The "Rescued" Interview with Kam Williams
Kam Williams: Hi, Soledad, thanks again for the time.
Soledad O'Brien: You bet.
KW: How are the kids?
Last time we
spoke, they played such a big role, demanding your attention
periodically during the interview.
SO: [Chuckles] They're fine, thanks. When I go back to
Haiti in June and Sofia's out of school, I'll take her with me, which will
be an interesting trip. And, from there, we'll go to New Orleans, because
she's getting old enough to start touring some of the places I've worked.
KW: What interested you in covering this story?
SO: I don't think you can walk around reporting on Haiti
and be on the ground there, and not feel compelled by the story of the
orphaned and abandoned children. When I was there immediately after the
earthquake, there was certainly nothing as heart-wrenching as seeing the
condition of many of the kids, because it's such a massive problem. So, I
was eager to cover the story for CNN with a potential global audience of two
billion people.
KW: Two things that shocked me watching an advanced copy of the
special: the sheer number of Haitian children without parents, 380,000, and
the fact that about 300,000 of them are enslaved.
SO: It's incredible, isn't it? And that estimate is
conservative. Some people put the number at around 1.5 million on the high
side. That's what I heard yesterday, but it's just an educated guess at this
point.
KW: What is the Haitian government doing about the fact that they have a
situation where people are being enslaved?
SO: It's such a hard thing for those of us in this country
to get our minds around, but it's completely legal. I'm sure you saw in the
piece how the boy named Matthinson's father sold him for about $12 dollars
to go and be a slave for a complete stranger. But it's an indication of just
how devastating the poverty is in Haiti that that's a viable option. It's
pervasive throughout the country. And unfortunately, it's perfectly legal.
KW: Another segment I found compelling was the one about the missionary work
of Bill and Suzette Manazarro. Why did you decide to include them?
SO: It was such a great story in a lot of ways, starting
with Suzette and Bill's philosophy of taking in children not to send them
overseas for adoption, but to raise them right there so they can grow up to
become productive, standup citizens and help rescue Haiti. The "Rescue" in
our title refers not only to the Manazarros' work but also the hope that the
children might, in turn, rescue their own nation. I thought that was a very
interesting strategy for a nation that's just been through a devastating
earthquake. It also helped that we came across a young man who had been
shooting at their orphanage for a few years. His videotape enabled us to
tell their story from 2007 to the present.
KW: You also said that about three-quarters of Haiti's schools are in ruins.
So, are the children being educated?
SO: In some cases, yes. I'm not sure of the latest status
on that, because the situation is changing very rapidly. But the official
schools have been ruined. They collapsed in the earthquake. In fact, the
entire infrastructure of the children's lives have pretty much collapsed. So
many people, like Bill and Suzette, have set up their own schools for the
kids in their care.
KW: What does Haiti need right now?
SO: Well, Kam, how much time do you have?
KW: Then answer this, how can someone who wants to get involved help Haiti?
SO: There are so many churches that have missions in Haiti.
I'd say reach out and find an organization whose work you like and get
connected through them.
KW: Dr. Karanja Ajanaku asks: What outcomes do you hope to have as a result
of this special?
SO: I think one goal is just to keep the story of Haiti in
the news, to keep people exposed to what's going on in order to help them
recognize the depth of the problem for orphans in a really cohesive way.
KW: I understand, because I was torn between interviewing a movie star this
week and this opportunity to talk to you about Haiti again. I'll be honest,
I seriously debated it.
SO: I won the toss-up, then. [Laughs] I love to be able to
get out an important message so that another journalist asks himself, "Hmm?
Should I interview a starlet with a new hit movie or do an interview about
this important story that still needs to be told?" I love that you wrestled
with that. And that I won. So, journalism lives! I'm excited about that.
KW: Dr. Ajanaku has a follow-up: Did your reporting detect a relationship
between skin color and poverty? And if so, how does that factor into the
situation/condition/plight of the orphans?
SO: No, not really. But I'm not sure if he's talking about
black versus white or nuances in skin color, so I can't say I totally
understand the question.
KW: Larry Greenberg says that you previously mentioned the need for
"opportunity" and "real infrastructure" in Haiti. He says, "I know it has
not been long and it may be just a few starfish back in the sea but have you
seen any improvements?"
SO: Yes, I did see some minor improvements, but it'll be
more interesting to look at the answer to that question when I go back next
month.
KW: Daryle Lockhart wants to know if you think that a new, stronger Haiti
will be a valuable ally to the US military. He says that the island's
location would seem to make it incredibly important strategically.
SO: I think the answer is, yeah, probably, but that's not
the big problem right now. What Haiti needs is infrastructural repair, not a
new military base or a great jumping-off point for U.S. Armed Forces. They
need jobs for the people and care for the children, and a movement to
address the child slavery issue. In my mind, all that stuff comes way before
any questions about whether Haiti's well-position to be a viable military
base for the United States.
KW: Publisher Milton Allimadi says that he's been inundated with calls and
e-mails since they honored you at the Black Star News' annual dinner last
November. He says thanks again and he was wondering whether it might be
possible for you to address his journalism class about Haiti.
SO: It's always possible. Certainly, one of the things
that's the most fun for me, even though it takes up a lot of my time, is
talking to aspiring journalists. Yeah, there's certainly ways to arrange
that.
KW: William Cooper and Troy Johnson both asked essentially the same
question. What did you put down on her census form? William pointed out that
Obama checked off "black" when he is just as black as white. How do you
self-identify?
SO: I find the question really ridiculous. All the
schooling I have to do on this topic is wearing me out. Obama is black. His
mother was white. I am black. My father is white. I'm going to give
everybody a History 101 lesson. Some black people have white blood in them.
This has been going on for many generations, people. Look at any family of
black people. They run a range of colors. This is why.
KW: You and all five of your siblings graduated from Harvard, so I
have to ask you what you think about Stephanie Grace, the Harvard Law
student who recently sent out an
email stating that she believes black people are genetically inferior to
white people. Were you shocked by her statement?
SO: My first reaction was, "Well, who's the dumb one?" If
you're going to talk about innate intelligence, maybe sending out that email
is not the smart thing to do. That would make me ask, who's the stupid one
in this equation? But am I shocked? Sadly, no. I'm not even surprised.
KW: Well, Soledad, thanks again for another fun interview.
SO: Thank you so much for doing this story. We're hoping
that lots of folks watch Rescued, because it'll be an indication that people
want continued coverage of Haiti.
KW: I'll certainly do my best to spread the word.
SO: Thanks, Kam, bye.
photo credit: Jonathan Torgovnik Reportage by Getty Images for CNN
Related Links
Soledad's Eyewitness Report on the Haitian Relief
Effort
http://aalbc.com/reviews/soledad_obrien_haiti.html
Black In America 1 - Over-Hyped CNN
Special Fails to Measure-Up to the Buzz
http://reviews.aalbc.com/black_in_america.htm
Soledad O'Brien - The "CNN Presents: Black in America 2" Interview
http://aalbc.com/reviews/soledad_obrien.htm