Anyway, she asked us how our opinion of her changed because of what she was wearing. It was a slightly uncomfortable moment. The thing of it is, we could still see her face.

But what if we could not?

That's the core of a very interesting conversation going on in France right now. President Nicholas Sarkozy has suggested that his government should ban the wearing of the Burka in public.

Now, set aside the administrative issues. How would you enforce this?

Arrest people?

Issue a ticket?

And the constitution (a differnt constitution than ours, but one that recognizes freedom of religion) what then does it MEAN? What does it feel like to those who are most affected?

We decided to ask two different Muslim women with two very different opinions. And one of the things they have a different opinion about is even whether the burqa is the same as Niquab, which covers the face (except for the eyes).

Here's a blog that discusses Niquab.

It is interesting to even contemplate that we would be discussing these matters. It's a French issue at the moement, but there was at least one case of a Muslim woman fighting to keep her face covered in a driver's license photo. She did not prevail.

Another sign of our changing times. What accommodations do we make to each other to practice our religion as we see fit, and yet maintain the core values of the community and nation?

Interesting we think.

And tomorrow, we have a special Independence Day treat for you.

Something for the head, heart soul ... and taste buds.

Check it out.

Lee Hill, our resident digital media guy asked me to do a blog posting about today's show. And I have to say that his request caught me off guard for one huge reason: today, I directed the program (our usual Director is Rob Sachs, who's enjoying some time off).

Most people don't know what's involved in doing that job, so let me explain ...

Think of directing a live radio program as if you were a train operator. Your primary responsibilities are to make the train run on time, and to steer clear of incidents. You are not necessarily worried about what's happening in one particular train car, or how many people are in another. And in that same vein (similar to a train conductor), when I direct, I don't always hear all of the show. My role isn't so much to listen to content, but my primary concern is that that we are playing the proper audio at the correct time for our listeners. (All I really hear during the show are the highlights.)

For instance, we had a conversation today about the Stonewall "rebellion" -- or "riots," depending on who you talk to -- where New York police raided a gay bar in 1969. Apparently that happened a lot in the late 1960s, but this time the patrons fought back.

Even though I was busy in-studio directing the program, I was still drawn to our guests' vivid memories and feelings about how they witnessed what happened. Towards the end of the conversation, one of the guests, Danny Garvin, became quite emotional when explaining how heartbreaking it is to have a loving same-sex relationship for 17 years, and be treated with less respect than married heterosexuals, who sometimes take their marriages for granted.

So, even when sitting in the Director's chair (which certainly has its stressful moments), there are some stories that compel your ear to listen.

Until next time ...

-- Argin Hutchins

Michael Jackson is shown in a Santa Barbara Sheriff's booking office in Santa Barbara, California, in 2003, where he was booked on suspicion of child molestation. Jackson was acquitted of all 10 charges, including four counts of lewd conduct. The music icon recently died suddenly at the age of 50. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

 

Douglas Hopper, here ...

Thanks for the cue, Michel. I've been following the media coverage of the "King of Pop." The tributes have been amazing. But all the LOVE has made me remember a time when MJ was the subject of more ridicule than respect.

Before Michael Jackson suddenly checked out of this world last week, he could count on me. I considered it my responsibility to defend him when strangers and friends would write him off as a "freak" because of his gender-bending, race-shifting personal expression.

We never met. And we probably had nothing in common. But I empathized with MJ. As a gay man, I too have been scolded and laughed at for not fitting into "normal" social categories. I know what it feels like when the way you live becomes the brunt of vicious jokes. And I know what its like to be the victim of unfounded assumptions. Some call it intuition. I call it judgment. Or at the very least a lack of compassion any human deserves.

Jackson never admitted that he was gay OR straight. There are few people, if anyone, who will ever know. But perceptions are often more important than reality. And stereotypes lurk in our imaginations.

So, when Jackson was accused twice of molesting young boys, was he given the benefit of the doubt?

No.

In fact, many people didn't even think twice. Michael was condemned before, during and after justice was served, even after a jury acquitted the man on all counts. But with little or no evidence to support the notion, the pop icon was publicly deemed a pedophile. He became one of America's greatest fears: a sexually ambiguous man who can't control his twisted desire to violate young boys.

