November 25, 2007Outtakes with Rehema EllisRehema Ellis is a veteran journalist and NBC network correspondent who has covered just about every story imaginable. Firefighters, the environment, education, the pope and flex-time for working moms, just to name a few. But a five-part series beginning tonight on "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" strikes an intensely personal chord. Ellis is the lead reporter in the series called "African-American Women: Where They Stand." "I'm an African-American woman," Ellis said in a phone conversation Saturday from her office at NBC headquarters in New York. "This is my story." She added, "This is an American story." Ellis is right. In my Sunday column, I urged readers to watch the series because there is something for society at large to gain from watching it. Those folks who are quick to say I write too much about "race" should realize, as I note in Sunday's column, that "black women's issues are America's issues." These issues affect all women, but because of varying circumstances, more acutely affect us. Because of space limitations in Sunday's column, I was able to give readers only a snapshot of my conversation with Ellis. The discussion yielded interesting details about the story behind the story that I wanted to share with my blog readers. Even before the series airs (6:30 p.m. WSLS Channel 10), Ellis has received e-mails from viewers eagerly awaiting it. "They were delighted," Ellis said. Some of the e-mailers were "African-American women who are delighted. These are issues African-American women are dealing with." A news executive at NBC came up with the idea for the series after talking with some of his friends and noticing that black women were outpacing black men in educational and professional achievement. That led to broadening the series to look at other overarching issues affecting black women such as education, health care, politics and relationships. As the network's only black woman news correspondent, Ellis said she wasn't offended when she was approached about being on the reporting team for the series. "I would have been offended if I weren't asked," said Ellis, who joined the network in 1993. Other reporters on the series include Dr. Nancy Snyderman and Ron Allen. Ellis leads off the series Monday night with a report looking at the educational strides of black women. She follows up on Tuesday with a report on relationships. She said she interviewed women who lamented the dark underbelly of success. They enjoy successful careers, yet many are alone because black men are not "following the same line of progression," said Ellis, a Boston native. That disparity in both college and the workplace limits women's choices for mates. The common sentiment, Ellis said she found among women was "the success of achieving ... is bittersweet alone." Ellis said she also interviewed women who are in long-term relationships with men who will not commit to marriage. A recurring theme in my column this year has been marriage and men's parental responsibility as it relates to the black family structure. The correspondent noted how, thankfully, society doesn't banish or ostracize girls the way it once did when they became pregnant outside of marriage. The downside has been the disappearance of a subtle pressure for a man to take responsibility and marry the mother of his child. The result has been that 68 percent of black children are born to single mothers, further eroding the stability of black families. Of course, that opened up another round of conversation about the challenges facing black men. Interestingly, Ellis said she hopes to do a similar series exploring the issues of black men. We look forward to that as well. For now, check out this week's series, "African-American Women: Where They Stand." Make sure to hit me back with your thoughts either about the series or your thoughts on the topic in general. s |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
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Comments
[November 29, 2007 12:18 AM]
Terri Watts : →http://www.vimbooks.comI was disappointed with the topic on African American women and men. Were those three women supposed to be the poster women...the portrait for the typical black woman in American when it comes to family values and men? I hope not. They lived with these men for years. That is not a healthy environment for children, either. I felt the report was unbalanced and added to validate the sterotypic thoughts many other cultures and races have regarding, not the African woman, but the African American born woman who is not married with children. How was success being measure on this topic...by job title and education only? Hypocrites. How could they criticize the man for a lack-luster appearance in society when he is probably the product of a single parent environment or from an environment where his dad and mom are living together and not committed in marriage. Where is the incentive for him to marry an African American woman? Are we a joke or what? Look at the statistics on single black women with children. It can only get worse in the coming years for the African American. The best recipe for success for a race to develop healthy is marriage and then children along with a duty of forgiveness and understanding in marriage in order to stay together. "Baby-daddy" syndrome is not cute but a cycle of destruction not elevation. We are galmorizing it to the fullest. Sorry, but I'm not an African American woman who feels the need to live with a man and have his children. If he can't find enough respect within to marry, certainly I will not give him the time to have the luxury of "shacking." It's called self-worth and self-respect...something the man doesn't see enough of in our race and society.