Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Zelenskyy: No Excuse For Russian Evil After Odessa Strikes; 44 Million Under Heat Advisories Across The US; Chris Eubanks Looks Ahead To Future After Wimbledon Run. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired July 23, 2023 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CHRIS EUBANKS, TENNIS PLAYER: Everything else that kind of comes with it, I think it's cool. I'm honored to, like you said be able to have some sort of accolades which is really, really cool.

But just the fact that I said, I got to play, you know, court one against the number three play in the world in the quarterfinals. It was up two sets to one and had a tiebreaker to maybe make some ice, I think that's more so where's my head kind of -- I think like, man, that's really cool.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:00:22]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin in Ukraine where Russian forces are once more launching punishing attacks on the port city of Odessa.

Officials say at least one person was killed, 19 others wounded including four children. Ukraine's military says residential buildings were hit in the attacks, but officials there report, Russia's main targets were dozens of architectural monuments in the historic city center, including this iconic Orthodox Cathedral. It was originally built more than 200 years ago. Ukraine says several UN World Heritage sites were also damaged in the attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strikes Russian evil.

Also today Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus says it is planning to conduct military exercises near the Polish border with troops from the Wagner military group.

CNN senior national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt is with us now from Kyiv.

Alex, what's the reaction not just to today's strikes, but the attacks that we've seen in recent days?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has been outrage, Fred, outrage from Kyiv, outrage from the international community, and now from UNESCO because so much of the damage that we are seeing in Odessa today is in the historic downtown, which is a UNESCO heritage site. At least 25 different monuments damaged according to a local military official after 19 missiles were fired at Odessa.

Some of the most damage was seen at the Transfiguration Cathedral. It is one of the most famous churches here in Ukraine. It was destroyed back in 1936 during the Stalin era and then rebuilt once Ukraine gained independence.

President Zelenskyy now calling for more air defenses for Odessa and other Ukrainian cities saying that Ukraine needs what he calls a full- fledged sky shield of red.

Now, Fred, this comes as Ukraine is struggling to make progress on the battlefield during the counteroffensive, which is very much ongoing, modest gains.

We got to spend time recently with the 47th Mechanized Brigade, right at the tip of the spear. We saw some the new equipment that they'd gotten including American Bradley fighting vehicle. And of course, we spoke to a number of soldiers all of whom told us how difficult this fight is. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (voice over): In a secret basement bunker, part of Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade is desperately trying to find out how to punch through Russian lines.

STANISLAV, UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES: There are a lot of Russians.

MARQUARDT (on camera): There are a lot of Russians.

STANISLAV: In here and overall, they have more guns, they have more shells, and they have more people.

MARQUARDT (voice over): CNN was given an exclusive look at this battalion command post at the very front of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the South filled with maps and feeds from drones.

Stanislav closely watches dozens of drone feeds helping artillery teams try to take out Russian positions.

MARQUARDT (on camera): And you can see that from here, you can see how close they are, and you can tell them --

STANISLAV: And we guide them.

MARQUARDT: You can redirect them further.

STANISLAV: Yes. Yes.

MARQUARDT: Closer, left, right.

STANISLAV: Yes.

MARQUARDT: How do you think the fight is going in your section? STANISLAV: It's tough. It is tough.

MARQUARDT (voice over): The no man's land between the two sides is heavily pockmarked with craters from thousands of artillery rounds, but it is these little white dots, some of the countless anti-tank and anti-personnel mines that the Russians have laid that are part of what is making Ukraine's advanced so limited.

De-mining teams called sappers bravely cross the densely mined battlefield, often under fire, to defuse or detonate the Russian mines.

Tral is a sapper who just got back from a mission.

(TRAL speaking in foreign language.)

MARQUARDT (voice over): "We need to break through the mine barriers," he says, "So that equipment and infantry can pass. The enemy uses constant artillery and mortar fire. It's hard," he says. "Very hard."

Everyone here, soldiers and generals alike admit that over a month in to Ukraine's counteroffensive, progress is slower than they would like. They argue that the Russians had months to dig in and prepare.

But Ukraine was preparing as well, soldiers like this team getting weeks of work Western training and all kinds of new equipment, like this American armored Bradley fighting vehicle, rarely shown to the press.

[15:05:08]

The Bradley team leader named Katch (ph) is just 19. He shows us inside, which is also used to carry troops across the battlefield.

(KATCH speaking in foreign language.)

MARQUARDT (voice over): "I feel very protected," he says. "We know we're safe because it can withstand a lot. It has a very thick layer of armor and it has been tested in battles.

MARQUARDT (on camera): Why do you wear the American flag?

MARQUARDT (voice over): Katch is just four months out from American training in Germany. His US flag patch a parting gift for good luck from his US trainer.

(KATCH speaking in foreign language.)

