# I was on NPR talking about black marriage (Talk of the Nation 3/24/11) \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908 "2011-03-25T00:35:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/1 "2011-03-25T00:35:09Z")
Some of y’all visited [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=588247&highlight=hippy+hollow) where I was first invited, then bumped from NPR’s “On Point” show. Well, this morning I got e-mails and calls from the producers at “Talk of the Nation.” They wanted me to come on this afternoon to discuss Black Marriage Day (!!!). This time I didn’t get bumped and actually did a live call-in segment for about 15 minutes. I thought it was pretty mellow and I stuck to the knitting, so to speak. I did get a couple of angry e-mails because I apparently didn’t rage against Black people not wanting to commit to marriage, nor did I advocate marriage well enough. Sheesh. You be the judge. Here’s the link if you’re interested: [Promoting Marriage In The Black Community : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2011/03/24/134827591/promoting-marriage-in-the-black-community) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/2 "2011-03-25T13:30:59Z")
Fascinating - thank you for sharing. Seems like you handled a complex issue and presented it clearly, while retaining its complexity. Lots of temptation to reduce things to a soundbite/tagline “Black marriage is about X” and you didn’t do that. Interesting topic - sounds like an interesting field of study. ETA: you might consider having the mods modify your title to include a reference to the topic - in and of itself, it would be of interest to a variety of Dopers…and more exposure to you! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/3 "2011-03-25T17:03:03Z")
Thanks **Wordy**. I think the host was trying to get me to say something provocative but I stuck to the data and fairly mundane hypothesizing. It didn’t, however, prevent one irate listener from putting me on blast via e-mail. Might share that later… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![35\_U.S.C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/a4c791/32.png) [@35\_U.S.C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35_U.S.C)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/4 "2011-03-25T17:14:14Z")
I actually listened to you (unknowingly) live yesterday while eating lunch in the car. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/5 "2011-03-25T17:18:00Z")
> [@35\_U.S.C](#): > > I actually listened to you (unknowingly) live yesterday while eating lunch in the car. Very cool. I was at work and enjoyed the discussion as well. It is incredibly interesting how connected the world is (to the Dope)! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/6 "2011-03-25T17:18:20Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Thanks **Wordy**. I think the host was trying to get me to say something provocative but I stuck to the data and fairly mundane hypothesizing. It didn’t, however, prevent one irate listener from putting me on blast via e-mail. Might share that later… 🙂 Just because you were being responsible and articulate doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there who will hold it against you! ;)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/7 "2011-03-25T17:35:41Z")
> [@35\_U.S.C](#): > > I actually listened to you (unknowingly) live yesterday while eating lunch in the car. Very cool. Cool! I had to record at a nearby radio station as our NPR affiliate on campus was booked. We don’t get NPR midday programming on FM here in Austin, so when a colleague said, “Hey Hippy, you’re an NPR star,” I was like what? Turns out her admin associate’s dad in PA was listening and asked if he knew me. News travels fast. I got to do this show about six years ago, discussing the Supreme Court cases on affirmative action. I was hella nervous back then and happily, this time, way less nerves. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/8 "2011-03-25T18:23:39Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] I thought it was pretty mellow and I stuck to the knitting, so to speak. I did get a couple of angry e-mails because I apparently didn’t rage against Black people not wanting to commit to marriage, nor did I advocate marriage well enough. Sheesh. [/QUOTE] I can’t help but notice that you didn’t condemn 9-11 in that either. Now that blacks can marry I guess next it’ll be Hawaiians and then slippery slope to the goats. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/9 "2011-03-25T23:35:31Z")
**Hippy**!!! I listened to you yesterday while I was working, and I was thinking to myself, “This man is ON POINT. Wonder why I’ve never heard of him before?” Cuz I’m usually familiar with all the black commentators they have on NPR. All two of them. 🙂 Turns out that I _had_ heard of you before. Isn’t that cool? I cosigned everything you said, too. Especially your parting sentence, about how marriage isn’t for everyone. Yay for you. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/10 "2011-03-26T13:33:29Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > **Hippy**!!! > > I listened to you yesterday while I was working, and I was thinking to myself, “This man is ON POINT. Wonder why I’ve never heard of him before?” Cuz I’m usually familiar with all the black commentators they have on NPR. All two of them. 🙂 > > Turns out that I _had_ heard of you before. Isn’t that cool? > > I cosigned everything you said, too. Especially your parting sentence, about how marriage isn’t for everyone. > > Yay for you. Totally cool, **monstro**! I was posting this in the hope that you, **you with the face** , or **brickbacon** might have been listening. I am so glad you caught it! I alluded to some craziness I received via e-mail, so I’ll post it as soon as I can get my e-mail program to stop crashing… ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/11 "2011-03-26T15:23:18Z")
I heard you! I didn’t know I was listening to a doper! ( I now take everything you said that much more seriously)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/12 "2011-03-26T18:02:53Z")
