Bob Edwards Weekend, October 15-16, 2011
HOUR ONE:
The conflict in the Eastern Congo is one of the worst in history, where more than five million have perished and it’s reported to be the most dangerous place in the world for women and children. While “blood diamonds” became infamous in other parts of Africa, in the Congo, it’s “conflict minerals” which are mined and used in the production of cell phones, laptops and other electronics. Actress Robin Wright is an advocate for the victims in the region and she joins Fidel Bafilemba of the Enough Project to discuss their recent trip.
Sweet Honey in the Rock, the internationally renowned all-female vocal ensemble bring their powerhouse voices to an in-studio performance at Sirius XM. The Grammy award-winning group was founded in 1973 and get their name from Psalms. They are currently touring a new show that pays tribute to activists and musicians Nina Simone, Odetta, and Miriam Makeba.
In this week’s installment of our series This I Believe, we hear the essay of Catherine McDowall. When McDowall was in middle school, she threw a party for her classmates, and her mother made her invite everyone — popular and unpopular alike. Since then, the motto “everyone is included” has guided McDowall’s life. She strives to treat everyone equally, reaching out to provide a helping hand and a friendly smile.
HOUR TWO:
One of the most famous photographs to come out of the Civil Rights era is of a black high school girl, dressed in white, walking stoically in front of Little Rock Central High School, while behind her stands a white girl screaming racial epithets, her face twisted in rage. The two girls are now grown women. In 1962, Hazel Bryan Massery tracked down Elizabeth Eckford and apologized, and the two had a public reconciliation in 1997. Journalist David Margolick tells the history of their lives and complicated relationship in a new book, Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock.
John Carlos won bronze in the 200 meter dash at the 1968 Olympics, but it was his raised-fist salute alongside gold medalist Tommie Smith that etched him into the lasting iconography of sports. His autobiography, co-written with progressive sports journalist Dave Zirin, is titled The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World.
Bob Edwards Weekend is heard on Sirius XM Public Radio (XM 121, Sirius 205) on Saturdays from 8-10 AM EST.
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