MARQUARDT: "The first day of fighting was the most difficult," he tells us. "We didn't know what to expect and what could happen, how events would unfold."

Early setbacks on this front have meant that Ukraine has had to change tactics, moving more on foot after many of the newly acquired vehicles were damaged or destroyed. The team camps out in a narrow tree line trying to hide from Russian

drones. When their next order to assault will come, they don't know, but soon, they will be back in the fight.

(GHOST speaking in foreign language.)

MARQUARDT: "This is the life here," the team's gunner says. "You live by the fact that you're preparing for the next mission."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (on camera): And Fred, that team and so many of those soldiers on that frontline will have many, many more missions before this counteroffensive is over.

You mentioned that meeting today in Russia between the presidents of Russia and Belarus. We heard President Putin saying that this counteroffensive has been a failure. We have spoken with Ukrainian officials and heard from US officials who do acknowledge that it is behind schedule and not progressing as well as they would like.

President Zelenskyy has said that this was supposed to be a spring counteroffensive. It was supposed to have started months ago, but it was delayed because Ukraine didn't have the weapons, the training, and the equipment that it needed to launch the offensive. And rather than rush it, he said it was better to wait.

But in that time, Russia was able to build up its defenses, dig trenches and lay mines, which has made this fight so difficult -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alex Marquardt, thank you so much. That was an excellent report. Thank you so much.

All right, let's get more analysis on this developing situation. Victoria Coates is a former deputy national security adviser and vice president of foreign policy at the Heritage Foundation.

Good to see you.

So I want to start with these relentless attacks on Odessa. What do you make of Russia targeting cultural sites, and not just military targets?

VICTORIA COATES, FORMER DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, Fredricka, it's good to be with you, and as a bit of background, I actually have a PhD in Art History, so I take this one a little bit personally, to have Putin indiscriminately shelling a UNESCO site, destroying Ukraine's cultural patrimony. It's really outrageous.

You know, we've seen him weaponize food, we've seen him weaponize energy. Now, he is engaging in cultural terrorism. It is really shocking, and I don't have high hopes that the United Nations is going to take strong action, but at least they should make the attempt.

WHITFIELD: And we saw some of this taking place very early on after the invasion. So this isn't even new, the targeting of these cultural sites, an attempt to erase a culture, let alone, invade and take over a country.

At the same time, are we seeing or do you think that there are big vulnerabilities, larger vulnerabilities, largely because of Ukraine's lack of munitions, particularly in its air defenses?

COATES: Yes. It is a deep concern and it is something we've been worried about for a year. You know, this time last summer, when Ukraine was making some fairly significant advances against the Russians, you know, there were a lot of questions about what we were sending as the United States, how quickly it was getting there and it really seems like things have been kind of dripped and dragged out piecemeal.

And so I think a lot of Americans are just concerned, if the goal is to end this war on terms favorable to Kyiv, which would be favorable to Washington, you know, why aren't we doing what actually needs to be done to enable that? And if the Biden administration isn't willing to make that kind of commitment, where has the $140 billion we've spent already actually gone?

WHITFIELD: And what do you think it takes -- it should take to try to end this quickly?

COATES: Well, I think that -- yes, something less than 500 days would be ideal, but I think a decision like the cluster bombs is a good illustration. That's something we have a lot of, and so it was something we could have given this time last year when Putin was already using them, and so the humanitarian danger was already happening.

[15:10:00]

So we weren't stopping that by not sending them to the Ukrainians and they could have been a real game changer at that point and so I just -- I really think that that the administration's reluctance to be more forward leaning is a problem and we have some disturbing rumors, they may attach the upcoming additional request for money for Ukraine to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA funding, which is for American citizens. It is for disaster relief, for hurricane relief. That would be a huge problem for the Congress, and I very much hope they don't do it.

WHITFIELD: That would not be the effort that you want to see in any kind of catch up based on your criticism of the pace in which the US has committed to help Ukraine.

So these attacks follow the collapse of the grain deal with Russia as well in Odessa. There have been frantic efforts to revive that deal. How big are the consequences, in your view, if it can't get done?

COATES: It's a real problem. I mean, Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe. But more importantly, in terms of food security, Ukraine supplies Africa. So you have the food security of a lot of already very vulnerable people in particularly Sub Saharan Africa, whose livelihoods are now at risk because they can't get these grain shipments.

You know, this is something the United States can help with. We're obviously also a major agricultural producer, but it takes time to grow grain and to realize that you're going to have a market for a more substantial crop.

So, I think this is something you know, again, the UN needs to keep a very close eye on and really give some serious thought about how Putin is prosecuting this war. I mean, it really is through preying on civilians to try to wear down morale and that's a pretty shocking development in 2023.

WHITFIELD: During a meeting today between Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko and Russian president, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko apparently said that the Wagner troops in his country wanted to go to Poland for an excursion.

