Child Rescued After Being Buried for Two Days in Rubble; White Valedictorian Graduates at Morehouse College
ROBERTS: The class of 2008 probably graduates Morehouse College this coming Sunday. It has been a traditionally African-American college for 141 years. But this year for the first time, its valedictorian is white. CNN's Don Lemon has got the story.</s>DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's graduation season and the proud men of Morehouse College in Atlanta are ready.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're men of Morehouse when we cross that stage on May 16th. We will be Morehouse men.</s>LEMON: For over a century, Morehouse men have prided themselves for personifying Dr. King's dream, intelligent, successful and black. Until now.</s>JOSH PACKWOOD, MOREHOUSE VALEDICTORIAN: I'll be the first white student at Morehouse to become valedictorian.</s>LEMON: Surprising to some maybe that a white guy who also had a full ride scholarship to Columbia University would end up at a historically black college, but not to Josh Packwood, who attended a mostly black high school.</s>PACKWOOD: It was very -- I guess it was kind of strange. I just kind of always gravitated towards -- towards, you know, to the black community.</s>LEMON: Josh fit in at Morehouse immediately. School administrators say he was elected dorm president and the class council in his freshman year.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Packwood is deserving. He has earned this, and we're committed to merit, to hard work no matter who it might be.</s>LEMON: But Josh is aware that his top of the class status has raised eyebrows among some students but mostly among alumni.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that segment of our alumni has to wake up to a new world basically -- diverse world.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most likely they never had the opportunity to even dream of becoming valedictorian at a predominantly white institution, so I can definitely understand where they're coming from. I respectfully disagree.</s>PACKWOOD: People have been willing to take a chance on me and get to know me as opposed to just write me off as the crazy white kid who decided to come to an</s>HBCU. LEMON: Josh's brother starts at Morehouse this fall. Don Lemon, CNN, Atlanta.</s>ROBERTS: Interesting story there this morning.</s>ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sign of the times.</s>PHILLIPS: I would love to be in a discussion on race there at Morehouse with that guy and the students.</s>CHO: It's a great story.</s>PHILLIPS: Alina, good morning.</s>CHO: Hey, we got some news in the weather department, guys, right now. Good morning, everybody. Two new warnings, tornado warnings in Louisiana. We want to get straight to Rob Marciano. Hey, Rob, what do people who live in Louisiana need to know right now?</s>ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, one of the larger cities in Lafayette Parish, Lafayette itself, is under a tornado warning now. So the typical procedure is to get to the center of your home and take cover. We'll zoom in and show you exactly where they are. Tornado watch in effect, by the way, until 10:00 local time for much of the state especially the eastern half. We're zooming towards a little bit more where the action is. The two areas affected here are Vermilion Parish. That's this one through here, and the one to the north and east. That's heading towards Lafayette, in Lafayette Parish. Both in effect until 6:45 local time. This one seems to be the stronger of the two heading -- shooting the gap between Crowley and Abbeyille. This is a less populated area. The strong that has -- not quite as strong of rotation issued the gap towards Bow (ph) Bridge and here's Lafayette is right there. So these two tornado warnings in effect until 6:45 local time. And if you live in Scott here in the next few minutes, you're going to be affected, and then Lafayette and Broussard at 6:40 local time. These are Doppler indicated tornadoes, meaning there are no reports of them on the ground. But we have had reports of trees down in Sulfur (ph). That's in western or southwest Louisiana for strong straight line winds around Lake Charles, over 50 miles an hour. Also associated with this storm that's pressing off to the east. We should also mention, Alina, that heavy rainfall, as you've been reporting on across parts of northern Louisiana, over 10 inches in two days in Shreveport. That will shift a little bit farther to the south and east, but nonetheless, more heavy rain aside from the tornado threat today across the Bayou State. Back to you in New York.</s>CHO: Yes, big problem. Four inches expected today, right, Rob?</s>MARCIANO: In some spots.</s>CHO: Yes, something like that. All right. Bad news for them. All right, we'll be watching that very closely. Rob, thank you.</s>MARCIANO: Yes.</s>CHO: Meanwhile, crews in Florida are battling a 10,000 acre brushfire that's burning in the Everglades National Park. It's happening right now. The flames are burning dangerously close to an area of endangered species, specifically the seaside sparrow. Park managers they usually allow the fires there to burn out on their own but in this case, they're going to try to suppress it. For the first time, the Endangered Species Act is being used to protect an animal whose nemesis is global warming. The Interior Department has put the polar bear on the threatened species list. Biologists say the bear is on the way to extinction because of the rapid disappearance of arctic sea ice. Critics say the new restrictions won't give polar bears any more protection than they already have under current federal guidelines on oil drilling. And food lovers, listen up. The once banned French delicacy foie gras is legal again in the city of Chicago. Now, foie gras is made of duck and goose liver. Really tastes good I have to say. It was banned for two years in the Windy City. Animal rights activists say foie gras is a product of animal cruelty because the birds are forced fed to make their livers larger. Some say the banning and subsequent unbanning of foie gras seems to say more about classic Chicago politics than it does about food. Yes, I think they talked a lot more about it than people ever ate it. But I have to say --</s>PHILLIPS: I like the saute, not the pate.</s>CHO: Oh, I like the pate.</s>PHILLIPS: Oh, you do?</s>CHO: On little bread. Oh, yes. Good.</s>ROBERTS: Get a hamburger every once in a while.</s>CHO: And add a little -- add some French fries.