Jones

On the next Connections, Renee sits down with Ricky Jones, chair of Pan-African studies at the University of Louisville, to discuss his book What's Wrong with Obamamania? Black America, Black Leadership and the Death of Political Imagination, which takes a critical look at the rise of Barack Obama and what it means for black leadership in post-Civil Rights America. The program airs Friday, Oct. 3 at 4/3 p.m. CT on KET2 and Sunday, Oct. 5 at 1:30/12:30 p.m. CT on KET1.

Jones discusses the high expectations that many supporters have for Sen. Obama and his potential presidency, and their reluctance to show anything short of absolute loyalty. Jones says that voters should not simply support the black candidate without question now and then hope that he addresses issues important to the black community later. There are a disproportionate number of black people living in prison, struggling with poverty and falling behind in education, he says, expressing his desire to see Obama, or any politician, address those problems.

The professor talks about the often contentious issue of personal responsibility in the black community. While some public figures have lectured that black people should concentrate on improving their own behavior to better their communities, Jones maintains that African-Americans' sense of personal responsibility is no less than that of any other race.

Jones also discusses the new generation of black leadership, his definitions of "conservative" and "liberal" and much more.

Connections with Renee Shaw is a KET production, produced by Shaw and Carolyn Gwinn. More information about Connections, including streaming video, is available at www.ket.org/connections.