Book Talk returns this week with an interview with Earl Ofari Hutchinson, author of The Latino Challenge to Black America.
Welcome to Sharon’s Writing Lab, Earl. Can you tell us a bit about your book?
The Latino Challenge to Black America is a deep probe of the issues that have united and dived blacks, Hispanics and the nation. Issues such as gangs and prison violence, immigration, education battles, the Iraq war, racial stereotypes, and political disempowerment. It’s the first book to tackle in depth the tormenting issues of black and Latino relations.
This must be a hot topic. Can you put the main issues into context for us, briefly?
It’s one of the hottest, especially with the immigration wars raging in states and Congress. It refocuses the ethnic conflict from the age old black and white conflict to a broad based, reconfigured jockeying of the differing and competing ethnic groups for power and recognition in America.
What kind of reaction have you had so far from the different ethnic groups?
It’s been extremely positive. The book takes a balanced approach to the thorny issue of black and Latino relations. There is no finger pointing or blaming one side or the other. The book seeks to build bridges between blacks and Latinos and not polarize.
Did you have any challenges when researching and writing this book? How did you overcome them?
The book actually came out of a series of my syndicated op-ed columns on illegal immigration and its impact on African-Americans. It was fairly easy to expand the scope of the book into other public policy areas.
When and how do you write? What’s your process and when’s your best writing time?
Pick a subject of interest, do the research, formulate my opinion on it, and get busy writing. I bring total focus to my writing. No phone calls, TV, radio, outside conversations, total focus. The job is finished when it’s finished
Who or what is your best source of inspiration or advice when writing?
The world of issues and ideas
What’s the best advice you have received about writing or publishing?
Write write write there’s no other way
Tell us one thing about yourself that you haven’t yet revealed in an interview.
I love classical music.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author, syndicated columnist, political analyst and commentator. He has been a frequent guest on Hannity and Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The Big Story, EXTRA, and numerous CNN News and Talk Shows. He was a regular commentator on CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show.
He has been a guest on the Today Show, Dateline, The Lehrer Hour, and BET News, America’s Black Forum. He is a frequent commentator for the American Urban Broadcast Network and Ed Gordon’s News and Notes on NPR. He is a featured columnist for BlackNews.com,BlackAmericaWeb.com, and Alternet.org.
He is associate editor of New America Media. His op-ed columns appear in the Baltimore Sun, L.A. Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Christian Science Monitor, and other major newspapers.