I was listening, too! I was in the grocery store parking lot making my list and ended up staying to listen to the whole segment. Very interesting! ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/13 "2011-03-26T18:51:04Z")
Cool! Thanks for the link and for being the voice of reason! ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/14 "2011-03-27T19:03:54Z")
Okay, I said I would post the angry e-mail… Here it is: > [@](#): > > I am African American and I was quite disappointed in your recent interview that aired todayon NPR today.During the interview it was evident that you have become indifferent to the importance of the traditional family within theAfrican American community.In contrastI find this opinion to be quite bizarre in light of thecurrent shortcomings of African Americans. > > Myhusband and Irecently transitioned from the Washington, DC area after his retirement from a successful career with the federal government. For many years Isaw first handthe detrimentofbroken homes and unstable families including soaring Black on Black crime, growth in multi-generational poverty and welfare, alarming out of wedlock birth rates, and over 25% of adult Blackswithin the city being HIV positive. > > It is really baffling how an individualwith your academic accomplishments can be so out of touch as to deny a direct correlation between the decline of the traditional Black family and a departure of our community from traditional marriage. Does anyone honestly believe that two adults with children living in the same home outside of marriageis as stable as the traditional family? To validatesuch ascenario withfinancial considerations is even more alarming as the stable upbringing of a child and the protection of an entire race of peopleis far more precious than one person saving a few dollars or strengthening one’s owncredit history! > > There will always be isolated success storiesiinvolving those who slipped through the cracks and managed to have a successful life and career apart froman upbringing ina traditional family. However, this is the exception andcertainly not the rule that you attempted to portray. > > Your thoughts were obviously theresult of a self centered spirit with little regard for the suffering of the masses. NPR loves to invite people such as yourself on their program as they don’t care any more about the African American community than you do. > Tracy > Attorney At Law ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/15 "2011-03-27T20:54:14Z")
She’s disappointed and baffled by your opinions? And accuses you of being indifferent and self-centered? That’s the problem with NPR - they can’t generate any decent hate-mail. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/16 "2011-03-28T08:26:37Z")
Whatis upwith the way shewrites? Itis highly annoying. I love it how she preemptively dismisses any example of a stable non-traditional family as an “isolated success story”. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/17 "2011-03-28T12:27:10Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Whatis upwith the way shewrites? Itis highly annoying. > > I love it how she preemptively dismisses any example of a stable non-traditional family as an “isolated success story”. Dunno… It looked fine in the email, just came out wonky when I pasted. Yeah… I relistened to see if I in fact made any of claims to the extent she said I did… Nope. I think she expected me to deliver a withering critique of non married Black folk. I wasn’t going to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/18 "2011-03-28T13:41:18Z")
How dare you “deny a direct correlation between the decline of the traditional Black family and a departure of our community from traditional marriage.” Anybody can see that those two things are clearly related! :mad: 😃 Is it just me, or aren’t those things the same thing? > [@](#): > > the stable upbringing of a child and the protection of an entire race of people is far more precious than one person saving a few dollars or strengthening one’s own credit history! Oh my god, you’re committing genocide with your lackluster support for black marriage. Shame on you! Down with genocide! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/19 "2011-03-28T14:13:21Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Totally cool, **monstro**! I was posting this in the hope that you, **you with the face** , or **brickbacon** might have been listening. I am so glad you caught it! I didn’t hear you (I only listen to NPR first thing in the morning…not a junkie like **monstro** is) but it’s so awesome that you were interviewed. Kudos, seriously! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Edie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Little\_Edie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Edie)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908/20 "2011-03-28T14:35:00Z")
Oh, you mean blarriage? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-on-npr-talking-about-black-marriage-talk-of-the-nation-3-24-11-edited-title/575908.md?page=2)