Friday, September 20 – Friday, September 27

The economy has inched up since the stock market crashed five years ago this week—but the poverty rate is persistent, incomes are stagnant, and middle-class people of color remain at greater risk of sliding back financially. Economist Caroline Ratcliffe of the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., joins us to talk about how income inequality and the racial wealth gap have grown during the recession.

Last Monday, an African American candidate for mayor of New York conceded the Democratic primary election. As a result, David Dinkins will remain the first and only Black mayor of New York. Dinkins reflects on his mayoralty in “A Mayor’s Life: Governing New York’s Gorgeous Mosaic”, and joins us to talk about the city’s delicate racial balance and his administration’s accomplishments.

George Johnson is here with a look into the world of sports with his 3-minute drill.

Forty years ago, “The New York Times” panned “The Mack” and labeled it “Blaxploitation”. Next week, the “Times” will sponsor a retrospective of the film at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Director Michael Campus joins us to discuss the film’s journey from critical flop to cult classic.