{"id":3121,"date":"2013-08-26T20:05:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-26T20:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/?p=3121"},"modified":"2025-05-06T20:07:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T20:07:25","slug":"don-lemon-lemon-zest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/2013\/08\/26\/don-lemon-lemon-zest\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Lemon: Lemon Zest!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The \u201cWe Were There: The March on Washington\u201d Interview<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on March 1, 1966, Don Lemon anchors CNN Newsroom during weekend prime-time and serves as a correspondent across CNN\/U.S. programming. Based out of the network\u2019s New York bureau, Don joined CNN in September 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2008, he reported from Chicago in the days leading up to the presidential election, including an interview with Rahm Emanuel on the day he agreed to serve as President Barack Obama\u2019s Chief of Staff. He also interviewed Anne Cooper, the 106-year old voter Obama highlighted in his election night acceptance speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don has covered many breaking news stories, including the George Zimmerman trial, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Philadelphia building collapse, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Colorado Theater shooting, the death of Whitney Houston, the Inaugural of the 44th President in Washington, D.C., the death of Michael Jackson, and the Minneapolis bridge collapse, to name a few. And he anchored the network\u2019s breaking news coverage of the Japan tsunami, the Arab Spring, the death of Osama Bin Laden and the Joplin tornado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don began his career at WNYW in New York City as a news assistant while still attending Brooklyn College. He has won an Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of the capture of the Washington, D.C. snipers, and an Emmy for a special report on real estate in Chicagoland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2009, Ebony Magazine named him one of the 150 most influential Blacks in America. A couple of years later, he came out of the closet, and discussed his homosexuality in an autobiography entitled \u201cTransparent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don recently caught a lot of flak from a number of African-American pundits for agreeing with Bill O\u2019Reilly\u2019s criticisms of the black community, especially since he even suggested that the conservative talk show host hadn\u2019t gone far enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, he talks about We Were There, an oral history of The March on Washington featuring the only surviving speaker Congressman John Lewis as well as Harry Belafonte, U.S. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, and other attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The special is set to debut on CNN on Friday, August 23 at 10:00p.m., 1:00a.m., and 4:00a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kam Williams:<\/strong> Hi Don, thanks for the opportunity to interview you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Lemon: Hi, Kam. How are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Great! And you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I\u2019m not complaining, but it\u2019s a crazy-busy day. I have to anchor, do my radio hits, prepare for my show tomorrow, make tapes, and do press for We Were There!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> What interested you in doing a special about The March on Washington?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: We had been talking about it for awhile as the 50th anniversary approached, and I kept indicating that I would love to be a part of it. Somewhere, somehow, somebody heard that, Kam, and they said, \u201cDon really wants to do this. Let\u2019s have him do it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Being an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award-winner, I don\u2019t think you\u2019d have to beg too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Just because I\u2019m here at CNN, I never rest on my laurels and presume I can coast now. I still throw my hat in the ring and push to have a voice. I am the face of this documentary for CNN, and I think that says a lot about how far we\u2019ve come. Here I am a young African-American who has a voice at this major network. That is part of the fulfillment of Dr. King\u2019s dream.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Does the documentary have a theme?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: There are, for me, a few different themes. People like John Lewis and A. Philip Randolph put their lives on the line to participate. So, the first theme that stands out to me is courage. The second theme was the hope they exhibited in \u201cthe teeth of the most terrifying odds,\u201d as James Baldwin said. Thirdly, Bayard Rustin, who many call The Architect of the Civil Rights Movement, finally gets his due. I think that\u2019s a fair characterization to some degree. He\u2019s the silent, strong man who made The March happen. But because he was gay and people tried to use that against him is probably why we don\u2019t hear so much about him.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> I remember feeling admiration as a child for the folks from my neighborhood who were going down to The March on Washington, because of everyone\u2019s palpable sense of concern for their safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I think admiration is a good way of putting it. Whenever I see John Lewis, I invariably say, \u201cThank you.\u201d And I will never stop. I don\u2019t know how he\u2019s still standing, because what he endured took courage and strength that I don\u2019t know that I have.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> I interviewed Ellen DeGeneres the day after Barack Obama won the 2008 Presidential Election. She felt his victory had been bittersweet because Proposition 8 had passed in California, banning gay marriage. The measure had succeeded with the help of the black community. I asked her whether she thought African-Americans would feel differently about homosexuality, if a famous black icon came out of the closet. How do you feel about that, as probably the most prominent black celebrity to come out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I don\u2019t consider myself a celebrity. I\u2019m just a journalist. Frank Ocean is a celebrity. Yeah, I was in the forefront, and took a lot of heat for it. I think the President\u2019s evolution in terms of gay marriage has helped change many people\u2019s minds. I think it\u2019s empowering for a person to live an authentic life. It can only help when prominent and successful people of color come out and live authentically, because younger people, who are being bullied and might be questioning whether they should continue to live, might have second thoughts about taking their own lives. So, yeah, I think any celebrity who comes out can only help a young person struggling with the stigma.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Do you think your coming out started a snowball among black gays?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I don\u2019t know. But I do think it helps the next person, because I get positive feedback every day from someone who has read my book.