Innocent until proven guilty? Not the King of Pop.

Well, that is until now, as he rests in peace.

Made me wonder how the parents of THREE or FIVE or SIX OR EIGHT little people COPE with this? How do they ever LEAVE THE HOUSE? Can't even think about it..

Wait! I don't have to ... I can ASK ... how about Diamond Harris, the mom of the first surviving African American sextuplets in the US. Her family was the subject of the Discovery Health documentary. We wanted to know, in the wake of the Jon&Kate plus 8 marital breakup playing out on cable, how having multiples affects a marriage. The Harris sextuplets plus ONE are six years old now. How are they doing? We'll find out

And there's our regular contributor Jolene Ivey; she and her husband have five boys. And they are both public officials. And she has the nerve to look all sane and fabulous.

Sigh. Douglas will have to take it from here ... I have worrying to do.

In the same spirit, one of our listeners June Jeffries, sent this in after she heard the news of MJ's death. Thanks for sending June ...

I was driving back from Detroit - land of Motown - today when my husband called to tell me they were reporting that Michael had died. I was stunned. Later, when I was 90 minutes or so outside of DC, I put on the radio. I could then receive WHUR and WMJC. Both were playing non-stop Michael. It was evening; I opened the sunroof, rolled down some windows, drove at 65MPH, and sang along with Michael as loud as I could. I felt so alive. I remembered youth and good times. When I was 16 and Michael was 11, Mary Street, Henri Varner, and I went to Olympia Stadium where the Jackson Five performed as part of their first tour. That was the very first concert I ever went to. Years later, in 88 or 89, I went to the Capital Center here in Maryland and saw Michael as a solo artist. He was electrifying!!! I know Michael was supposed to perform 50 concerts in London. I was hoping that he'd be wildly successful and then do like Celine Dion and Prince and hook up with a casino and perform in Vegas. (Of course I was hoping he'd give up the weird stuff as well.) I wanted to go see him in Las Vegas. I just went to YouTube and saw the Thriller and Billie Jean videos. Since I'm retired and have some time...I think I'll learn those dance routines. I will be sure to wake up set my clock for 6 a.m. tomorrow morning so I can listen to Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner. Ciao ... JMJ

Jackson performs Dec. 1, 1984, on the opening night of his Victory Tour at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.Lennox McLendon/AP

 

Marie here, with some thoughts about MJ ...

You know what they say about best laid plans. Every now and again, we have the next day's program sown up and put to bed. This was the case yesterday, when news broke about the death of Michael Jackson. All of a sudden, I was using my blackberry and my cell phone at the same time, trying to keep up with the flurry of calls and email updates. I must admit that most of the calls were from family and friends, expressing their shock and dismay. It was one of those "where were you when" moments. It became clear that the show we planned simply would not do.

Michael Jackson was not just any pop legend. As a colleague put it "he changed the cultural fabric by bringing music and people together across race." He is embedded in our social consciousness and today's program examines the man and the music.

We rounded up black pop culture scholar Mark Anthony Neal and Bryan Monroe, the former editorial director of Ebony magazine who interviewed Jackson for the 25th anniversary of the release of Thriller. We also caught up with R&B singer Howard Hewett, a longtime friend of Jackson's who performed with the star on several hits from the Thriller album and legendary producer Kenny Gamble, who produced The Jacksons.

Michael Jackson had an incredible fan base in Africa, so we decided to check in with NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton in Dakar, Senegal. Of course, the Barbershop guys were chomping at the bit to talk about the legend. And in a rare moment of brazen self-revelation, I decided to share my memories in a commentary. Keep your lighters up, and we'll talk more on Monday.

- Marie Nelson, Tell Me More Executive Producer

-Gov. Mark Sanford's big news about his extramarital affair (we'll get to it tomorrow in Barbershop, but I want to know--is there something in the water)?

-The Metro accident (maybe later if there's more to say about infrastructure, but for now we're just glad our Jasmine, who was on the train, is safe and recovering)?

-Iran? We'll keep looking for unique voices...

-Shaq moving to Cleveland (Go, Lebron!)?

