So, this is season five of Bless the Mic. The series is established enough that I can start to bring in some heavy hitters that aren't household names, but who will deliver a powerful message. Last night, Tim Wise just ripped up the mic! We started with our dinner. Our special guests were members of the Little Rock racial and cultural diversity commission.

Ou speaker, Tim Wise, has started to gain national popularity as an expert on white privilege. He was interviewed a number of times after the Henry Louis Gates situation this summer. Veronica and Kerry participated on the program.

After my comments, Tim Wise took over. His central thesis was that there is a difference between guilt (what you did) and responsibility (who you are). Too many people won't take responsibility for dealing with issues of race and privilege in this country. He challenged anyone in a dominant group (not just race but gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc.) to think about how they respond to the responsibility of advantage.

He shared the danger of allowing Obama to become an "achetype of acceptable Blackness" since no previous presidential candidate had the type of substance and style combination before.

We had a great, diverse crowd. I know some wiggled when he bluntly addressed certain topics. Others were shocked to hear someone who looks like Tim present with the fire and cadence of a Black preacher. He definitely was a hit in only his second trip to Arkansas over the past 15 years.

The Prez