Michael Eric Dyson

"Undercovers," a glossy drama about married caterers moonlighting as spies, was positioned by NBC as more than just a glittery entry in its fall lineup when it premiered last September. The series featured two black leads — a rarity in prime-time network TV — and was the centerpiece of the network's aggressive campaign touting its commitment to boosting diversity. NBC trumpeted "Undercovers" as a response to opponents of the network's merger with cable giant Comcast who contended NBC had a historically poor record when it came to placing African Americans in front of and behind the camera.

IT WAS A VERY GOOD crowd for a Friday night, Michael Eric Dyson noted from the podium with satisfaction. The scholar and cultural critic was speaking at Eso Won Books, the premier black bookstore in L.A., about his latest work, "Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster."

Jesse Lee Peterson, a Los Angeles minister and black conservative, has been a thorn in the side of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson for years. A former talk radio host and perennial cable TV guest, Peterson in a 2002 online article called Jackson a "has-been civil rights 'leader.' " And for five years in a row he said he staged a "National Day of Repudiation of Jesse Jackson" rally in Los Angeles.

As the 1960s recede further into the American past, it's become standard practice for black people to regularly take stock of the civil rights era, usually in a debate about the legacy of its two premier forces for change: Martin Luther King Jr. and the racial paradigm shift known as black power. Conservatives and liberals alike, across the color line, generally praise King as a pacifist and unifier and condemn black power advocates as dividers and fearmongers.

Many civic clubs and organizations that are fixtures in African American communities started in response to specific needs in a highly segregated nation. They have adapted and changed over the years, but retain a strong sense of service. Officers of some of these organizations spoke with MARY REESE BOYKIN about the histories of their groups in Southern California. * DOLORES NEHEMIAH President, Our Authors' Study Club Our group was founded by Vassie Davis Wright on February 14, 1945.

Lisa Simeone plans to leave her job as anchor of "Weekend All Things Considered," saying her duties for the National Public Radio program robbed her of too much free time and the chance to do other projects. In an interview, Simeone said she looked forward to reclaiming her weekends and escaping the shackles of a full-time job. Instead, she said, she intends to execute freelance stories on Baltimore for NPR and other outlets. "I miss the freedom of my former life," Simeone said.

At a passionate discussion of the African American political agenda Saturday, few sparring partners better personified the fallout from the last election than the two preachers, Jackson and Jackson. The first Jackson was the Rev. Jesse Jackson, liberal war horse, civil rights veteran and two-time candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, who delivered a stirring declamation on social justice. The second -- and lesser-known -- was Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

Amid signs that black Americans are not sharing in the nation's fledgling economic recovery, President Obama on Wednesday met at the White House with African American leaders, who urged him to adopt a new approach more tightly focused on chronically depressed communities. While the unemployment rate in January dropped below 10% for the first time in five months, joblessness among blacks increased slightly, to 16.5%. "We're not looking for race-based programs but, like the president, we want to make sure that everyone is included," the Rev. Al Sharpton said after the meeting.