blackson.

Unfortunately, Johnson suggests, ignorance is to blame for much of the existing tension. “What is the Diaspora? Many Blacks “don’t know what that means,” Johnson says. “It’s an education process.” What do you think?

The war in Iraq could be America’s most controversial conflict yet. Returning Iraqi veterans, especially Blacks, are facing rejection from their communities, poor healthcare and even homelessness. Ian Smith examined why Black veterans are suffering so on this week’s “Meet the Faith.”

This week’s guest panelists included filmmaker Brian Palmer, author Yvonne Latty and Navy veteran Kevin L. Martin,. Panelists agreed homelessness should not be an option for any soldier returning from Iraq. “There’s no reason why a veteran should be homeless. It’s a political situation that needs to be rectified,” says Martin.What are your thoughts?

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?

On this week’s “Meet the Faith,” viewers learned how some Blacks are recreating themselves physically, financially and mentally. Host Ian Smith and guest panelists author Dr. Brenda Wade; recording artist Tonex; and actress Tasha Smith discussed the deliberate transformations many Blacks are undertaking from losing significant amounts of weight to giving up selling drugs for a living. But can everyone change their negative ways or are some Blacks just doomed to life of pain and misery? What do you think?

The Cartoon

 Plus, check out the cartoon below created by talented artist Rajan Sedalia. You’ll see a different cartoon each week by the artist right here on this blog. Rajan expalins this weeks cartoon this way:
“Make money, make money, make money. Everything else is can be rationalized to fit that mind set. If it sells, do it. Oh, was that your conscious bothering you? ”

Does African-American loyalty make our celebrities and leaders scandal-proof? On “Meet the Faith” host Ian Smith asked “Who gets our loyalty, who doesn’t and why?”

Comedian Paul Mooney, “Inside Edition” correspondent April Woodard and author Crystal McCreary Anthony joined Smith for a lively discussion about such celebrities as R. Kelly, O.J. Simpson and former Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry who, according to the panelists, have been given passes for alleged inappropriate behavior.

Black Americans often are willing to look the other way when Black leaders are in trouble. Is it because we have limited amount of people representing us? What do you think?

The Cartoon

 Plus, check out the cartoon below created by talented artist Rajan Sedalia. You’ll see a different cartoon each week by the artist right here on this blog.

Rajan says: “Even in a galaxy far, far away, R.Kelly can’t avoid a scandal.”

 About the Cartoonist:

Rajan Sedalia lives the creative experience. A one-of-a-kind designer, cartoonist, inventor and artist capturing the essence of the country’s evolving cultural and political landscape like no other. Bringing a youthful, bold sensibility to his social commentary, his is a voice with a progressive stance about the need to not only tolerate, but understand our multicultural world of creativity. His art, inventions, designs and cartoons have been recognized by CBS, PBS, FOX, MSNBC, Columbia, Harvard, The Whitney Museum, Newsweek, Parade, Forbes, Popular Science, Black Enterprise and Business Week magazines.

Your Opinion

 Hit ”Comments” above to write what you think about the show.

The Topic

Increasingly, African-American pastors are “supersizing” their churches as they create 20,000-member mega-churches, some equipped with ATMs, supermarkets and even their very own McDonald’s. What do you think about this trend?

 What They Said

 The guests on the show included, Rev. Jamaal Harrison-Bryant, Rev. Joel Osteen, Bishop Bernard Jordan, comedian Ricky Smiley and author Kimberla Lawson Roby. Each one presented a different viewpoint on churches partnering with businesses. Some, including Smiley and Lawson were skeptical, while the reverends defended the trend, saying it is sometihng new happening with religion. They argue that the church is becoming more influential when it goes into non-traditional arenas. They also insist that the message and mission of the church is not being compromised.

The Cartoon

 Plus, check out the cartoon below created by talented artist Rajan Sedalia. You’ll see a different cartoon each week by the artist right here on this blog.

 About the Cartoonist:

Rajan Sedalia lives the creative experience. A one-of-a-kind designer, cartoonist, inventor and artist capturing the essence of the country’s evolving cultural and political landscape like no other. Bringing a youthful, bold sensibility to his social commentary, his is a voice with a progressive stance about the need to not only tolerate, but understand our multicultural world of creativity. His art, inventions, designs and cartoons have been recognized by CBS, PBS, FOX, MSNBC, Columbia, Harvard, The Whitney Museum, Newsweek, Parade, Forbes, Popular Science, Black Enterprise and Business Week magazines.

Your Opinion

 Hit ”Comments” above to write what you think about the show and megachurhes.

A black man is beaten to death in the custody of officers at a Mississippi jail. It’s caught on tape, but a newspaper had to sue to get it released. It’s horrible, but a necessary horror to watch.

