CNN Sets New 'Black in America’ Special

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

CNN will look at police practices and the African-American community in a new installment of its Black In America series airing Nov. 18.

Journalist Soledad O’Brien will host Black In America: Black & Blue, which will show how lives of young African-American men are fractured by aggressive policing, according to CNN officials.

“What is so shocking is that this police practice was used around the country - and in some places still is - with the theory that police were stopping criminals,” said O’Brien. “It’s shocking that the city where this was popularized was stopping so many innocent people."

Black In America: Black & Blue is the sixth in the Black In America series, which launched in 2008.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.