“The Retort” Has Arrived

by Lamar Tyler

I’m excited to be a part of a new website that plans to explore and examine the representation of blacks in the media. TheRetort will begin this process by taking a close look at CNN’s Black in America 2 which is set to air later this month.

I’ll be joining some of the best black bloggers on the web including: Danielle Belton of The Black Snob, Christopher Chambers of Nat Turner’s Revenge, Cheryl Contee of Jack & Jill Politics, Charles D. Ellison of The Ellison Report, Gina McCauley of Michelle Obama Watch and What About Our Daughters, Vernon Mitchell Jr. of Negro Intellectual, Baratunde Thurston of Jack & Jill Politics, Elon James White of This Week In Blackness, Poet, writer Bassey Ikpi and more.

Check out this excerpt from the intial press release:

Your mother always told you about talking back — mainly not to do it. To keep your mouth shut. To mind your manners. To keep your head down and be happy with the scraps life tosses at you. After all, talking back could get your hurt. Talking back could get you in trouble. And historically for black people, talking back could get you killed.

But times have changed. They’ve had their say. Now it’s time for a response.
Welcome to The Retort (www.blackretort.com), launching July 6th, it is the place for political discourse and plenty of “talking back” on black representation in the media. The site will kick off with CNN’s latest installment of Black In America. Last year the cable network premiered the controversial series to much fanfare and derision. Reported on and hosted by CNN correspondent Soledad O’Brien, many criticized the series for having a detached, anthropological approach to black culture. But was this critique warranted? Was it a true-to-form examination of black life, or was it a primer for the uninitiated? What was CNN’s motivation? How could they make it better? Or was it necessary at all?

About the author

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.

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