In the end, we decided to stick with our international stories for today, to focus on the places and people who are not necessarily cresting the headlines elsewhere but which we think you want to hear about. To that end, Amnesty International's Secretary General just returned from Zimbabwe. Why do we care? Because a year ago, Zimbabwe was more or less where Iran is now, dealing with disputed elections that the authorities say propped up the regime but which many people on the ground refuse to accept as legitimate. So we decided to call upon her.

Rape is epidemic in South Africa. This has long been discussed and now is confirmed. Now, the question is why and what to do about it. So we called a man named Bafana Khumalo, an activist for gender equality who works primarily with MEN, to talk about this. This is not an easy story, but it is important, and we'll bring you more personal stories in the days ahead we hope.

And, because we cannot leave you devastated, we'll tell you about SOUL POWER, a new documentary that goes behind the scenes to that 1974 soul concert that was supposed to accompany the famous Ali-Frazer title fight in Kinshasa Zaire. The fight was delayed, but the show had to go on, and we have a rare interview with the legendary Bill Withers who was there.

Spike Lee (left, with Danny Aiello as Sal) both directs and stars in Do The Right Thing. Lee's character, Mookie, works at Sal's Famous Pizzeria in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Universal

 

Lee Hill, here ...

Can you believe it? It's been 20 years since the big-screen debut of film director Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing?

We decided to join forces with the online magazine theRoot.com to commemorate the anniversary. Together, we're exploring why the film remains an artistic heavyweight for many, and whether this country has made progress when it comes to respecting differences in an increasingly multi-ethnic nation.

In other words, do collisions of class, race and culture remain so profound that the 20-year-old message of Do The Right Thing still resonates?

If you've even remotely followed Spike Lee's career in film, then you know that this particular project was no exception to his earlier suite of films. Many would agree that his trademark, if you will, in Hollywood has been using the cinema as a vehicle to speak out (and loudly) about issues he thinks are too commonly unspoken of and under-explored by some of the big thinkers of our time -- interracial and interracial divisions, for example (School Daze, Jungle Fever and Bamboozled come to mind)...

So here's a question for you ...

If you remember watching Do The Right Thing when it first debuted in 1989, is the focus on stubborn cultural perceptions and complacent ignorance still relevant in the of this country's first black president?

Or have we moved forward? ... Or nowhere?

And we know that Spike Lee is only one such filmmaker to explore these issues, and that he enjoys a much larger profile than others who also use the arts to examine these realities extensively, and with a much smaller spotlight. So, please, if you think of others whose work line of work lies within the same vein, do share.

(And, I can't resist, what's your favorite -- or least favorite -- "Spike Lee joint"? And for what reason?)

We read the newspapers, of course. Now, we also read blogs and online publications and we find ourselves turning increasingly to -- as we've seen in covering the Iranian political crisis -- social media. So yes we will cop to self interest in being very interested in keeping kids reading. Because who else will be our next generation of customers and colleagues? That's why we have tips from our guests, Sari Feldman, president-elect of the Public Library Association, and Jolene Ivey, our regular parenting contributor, on keeping kids interested in literature, along with a nice list of suggested books.

And, now, on a very different note ...

Rescue workers respond to the site of two Metrorail trains that collided during the evening rush hour in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images

 

You may have heard about the Metro train crash yesterday in the Washington, D.C. area. There are nine known dead and 70 reported injured. The catastrophe is the deadliest accident in the transit system's history.

What you may not know is that one of our own, Tell Me More producer Jasmine Garsd, was on that train. Thankfully, a few cars back from the impact.

We are very sorry about the loss of life, and, as you might imagine, very thankful that our friend and colleague walked away -- a little shook up but, otherwise, okay. But we've asked her to tell you about it.

Jasmine, how are you? ...

Thanks, Michel. Jasmine Garsd, here ...

I'm doing okay. The adrenaline has worn off and my back and legs are sore from the impact and the walking, but I'm okay.

The train collision was like a very fast movie coming to a screeching halt. I think in moments like these you come to realize two things: how tiny and vulnerable we are in this world of massive machines we've built, and how ignorant we are of that vulnerability.

For a long time now, I've been wondering if the east coast is my home. Yesterday, I received so many calls from concerned friends. My train never made it home, but in a strange way, I suddenly feel like I am.

Thanks, Jasmine. We're glad you survived the wreckage.

