July 27, 2016 The Skanner Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
Dr. Julianne Malveaux Talks to Kam Williams About New Book
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
D
r. Julianne Mal-
veaux has long
been
recognized
for her progres-
sive and insightful ob-
servations. She is a labor
economist, noted author
and colorful commenta-
tor. Her contributions to
the public dialogue on
issues such as race, cul-
ture, gender and their
economic impacts are
shaping public opinion
in 21st Century America.
Dr. Malveaux is the
founder and President
of Economic Education,
a 501-c3 organization
focused on personal i-
nance and economic
policy education and
their connection. Here,
she talks about her new
“
Dr. Julianne Malveaux
with you again.
KW: You’re welcome.
What inspired you to
publish “Are We Better
Of?”
JM: People will be
talking about the Obama
legacy for decades, and
I wanted to include my
voice in the analysis of
this presidency. This is
presidency, explores the
way Obama was treated
by the political estab-
lishment and also how
this irst black president
treated “his” people. In
the epilogue, I use num-
bers to tell the story of
African American gains
and losses during this
presidency.
and unemployment is
lower, but the unemploy-
ment rate gap remains
large. Black child pover-
ty is higher. As I write in
the epilogue, “Yes we can.
No he didn’t. President
Obama didn’t push black
people backward, but he
missed the opportunity
to move us forward.”
KW: How did you de-
cide which articles to in-
clude in the book?
JM: Wow! That’s a great
question. It was quite a
process to narrow more
than 400 columns down
to 80. I write weekly,
though, and I don’t al-
ways write about Presi-
dent Obama, so that was
the easy elimination.
Sometimes, I repeat
myself, and that was a
second elimination. I
worked with a team, in-
KW: In the introduc-
tion, you ask, “How does
President Obama treat
his people?” before criti-
cizing him for not recip-
President Obama didn’t push Black people
backward, but he missed the opportunity to
move us forward
book, “Are We Better
Of? Race, Obama and
Public Policy.”
Kam Williams: Hi, Juli-
anne, thanks for another
opportunity to interview
you.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux:
Greetings, Kam. I hope
you are well. Thanks for
the opportunity to talk
a column collection, or
as one colleague called
it, “history in real time,”
recounting my perspec-
tive on the highs and
lows of this presidency
from an African Amer-
ican perspective. More
than simply a column
collection, the book has a
substantial introduction
that frames the Obama
cluding a great editor
who, as the project came
together, suggested oth-
er additions and elimina-
tions. It was a process.
KW: Well, are we bet-
ter of ater eight years
of Obama?
JM: The economy is
better than the one Pres-
ident Obama inherited,
rocating the overwhelm-
ing support he’s received
from the African-Amer-
ican electorate. You say,
“He scolds instead of
uplits, and ofers tepid
gestures to our needs.”
What do you think he
could have done in terms
of jobs, housing and edu-
cation?
JM: If some of the
recovery money had
gone to cities instead of
states, the urban pop-
ulation, read “Black”
and “Brown,” would be
better of with recovery
jobs. While the banks got
big bailouts, a sizeable
chunk of African Amer-
ican wealth evaporated
because so many people
lost homes. Some of the
federal programs to help
homeowners were never
fully implemented. And
President Obama’s pick
of Arne Duncan as Sec-
retary of Education was
abysmal. Cutting HBCUs
was
unconscionable.
See INTERVIEW on page 11
Review
cont’d from pg 6
as a counselor but as a cosmetologist.
Rachel’s protege “Butterly,” a recov-
ering schizophrenic, exhibits consid-
erable promise at braiding hair. The
optimistic mother of three explains
that she picked her nickname because
she’s begun to blossom ater being in
a cocoon marked by depression and
paranoia. Still, she misses her mur-
dered big brother and worries about
an incarcerated son.
65 year-old Edward, a college grad,
recounts how, at 26, his life was de-
railed when he was diagnosed as a
paranoid schizophrenic. A classical-
ly-trained lautist, he nevertheless
holds onto his dream of one day play-
ing with a professional orchestra.
The spa’s second in command is Dar-
lene, a survivor of child abuse who
recounts how she was teased mer-
cilessly growing up about her hair,
her looks and for being in the foster
care system. One of her customers is
shown taking delight in being taught
to read, while another proudly pro-
nounces “I am not my symptoms, I am
not my diagnosis.”
"The Hollywood Beauty Salon" was
directed by Glenn Holsten who is
perhaps best known for another stel-
lar documentary set in Philadelphia,
"The Barefoot Artist." He’s done it
again, here, with this moving collec-
tion of poignant personal portraits
powerfully illustrating the utter in-
domitability of the human spirit.
Excellent HHHH
Unrated
Running time: 88 min
Studio: Glennilms / FreshFly