Gil Robertson (INTERVIEW)
Gil Robertson
The “Where Did Our Love Go?” Interview
with Kam Williams
Award-Winning Author Assesses the State of Black Relationships
Gil L. Robertson IV is one of America’s
foremost authorities on African-American pop culture. As a journalist, author,
lecturer and media consultant, he is responsible for literary works and
intellectual properties that provide platforms for social change and personal
growth.
Robertson
is the editor of the best-selling anthologies “Family Affair: What It Means to Be
African-American Today,” and “Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American
Community,” both nominated for NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Nonfiction.
He is also the author of “Writing as a Tool of Empowerment,” a resource guide
for aspiring journalists, and he’s a regular contributor to The
African-American Almanac.
Gil’s latest offering the anthology,
“Where Did Our Love Go: Essays on Love & Relationships in the African-American
Community,” will be followed this fall by the release of his first children’s
book, “Great African-American Political Leaders.” On television, Robertson has
shared his expertise on topical issues for numerous shows that includes: CNN,
HLN, MSNBC, E! Entertainment Television, National Public Radio and the Tavis
Smiley Show.
And he is a popular lecturer who’s
speaks on issues that impact professional growth strategies and personal
development. And he is a co-founder and President of the African American Film
Critics Association, as well as the founder of the Robertson Treatment’s Media
Workshop, an annual journalism initiative presented at the Auburn Avenue
Research Library in Atlanta, GA
and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, NY.
Robertson
earned a B.A. degree in Political Science from Cal State Los Angeles. He is the
founder and editor of the nationally syndicated Arts & Lifestyle column,
the Robertson Treatment. Now in its 15th year, the column appears in 30
newspapers across the country boasting a readership in excess of 2 million. He is a professional member of the National
Press Club, The National Association of Black Journalists, The National Academy
of Recording Arts & Science, The National Academy of Television Arts and
Science and The Motion Picture Academy. Here, Gil talks about his new book.
Kam
Williams: Hi Gil, thanks for the interview.
Gil Robertson:
Thank you, Kam for giving me the opportunity.
KW:
What interested you in writing Where Did Our Love Go?
GR:
I wanted to know what Black people thought of the circumstances around loving
and sustainable relationships in our community. The black marriage gap is a
huge problem in this country and it’s no longer a secret that black-on-black
relations, I won’t even mention love, has reached a low point that is shocking
and potentially crippling to the vitality of the African-American community at
large. As with my earlier works, my goal with this book is to stimulate
constructive dialogues around this subject so that it can be better understood
and hopefully find some answers.
KW:
Tell me a little about the book?
GR:
Where Did Our Love Go provides a forum for African-Americans to share their
voices, to give their perspective and feedback on the “love problem” that exists
in our community. It is broken into three sections – “Single,” “Married” and
“Divorce” - to provide a balanced and diverse portrait of people’s thoughts,
depending on their life circumstances.
KW:
What do you think is primarily to blame for the breakdown of
the black family: poverty, the dropout rate, the incarceration rate,
godlessness, unemployment, the misogyny in hip-hop?
GR:
Mental health. African-Americans need a BIG mental health break. We have been
through so much in this country and continue to go through debilitating challenges
every day. It’s no wonder we are where we are today in terms of social numbers.
However, we still continue to rise. I truly believe in the possibility of
greatness for all black people and through my work as a journalist and author I
remain committed to passing along that message.
KW:
Do you think the problem is past the point of no return, or
is there reason for hope?
GR:
There is always a reason for hope, which is why I organized this project. I
think black people should stay the course and adapt different strategies for
addressing our problems.
KW:
What measures can be taken to turn it around?
GR:
Truly learning to love ourselves and being open to change and different modes
of conduct.
KW:
What message do you think people will take away from the
book?
GR:
That true love is alive and just around the corner for everyone.
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
GR:
None. I never second guess an interview.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you
ever afraid?
GR:
Constantly. It keeps me on the right path.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are
you happy?
GR:
Happy and blessed that I get to move forward in my ambitions each and every
day.
KW:
The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
GR:
Everyday. No kidding. [LOL]
KW:
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
GR:
Visiting the South Pacific.
KW:
The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book
you read?
GR:
“Wench: A Novel” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
KW:
The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened
to?
GR:
“How High the Moon” by Diane Reeves.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
GR:
A tie: fried catfish and cabbage, and fried chicken with mash potatoes.
KW:
The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
GR:
Being around the people I love.
KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
GR:
Levi Strauss.
KW:
The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How
did your first, big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?
GR:
No heartache – it’s all a part of my journey.
KW:
The Viola Davis question: Who do you really believe you are when you go home as
opposed to the person you pretend to be on the red carpet?
GR:
I am a person who works hard to move my vision forward.
KW:
The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would
you choose?
GR:
The power to walk through time… in both directions.
KW:
Dante Lee, author of "Black Business
Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was
the worst?
GR:
My worst: Leaving Los Angeles.
My best: Moving back to LA.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what
do you see?
GR:
Someone who lives by the courage of his convictions.
KW:
If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would
that be for?
GR:
To have more time with my mom who died in September of 2012.
KW:
The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest
childhood memory?
GR:
Being loved by both of my parents.
KW:
The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
Would you do the bad stuff, you never got a chance to do, or would you do good
stuff to make sure you make it into heaven?
GR:
I would praise God for the privilege of the journey.
KW:
The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most
content?
GR:
At the beginning and end of each and every day.
KW:
The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become
the person you are today?
GR:
Both of my parents: Gil Robertson and Fannye Delmyra Robertson.
KW:
The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe
all successful people share?
GR:
Never giving up, even when winning seems impossible.
KW: What advice do you have for
anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
GR:
Patience, belief and discipline.
KW:
Thanks again for the time, Gil, and best of luck with the book.
GR:
Thanks, Kam.
To order a copy of Where
Did Our Love Go, visit:
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