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As Morra noted yesterday, Laurie White and I will be blogging the first All American Presidential Forum, airing live on PBS from 9-10:30 from Howard University in Washington, DC. This forum will feature all eight Democratic presidential hopefuls. A forum for Republican candidates will be held on September 27 at Morgan State University. Laurie and I chatted about why this forum is unique, and what we each expect to see addressed.
Kim: Hi Laurie,
Well I'm excited that we will be working together to live-blog tomorrow's Candidates Forum.
Laurie: As am I!
Kim: There are a lot of things that are unique about this forum, as you know. There is the fact that it arose from a series of meetings in African American communities across the country over the last several years, which culminated in the publication of the document, the Covenant With Black America. Both the Republican and Democratic Parties promised in February, 2006 that their candidates and platforms would respond to the analyses offered in that document. And as you've mentioned, there is the fact that the forum is taking place at Howard University, a leading Historically Black College.
What are some of the things that you think about in preparing for the forum, in light of those facts?
Laurie: In the few days since I've learned I'd be covering the event, I've been reading a great deal about the Covenant and different perspectives on the event from the other bloggers who will be covering it with us. To be honest, I wasn't familiar with the Covenant With Black America going in, so learning more about it has helped me to understand what sets this forum apart from the many that the candidates from both parties will engage in over the next several months.
I'm also excited about the inclusion of bloggers in the media pool and about our access to the conversation, and our ability to get it out there in a variety of venues.
Kim: I think that's one thing that will be interesting as we do this together. I would venture to say that a lot of people aren't familiar with the Covenant.
Laurie: I wasn't, that's for sure.
Kim: By contrast, I've watched or listened to most of the "State of Black America" summits that Tavis Smiley has hosted on C-SPAN, and I am familiar with the Covenant itself.
Laurie: but I can see how my perspective will be useful to others who may just be finding this out, and who may be wondering how they can get involved in conversations surrounding what I think is one of the most critical elections in our history.
Kim: Smiley's community dialogues have attracted people from a wide range of backgrounds throughout the African American community.
Laurie: That's great, and I think it's important that they be opened up now, so other groups and individuals can learn what the concerns and priorities are. As a white woman and an educator, I represent a variety of different constituencies, so I'll bring those perspectives to my observations.
Kim: And as a black woman and an educator, I bring a complex perspective as well.
Laurie: Absolutely. So hopefully, together, we can speak to what we see and hear, and readers can draw their own conclusions based on that.
Kim: I think, like you, that this is a crucial election.
Laurie: I am also really new to political coverage, so I'll be sharing some of what that's all about - being involved in things that I've previously only seen on the television and the Internet.
Kim: I also think that this event crystallizes a coming of age of a new generation of post-civil rights African American political and media leadership.
Laurie: That's what I've been so happy to learn about from you. (And also from some of the reading I've done of other bloggers who will be covering the event with us.)
Kim: That's important, because it affects the dynamics of power within both the Democratic and Republican Parties.
Laurie: Right....and we've already seen some of that play out in the preliminary controversy over Frank Luntz being chosen as a commentator.
Kim: It's been controversial in the blogosphere, and even in the discussions among the bloggers who will be participating.
Laurie: Again, this was a new name for me, and from what I've read already I can see how this is seen to be colliding with PBS's interests as a sponsor/broadcaster, Tavis Smiley's role as a prominent voice in the media, and the folks who will be