Supporters of Iranian Presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi hold placards and pictures depicting injured protesters of the recent election results in Iran. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

 

One more time, Happy Father's Day, if that applies (and if we didn't catch you last week).

We are still watching the situation in Tehran, as you might imagine. The degree of difficulty has now ratcheted up as the ruling authorities now blame foreign media for fomenting the discord. (So what else is new? This is just like the southern racists blaming "outside agitators" for the civil rights movement. The story never changes does it?) But we will get back into the story as soon as we have something to add that we feel you are not hearing elsewhere.

Until then, we turn to our own national and cultural concerns, and other stories ...

The National Organization for Women held elections over the weekend. It was a hard fought campaign between two aggressive and experienced contenders. We're trying to get a hold of the winner, Terry O'Neill. She's a lawyer and a long time board member and we'd like to hear what she has to say about where she wants to take the organization.

In the meantime, we decided to talk with two writers who have written quite a bit about what women are all about right now -- one is Katherine Spillar, editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine, and the other is Robin Givhan, the Pulitzer-Prize winning Washington Post fashion editor who has (great for us!) just moved back to D.C. from New York.

There are some mornings when things couldn't possibly run any smoother -- guests are in place, scripts are in order and then ... all systems go.

Not.

Today, that wasn't quite the case. During our first (and what we usually hope is our only) broadcast feed, we experienced difficulty with today's Faith Matters segment, which focused on the Southern Baptist Convention and a debate over reconciling the mega-denomination's racially tense past with the election of Barack Obama as this country's first Black president. Our two guests -- both Baptist ministers -- were kind enough to join us from affiliate studios in different parts of the south.

First, the Rev. Hershael York's studio line dropped from the conversation. Silence.

But no need to fear, right? The Rev. Dwight McKissick, our other guest, was still on the line.

... Until his line dropped, too. Both guests were now gone, leaving Michel as the lone voice on-air in TMM radio wilderness.

Now this is where it gets tricky in a live production format. Michel could've either:

a) panicked and lost her cool, or

b) spent the next 5 minutes vamping - desperate to fill precious airtime, as engineers scrambled to restore the connection, by giving listeners regional reports of the weekend weather forecast, or

Thankfully, our host has always been a perfect "C" student (in this regard), which is what every executive producer dreams of!

Thankfully, Revs. York and McKissick were able to later re-join us for a seamless, thoughtful conversation. You can listen to it here.

... See, I bet you had no idea what really went down. And if you did, thanks for tagging along for the ride!

Enjoy your weekend.

You will not be disappointed.

And if you have a few more minutes, then you should listen to our opening segment about Iran where we bring you some voices I don't think you often hear. We had both a representative of the Baha'i faith community and a young woman who supports Ahmadinejad -- a voice I think you want to hear because, as we and everybody else has reported, Iran is a very young country and most of the protesters we have seen are young (the way it usually is). But what about those who take a different view? And even though Iran is an overwhelmingly Shia Muslim country, what about those who are not? What role do they play?

I also think you might be interested in how we found those folks to interview, so I am going to turn it over to Jasmine Garsd, one of our segment producers (but don't tell them all our secrets!):

Thanks Michel. Jasmine Garsd, here ...

Today's show exemplifies how social media is really changing the face of journalism. Based on my interviews with Iranian professors, there is no shortage of Ahmadinejad supporters, even here in the U.S. But for obvious reasons, someone who lives in the U.S. and supports Ahmadinejad might not want to publicly discuss politics. So how do you capture that point of view? On Facebook, I found dozens of pro-Ahmadinejad groups and many people willing to talk. I finally got a hold of a pro-Ahmadinejad Chilean man living in Japan, who is friends with the very passionate young lady we interviewed today. Talk about the World Wide Web!

Thanks, Jasmine.

Thousands of people continue to protest the recent Iran presidential elections in the streets of Tehran. Getty Images

 

Lee Hill, here ...

We're here hammering away at tomorrow's program. I won't spill all of the beans, but here's a sneak preview of what we have (so far):

After the disputed elections in Iran last week, thousands have taken to the streets to protest against the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But missing among the protesters is Iran's largest religious minority, members of the Baha'i faith. The group has been persecuted by the Iranian government and their religious beliefs prevent them from choosing political alliances in the majority-Muslim country. But tomorrow, we speak to an official within the Baha'i faith community, who offers a reaction to the recent elections. (Produced by TMM's Arwa Gunja.)