The story and video speak for themselves, but I do have one question. One officer appears to have been the one doing most of the beating, and some of his coworkers even testified against him. But isn’t that way too little and much too late? Why not, I don’t know, show some balls and stop the whole thing before this man lost his life?

One lesson most men learn the hard way is listening to moms when she tells you what NOT to do. I learned I was 17, on a rainy day in the ‘hood when my raise (Pittsburgh slang for mother, because she raised you) begged my best friend and I not to leave the crib. She thought she heard gunshots and didn’t want us outside.

When you’re 17 you know it all, so of course we left. Sparing you all the minutia, after a 15 minute walk to the store, both of us were handcuffed on a wet curb, surrounded by flashing lights and a gang of Pittsburgh’s finest. Somebody was shooting, out of a car, at another car that eventually crashed. We were walking down the street, not driving, but apparently we were good enough: we fit the description.

Besides listening to the raise at all costs, that I would often ‘fit the description’ was the other lesson I learned on that curb (that and that cold, wet curbs ain’t comfortable). Since then I’ve fit the description walking home from high school (somebody got pistol-whipped by a few black males wearing blue, and for that me and two friends, in a mostly-black neighborhood were stopped and searched), driving home from work in Baltimore, and walking to a friend’s house in DC.

That first time was in 1994, years before an incident on the New Jersey Turnpike made “driving while black” a household term. It was proof, sadly, of the many -isms that black mothers have to teach their boys about survival in America: how to navigate and survive the inevitable experience of fitting the description. (Don’t talk back. Don’t answer any questions except your name and address. If you’re in a car, put your hands on the dash and don’t reach for anything…To this day I don’t keep my registration in the glove box; in case I’m pulled over, no one will have the excuse that ‘he reached for something.’)

But even with all those survival skills the raise gave me, one question remains? When will I no longer fit the description?

Let’s get one thing out of the way: I’ve had my share of bad cop experiences. I’m black, male and have lived in big cities — sometimes rough neighborhoods — my entire 30 years. Pick anybody like me in America, and I’ll show you somebody with a nuanced view of “Officer Friendly”.

But that’s the thing: the relationship between blackfolk and the police isn’t just black-and-white (pun not intended). It ain’t all “us good, them bad”. I could spend a week talking about being pulled over, handcuffed, searched and threatened but we all know stories like that. I’d rather ask tougher questions, like can we expect police to really protect our communities if there’s no balance between trust and trepidation on the two sides?

Where’d that come from? This story, from yesterday’s newspaper in Pittsburgh (my hometown): somebody in ACJ (that’s the Allegheny County Jail for the uninitiated) printed up a flier with 126 names on it. Those named were alleged snitches, tagged by a jailbird for allegedly helping police and prosecutors make people like him into jailbirds. The flier didn’t urge violence, but we all know what having your name on a list like this in the ‘hood means. Four people whose names were on it were already dead before it hit the streets: homicide victims.

Most of the people on the list were black males.

True, it’s difficult to trust police if you live in neighborhoods that they patrol like it’s Baghdad (peep THIS example from my very own neighborhood back home — more on it later) . It’s also true that cops can’t solve crimes if communities are in as much fear of winding up on the snitch list as they are of seeing those flashing lights behind them on a dark street at night.

They take an oath to serve and protect, but what happens when police protection crosses the line in communities of color and becomes police brutality? BET’s Ian Smith looks at law enforcement and police brutality in America on this week’s “Meet the Faith.”
Smith and the Rev. Conrad Tillard of Nazarene Congregational Church; Police Lt. Steven L. Rogers of Nutley, N.J.; and retired New York City Police Detective Graham Witherspoon debate the issue of “excessive force” in the Black community, citing various well-known cases from Los Angeles to the East Coast. Among the cases highlighted is the most recent tragic shooting of Sean Bell, who was cut down by New York City Police in a haze of 50 bullets while leaving his bachelor party on the eve of his wedding.

“This only happens disproportionately in communities of color,” states Tillard. Fellow panelist Rogers disagrees. “I think this idea that it’s only happening in minority communities is not true.” What do you think?

Rajan Says
Check out the latest editorial cartoon from Rajan Sedalia. Here’s his take on police brutality. “Violence has always been a quick solution in the U.S. It’s quick, efficient and empowering – kind of like fast food. If you don’t agree with me, let’s fight. Winner gets a happy meal.”

Guest Blogger

Making a return visit as a Meet the Faith guest blogger is Keith Reed. Keith is the creator of BlackPeoplesmoney.com is a business reporter at the Boston Globe. His work has appeared in Black Enteprise, Essence, Heart & Soul and King magazines, and he is also co-creator of “Brothersmanlaw” , a satirical blog written by and for urban males.