</s>PHILLIPS: You like Kobe beef. We like the foie gras. There you go, tomatoes, tomato. All right, guys. Talk about great food, great music, take a listen to this. The sounds of Harry Connick, Jr. and Shamarr Allen on the trumpet live from New Orleans there. Harry doing a little dance session for us. Connick is there as part of the Musicians' Village that he helped create. There's jazz great Brandford Marsalis. I think Shamarr is going to be working his way up to Marsalis status. That program is meant to provide homes for displaced New Orleans' musicians and other Habitat for Humanity partner families. So joining us now, three-time Grammy award winner Harry Connick, Jr. and musician, Shamarr Allen live from inside one of the homes in musicians village this morning. Wow, Harry. This - and I understand this home is a part of the project. And there's actually a studio in there for Shamarr, is that right?</s>HARRY CONNICK JR., MUSICIAN/ACTOR: Well, we haven't seen the whole house yet. This is Shamarr. He's one of the jewels of New Orleans. Sweetest guy in the world, incredibly talented and he represents what I think New Orleans is all about. And he's a proud new owner of a home in the Musicians' Village. And this is our first time seeing this incredible job done by House Beautiful. It's really amazing.</s>PHILLIPS: Well, Shamarr, tell me about the house. What makes it so incredible?</s>SHAMARR ALLEN, MUSICIAN RECEIVING HOUSE: I mean, I just walked through the house and I have seen so -- it's like a whole cool and comfortable environment, you know. Like we've been through so much down here, you understand, and it's crazy to be able to just come into something like this and know that it's mine now.</s>PHILLIPS: Yes.</s>ALLEN: If it wasn't for this situation, I probably wouldn't be able to buy a house right now. This is beautiful.</s>PHILLIPS: I know you're a single dad, and I know you've lost friends, not only in the storm but in the violence there. Harry, you have grown up in that city, too. I had the absolute honor of working there as a reporter. Got to even know your father. All of you so involved there in the city. Tell me about how many homes have now been completed in this idea that you had, and are the musicians staying and coming back, musicians there like Shamarr?</s>CONNICK: Well, the core side of the Musicians Village is 72 houses and about ten elderly friendly duplex residences. And we're also about to break ground on the Elise Marseilles School for Music. And much of that have already been done. About 80 percent of the people living in the village are musicians and their families. So, really kind of accomplished what we set out to do, which is to entice musicians to come back and people like Shamarr, I mean, you can't have New Orleans without guys like this. This is what New Orleans is all about, and we're just so proud that we've been successful and that there's been so many, you know, tens of thousands of volunteers to come and help build, and we just feel really blessed about it.</s>PHILLIPS: And this is a big presidential year obviously, Harry, and if I'm correct, you're supporting Obama, is that right?</s>CONNICK: Very proudly so.</s>PHILLIPS: Well, and let me ask you, has he come through there and have you told him what you need? Have other presidential candidates come through there?</s>CONNICK: Well, I spoke to Senator Obama in 2005, not long after Hurricane Katrina. I had the pleasure of going to his office in Washington and speaking to him. The first thing on my agenda was, you know, what can we do to help my city? And, you know, he was - he was and is very passionate about rebuilding this city, and I think that if he were elected or when he's elected, I feel very confident that he will be. We're going to be in good shape because I think he truly, truly cares about the breadth of the people in this country. He cares about everybody, black, white, rich, poor. So I think we'll be in good shape, you know, if it turns out the way we want it to.</s>PHILLIPS: And Shamarr, as you stand there next to Harry Connick Jr., I know that you appreciate his music and admire him and here you are in a home that he helped create. Tell me what this is doing for your community, for other musicians and you know, you've talked from the heart about what it's done for you, but on a bigger impact, how is this saving the city?</s>ALLEN: It's just -- it's knowing that a lot of people can come together and really accomplish something in the rebuilding of the city of New Orleans.</s>PHILLIPS: And you actually have a recording studio in this house, is that right?</s>ALLEN: Actually, I have not walked through yet. I really don't know personally.</s>CONNICK: We stopped at the living room. We're both dying to see the rest of the house.</s>PHILLIPS: All right. I'm going to you tour the rest of the house and, Harry, I have an idea. I think the two of you need to cut a little something and sell it and make some money for other musicians like Shamarr, what do you think?</s>CONNICK: Amen. That sounds great. You know, it's funny because Shamarr and I have played together but most of the time we play together for press events or interviews and it's usually just me standing around clapping while he's playing. Have you noticed that?</s>ALLEN: Yes.</s>CONNICK: It's me kind of going like this the whole time, which is fun. I have a great time but one day we're actually going to do something for real.</s>PHILLIPS: Tell you what, we're going to get on to some other news. Maybe as we move to break I can talk the two of you to -- Harry, I don't know how your voice is this morning but maybe you can give us a little jam a little later on if you two want to work on that.</s>CONNICK: We'll see.</s>PHILLIPS: In other words, forget it, Kyra. All right. But maybe I can talk your dad into it. He's a great musician, too. You keep playing that trumpet.</s>ALLEN: He's a good singer.</s>PHILLIPS: Yes, he is. Shamarr, thank you so much. Harry, appreciate it. Thanks, guys.</s>CONNICK: Thank you.</s>ALLEN: Thank you all very much.</s>JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Maybe we could talk you into it.</s>PHILLIPS: Oh, no. You know what, I tell you what, I would jam with Harry Connick Jr. and Shamarr any day. I love living in that city. And seriously, Harry's dad is an amazing musician.</s>ROBERTS: Oh, totally. Yes.</s>PHILLIPS: I have seen him perform.</s>ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: He's so humble. You know, I met him when he came to the CNN "Heroes" event in the fall. He flew out to New York for it. He's just so earnest and so humble and so great at what he's doing.</s>PHILLIPS: They're a great family.</s>ROBERTS: Extraordinarily nice guy. Taking the plunge and then taking flight. The "Rocketman" soaring over the Alps on homemade wings. Look at this. It's what we wanted to do for millennia. And America has still got game. How the U.S. keeps its competitive edge in the world. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.