Also, speaking at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Chicago this week, President Obama outlined his plan to reform the nation's health care system. But Obama's pitch was met with mixed reaction, particularly on the option of public health insurance. Tomorrow, we'll hear from a group of physicians advocating for health care services in low-income and minority communities. These areas have a disproportionate number of uninsured people who could benefit from a public insurance plan. (Produced by TMM's Douglas Hopper.)

Last but not least, fatherhood. Father's Day is drawing near and, especially in minority communities, the commemorative day means different things to different people, particularly men of color. We talk to Leonard Pitts, a renowned journalist and father, who wrote about his layered journey into fatherhood.

We'll also hear from some of our own -- TMM producers Brakkton Booker, Luis Clemens, Argin Hutchins and me -- about being sons to dads who were both present and absent. We tell how we're negotiating the idea (or, rather, the reality for Luis and Argin) of fatherhood as adults. (Produced by TMM's Lorrie Grant, Teshima Walker, Brakkton Booker and Luis Clemens.)

So, check us out tommorrow -- something new, something more, and something else ...

iStock

 

It's happening! Another dream realized!

Sometimes people ask me (and others who work on this program) how and why we started Tell Me More. I often quote Toni Morrison, who, when asked why she started writing, said, "I wrote the book I wanted to read."

When Executive Producer Marie Nelson and I started this program more than two years ago(!), we quickly realized we were not starting with a blank slate at all. Many of the segments you hear are those either one or both of us had long wanted to produce when we were working in other media outlets and, for whatever reason, could not find the right vehicle.

Today's program represents a down payment on one of the ideas I have desperately wanted to see realized for a long time.

Education is so important. It is fundamental to who we are as Americans. We live in a country where we believe -- even against great odds -- that every child can be whoever he or she wants to be.

Do you remember childhood stories about enslaved Americans learning to read in secret, about the young Abe Lincoln plowing the field with a book in his hands, about the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan taking his city college entrance exams with his longshoreman's grappling hook still in his pocket? Do you remember Barack Obama talking during the campaign and in his memoir about how his mother used to wake him up at the crack of dawn to review his lessons because she felt his school in Indonesia wasn't rigorous enough?

We say, "Well, gee, why would the guy in Kansas care about what's going on in my school down the street?"

But education is local, it is national, it is fundamental, and, now, more than ever, when President Obama says it is one of the things he wants most to fix, we need to spend some quality time discussing this subject. But how?

Like the slogan says, "Just do it."

We started with an hour-long program today about the charter school movement. The movement has taken hold in so many places, but Washington, D.C., is ground zero. So we decided to take a deep look at the conversations going on here, because we know they also are occurring around the country. Every trend (some might say "fad") you see in the education is playing out here, in D.C. So we are going to dig right in.

Iranian elections? Zimbabwe? Stick with our planned piece on HIV/AIDS among black men? What's the right answer? We are somewhat second guessing ourselves this morning ... not in a major way but it's our job. We were pleased to have the chance to interview Zimbabwe's prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday just a few minutes after his meeting with President Obama ended. He was staying just a half a block away from the White House, which is only a few blocks from us. But I can tell you it was no easy thing getting us to him or him here or there. Remember this was just three days after the shooting at the Holocaust Memorial so people are always a bit tense anyway. I think there was a report of a suspicious package a few blocks from us (I could see swirling lights and anyway the traffic snarl said it all). We were in traffic for half an hour for a trip that should have taken five minutes when I saw a motorcade swoop in right in front of me. It was the prime minister. I found myself wondering if he would not have preferred to walk the barely more than a block on a beautiful June day but of course that is no longer considered possible.

So we had our interview and he was very accessible and forthcoming. Perhaps too accessible. You can hear his aides walking around in the background.

We planned it for our Monday lede. But then elections results from Iran came in. The ruling party rushed the opposition ... or did it (didn't Tsvangirai just go though this last year)? Demonstrations ensue. Who can we get to talk to us? Who is credible and interesting who is NOT on everybody else's air (because why then do you need us?). In the end we stuck with Plan A. But we're working on B for tomorrow.