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> See, you\u2019re not just a journalist. Plus look at all the blowback from your recent remarks agreeing with Bill O\u2019Reilly about the black community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I don\u2019t feel any blowback, but I will say this, whether you agree with whatever I said or not, at least I got a conversation started. That was my goal, and I think I accomplished it. I think if you\u2019ve watched or read my work over the years, you know that I\u2019m pretty much at the top in terms of taking on issues that have to do with African-Americans and profiling, and with race and racism. What I love about CNN is that, yes, we believe in diversity of bodies, but we also believe in a diversity of opinion. So, whether my bosses agree with what I said or not, it doesn\u2019t matter. We\u2019re in the business of journalism here. Journalism is about having a diversity of opinion. And just because I\u2019m African-American does not mean I have to feel a certain way because I\u2019m black. You don\u2019t have true freedom until you allow a diversity of opinion and a diversity of voices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> I always feel that I\u2019m black, so whatever my opinion on an issue happens to be is a black opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: That\u2019s a good way of putting it. [Laughs]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> But do you fear being pigeonholed as a buddy of O\u2019Reilly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: There are many things that Bill O\u2019Reilly and I disagree about. I just happen to agree with some of what he had to say on this issue, but not all of it. Does that mean I co-signed his whole being and existence? No?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Yes, what do you get from icons like Dr. King, Malcolm X and John Lewis? What I get from them is personal empowerment, personal responsibility, and that the only thing you truly own is your mind. And once you truly own your mind, you\u2019re free. You can decide for yourself what is the best way to respond in the face of discrimination. How to carry yourself with dignity. What matters is how you think of yourself, and having presence of mind. Once you get that right, it doesn\u2019t matter what anyone thinks of you, because you know how to carry yourself in the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: The last two books I read were: \u201cThe New Jim Crow\u201d by Michelle Alexander,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1595586431\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and \u201cMan\u2019s Search for Meaning\u201d by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0807014273\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> When you look in the mirror, what do you see?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Besides all the flaws, I see the kid that I once was. [Chuckles] Seriously, what stares back at me is someone who lives in a constant state of gratitude, regardless of what\u2019s going on in my life. Just this morning, when I woke up, I walked into the bathroom, looked in the mirror and said, \u201cLook how far you\u2019ve come. I\u2019m grateful for this day. And for those fat cheeks. And for the boldness that you have. And for the stances that you take. And I know that you\u2019re going to be okay. And I want the next person who looks like you whether they\u2019re 1 day-old or 15 years-old to be better than you and to have a better life.\u201d I swear to God I just said that this morning in the mirror. So, it\u2019s funny that you asked that question.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory in Baton Rouge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Sitting in my grandmother\u2019s kitchen at about 3 or 4, watching her talking on a yellow telephone with a long cord. I spilled my drink, and my sister scolded me, \u201cEvery time you spill something!\u201d And I asked my very understanding grandma\u2019s permission to go to the bathroom.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Can you give me a Don Lemon question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Yeah, this question has gotten to just about everyone I ask. It even made Wendy Williams cry. It\u2019s, \u201cWho do you think you are?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> What is your guiltiest pleasure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Sleep. I loooooove to sleep. I also like salty, plain potato chips and Lindt dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> What is your favorite dish to cook?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Seafood gumbo, because I get to make it with my family over the holidays.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: That we would not be so enamored with the slavery of equality, and be more enamored with the freedom of independence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Being self-possessed. Having a strong sense of self.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Leaving Louisiana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: Babies and puppies, because they\u2019re so innocent, and they have their lives ahead of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Makes me think of the saying: Youth is wasted on the young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: To get back to O\u2019Reilly and the whole saggy pants thing, it\u2019s almost like, \u201cJust take my advice, I\u2019m an old guy. That\u2019s probably not a good look. You might want to rethink that.\u201d And then, invariably, something will happen to them in their career, and I hate to say, \u201cI told you so, but\u2026\u201d I suppose people just have to go through things.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Which reminds me of another saying: When the student is ready, the teacher appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I like that. I\u2019m going to use that on the air.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: I think it\u2019s great, if you want to follow in my footsteps, but I want you o be better than me, and you have to do it because you are passionately motivated by journalism and by a quest for the truth, not by a desire to be a celebrity. That\u2019s not what this is all about. And you have to be thick-skinned, since you\u2019re going to receive a lot of criticism, and that\u2019s part of what being a journalist is. I feel really strongly about the oath that I\u2019ve taken to inform and to tell the truth. I\u2019m not a race protector, I\u2019m a truth protector. The truth is the truth is the truth. And as long as you tell the truth, you\u2019ll be okay in the end. A lot of people didn\u2019t like Dr. King, either, especially the black establishment. So, you may not be liked, but you\u2019ll be respected.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KW:<\/strong> Thanks again for the time, Don, and best of luck with We Were There.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DL: It\u2019s been a pleasure, Kam.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see a trailer for We Were There: The March on Washington, visit: http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/video\/data\/2.0\/video\/bestoftv\/2013\/07\/31\/exp-we-were-there-the-march-on-washington.cnn.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To purchase a copy of Don Lemon\u2019s autobiography, \u201cTransparent,\u201d visit: http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0982702787\/ref%3dnosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To read a transcript of Don Lemon\u2019s remarks about Bill O\u2019Reilly and the black community, visit: http:\/\/transcripts.cnn.com\/TRANSCRIPTS\/1307\/27\/cnr.06.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u201cWe Were There: The March on Washington\u201d Interview Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on March 1, 1966, Don Lemon anchors CNN Newsroom during weekend prime-time and serves as a correspondent across CNN\/U.S. programming. Based out of the network\u2019s New York bureau, Don joined CNN in September 2006. In 2008, he reported from Chicago in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[568,755,385],"class_list":["post-3121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-cnn","tag-don-lemon","tag-president-barack-obama","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3122,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121\/revisions\/3122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}