E-mail a friendFebruary 27, 2006
In a panel discussion on issues raised in the Oscar-nominated film Crash, Tavis talks with actor Don Cheadle, director Paul Haggis, Rep. Maxine Waters and activist Danny Bakewell.
Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle
Oscar nominee Don Cheadle is a stage-trained actor who has built a solid reputation with roles in Ocean's 11, 12 and 13, the compelling Hotel Rwanda and, his latest, Talk to Me. He also co-produced and starred in the Oscar-winning film, Crash. His TV credits include HBO's Rebound and A Lesson Before Dying. Passionate about increasing awareness of the tragedy in Darfur, Cheadle co-wrote Not on Our Watch, which he calls an 'activist handbook,' and co-founded the humanitarian project of the same name.
Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis made Academy Award history as the first person to write back-to-back Best Film Oscar winners (Million Dollar Baby and Crash). A native of Canada, he spent his early career writing, producing and directing TV series, such as the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life and the dramas thirtysomething and EZ Street. Haggis' newest film, In the Valley of Elah—which he wrote, directed and produced—is a suspenseful commentary on how society treats military veterans and their families.
Danny Bakewell
Danny Bakewell
Danny Bakewell is a successful businessman and community activist. He's the founder and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade, a philanthropic organization that addresses issues of importance in communities with people of color. An advisor to the late L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, Bakewell has controlling interest in the Los Angeles Sentinel, the oldest and largest Black-owned weekly newspaper in the West. He also founded Sabriya's Castle of Fun Foundation, named in memory of his youngest daughter who died of leukemia in '92.
Rep. Maxine Waters
Rep. Maxine Waters
Rep. Maxine Waters' district includes a large part of South Central L.A.—an area that caught the nation's attention during the '92 riots. A member of Congress since '91, she tackles difficult and often controversial issues with a no-nonsense, no-holds-barred style. Enjoying a broad cross section of support from diverse communities, Waters is praised by African American entrepreneurs for her work to expand procurement opportunities, is active in the women's movement and supportive of the hip-hop music community.