CNN Holds Panel Discussion To Determine If There Race Problem In America

ATLANTA—Following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin, news network CNN convened a special on-air panel today to determine if perhaps some kind of race problem or division currently exists in the United States of America. “In the wake of this contentious verdict, it falls upon us to ask a difficult question: Might this trial and its aftermath actually point to a larger problem in our country concerning race relations?” said CNN anchor and panel moderator Anderson Cooper before kicking off the hour-long dialogue between several prominent experts in the field of race in America, including a black man, a black woman, a white man, and a second black man. “Does the outrage over the Zimmerman verdict demonstrate that our country remains somehow divided, in a sense, by race? Do there exist flaws in our legal system that prevent true equality for all Americans? And is race, in fact, a powerful and complicated force in American life? What do you think?” At press time, Cooper was inviting viewers to share their thoughts at CNN.com.