Ed Gordon talks with Randal Pinkett, who just became the first black contestant to win the final round on Donald Trump's hit show on NBC, The Apprentice.
ED GORDON, host: I'm Ed Gordon, and this is NEWS & NOTES.</s>ED GORDON, host: And then there was one.</s>Mr. DONALD TRUMP ("The Apprentice"): Rebecca, you're outstanding.      Randal, you're hired.</s>ED GORDON, host: Last week on NBC's "The Apprentice," real estate mogul Donald      Trump chose Randal Pinkett as his organization's next apprentice.      Pinkett, a 34-year-old CEO, is the first black American to win on the      show.  Pinkett is a well-qualified hire.  The Rhodes scholar holds five      academic degrees from top universities, including MIT and Rutgers.  The      former college track and field champion also runs his own      multimillion-dollar management and consulting firm. His win has sparked      some controversy, but also an outpouring of praise from black America.</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): I've been getting      incredible e-mails of support from the African-American community, phone      calls; I've gotten gifts sent to my home as of recently saying      congratulations.  So I definitely feel the groundswell of support, and      it's been a community that I've been proud to represent, and we all kind      of wear that responsibility, and I wore it with pride.</s>ED GORDON, host: When you look back now, is there anything that you would have      done differently?</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): You know, I think the only area where I might have made      adjustments was in that last boardroom.  You know, I stand by the      decision that I made when Mr. Trump asked me, do I think that he should      also hire Rebecca?  And, you know, my answer was:  This is about hiring      the apprentice.</s>Mr. DONALD TRUMP ("The Apprentice"): I have to ask Randal's opinion.  If you were me, would you      hire Rebecca also?</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): Mr. Trump, I firmly believe that this is "The Apprentice,"      that there is one and only one apprentice, and if you're going to hire      someone tonight, it should be one.</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): I might have added to that that I have no objections to her joining the      Trump organization, but I felt like the competition and the spirit of the      competition was about selecting an apprentice, and that's what my      response reflected.</s>ED GORDON, host: It has to some degree dimmed the spotlight on your      accomplishment. Is it bittersweet in that sense?  And did you feel a      little put off in the sense that you had to even answer that?</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): I did feel a little put off in having to answer it.  You      know, I went 13 weeks--or should I say 12 weeks, six days, 11 hours, 59      minutes and 30 seconds almost unscathed.  And then the last 30 seconds      really was the only blemish in terms of some people's perception of my      participation on the show. And that is disappointing.  It is very      disappointing, and I honestly don't believe that I should have ever been      put in that position, 'cause no previous winner--no previous winner has      ever been asked, should their opponent be hired, much less for this      competition, where I felt there was a clear-cut winner and a clear-cut      loser--runner-up.</s>ED GORDON, host: Now I told you this, and I promise you this will, in fact, be      the case.  This will only last for about five minutes once you do the      initial round of interviews, and then you can move on to the important      business.  How much do you take a look at business today and take a look      at the doors that have opened for African-Americans?  But today we are      still shut out of many opportunities.  How do you see that?  What would      you like to do in terms of having this soapbox to perhaps try to open      some of those doors?</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): Well, you know, I've experienced firsthand the challenges      as an African-American business owner.  I mean, we're still a fraction      of, you know, companies that might be listed on the Forbes or other      lists.  So we have a lot of room for progress, and I see this as an      opportunity for me to take my positioning and take my company to another      level and to then be part of the movement to open up doors for other      African-American entrepreneurs.</s>ED GORDON, host: All right.  So talk to us about the family.  Obviously this      changes your life for those who live and love you.</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): Mm-hmm.  Absolutely.  You know, my wife has been my      greatest supporter throughout this process.  It was her idea for me to      apply for the show, in fact.  She put the application on my desk and      said, `Fill it out.' So she's as excited if not more excited than I am to      see me win "The Apprentice," and she and I will, you know, move forward      together as a team, take advantage of it.</s>ED GORDON, host: Well, you continue to make history, this history, the first      black apprentice.</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): That's right.</s>ED GORDON, host: So we're very proud of you.</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): Thanks, Ed.</s>ED GORDON, host: Congratulations and best of luck in the next year.</s>Mr. RANDAL PINKETT (Winner, "The Apprentice"): Thanks, man.  It's good to see you again.  Thanks.