I mean, do you see that as a real threat? Is that an ignorance of the border? Saber rattling? How do you see it?

COATES: Well, that's not the first statement. I mean, Putin gave a statement earlier this week as well, that was pretty aggressive toward Poland and Poland is really emerging as one of America's top partners and allies in the former Soviet bloc, and they're doing a lot of things right in terms of their energy security, in terms of their military buildup.

So, you know, I think Poland can be a really great and good friend, both to the United States and to Ukraine, so it's not surprising that Putin and his flunkies like Luca, or like the Wagner group are trying to be unsettling toward Poland.

But Poland is a NATO member, so if Putin takes a swipe at Poland, even through Wagner, which he claims you know, an independent mercenary group, that's going to get the full attention of the Alliance.

WHITFIELD: All right, the attack on one is an attack on all.

All right, Victoria Coates, we will leave it there. Thanks so much.

COATES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: An exclusive interview with CNN, US secretary of State, Antony Blinken told Fareed Zakaria that Ukraine has taken back 50 percent of territory that Russia seized, but he warns that Kyiv faces a hard fight to win back more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, US SECRETARY OF STATE: Now Ukraine is in a battle to get back more of the land that Russia seized from it. It has already taken back about 50 percent of what was initially seized. Now, they're in a very hard fight to take back more.

These are still relatively early days of the counteroffensive. It is tough. The Russians have put in place strong defenses, but I'm convinced that with the equipment and support they have received now from more than 50 countries, with the training that their forces have gotten and many of the forces who have gotten their training but have not yet been put fully into this fight, and maybe more than anything else, with the fact that unlike the Russians, Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their future, for their country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Ukraine's military leaders saying Russia has now taken up offensive positions along almost the entire part of the Eastern frontline, including the Luhansk region.

All right, still ahead, the unrelenting record-breaking heat across the US, at least 44 million people are under heat advisories and excessive heat warnings.

We'll bring you the very latest after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Today, 44 million people are under heat advisories and excessive heat warnings across the US, with temperatures reaching over 110 degrees in some areas.

Already this weekend, over two dozen heat records were broken or tied in several states, and many more are expected to break before the end of the day.

Here now is meteorologist, Chad Myers.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Fred, tens of millions of people again across parts of the Southwest are going to be either in heat indexes above 110, temperatures above 120 in some spots, and obviously we still have all of those excessive heat warnings and watches across the country.

Tens of millions of people today and there are going to be more than that by Wednesday and Thursday because this heat is going to spread out.

Corpus Christi, you're going to feel like 112 degrees later on this afternoon. Baton Rouge yesterday felt like 118 for two hours straight.

Look at this, Vegas packed up around 110. Death Valley, we'll call it 120, and Phoenix we're just rounding it off to 115 at this point in time.

More hot weather on the way. Phoenix every single day for the past 23 have been over 110 in the afternoon and there is no end to that in sight. What there is going to be an end in sight is that nice weather across parts of the Northeast. We are going to push away these 80s and we're going to replace them with temperatures in the upper 90s.

[15:20:12]

In places like Minneapolis, we're going to go all the way over a hundred, in fact 101, and this is not going to be a dry heat like you had out in Phoenix or have out in Phoenix. This is going to be a fairly humid heat.

You can tell by the morning low temperatures that don't cool down, that means there's a lot of humidity in the air. So we're you're going to have the heat index there for sure.

Same kind of story for New York. Your temperatures are still only down to about 80 in the morning hours and back up into the middle 90s. So another hot couple of days in store for the Southwest, that's not changing, but some of that heat is going to spread out -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: We are all bracing.

All right, Chad Myers, thank you so much.

So as relentless the heatwaves are and they continue to plague the US, temperature spikes in the triple digits are endangering the health and safety of residents. The heat has already turned deadly in parts of the country, including California, where a 24-year-old died from heat exhaustion on a trail at a state park in San Diego County.

CNN's Camila Bernal joins me now from Los Angeles.

Camila, I mean, this is no joke heat. You have to be really careful and you know, it's inescapable, too.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is, Fred, and officials in some of the most affected areas are telling people, look, if you can stay indoors, try to do so, try to avoid the heat as much as possible. But there are many people that simply can't be inside or have to work outside and those people are also being reminded, look, go take a water break, stop, go in the shade and try to wear the appropriate clothes. Try to stop working if you start feeling dizzy, or if you start feeling some of the effects of the heatstroke, for example.

And so it is important to point out that these heatwaves also have significant impacts, for example, hospitals. There are many that are reporting an increase in the number of people that they're seeing with heat related illnesses, and then, there is also the economic impact of these heatwaves.

Recent studies have shown that just the impact of the heatwaves, the extreme heat could cause the US about $100 billion a year and that is only in productivity loss. So some of the most impacted industries are agriculture and construction, but really, there is no business or industry that is immune to this, especially in these areas where you're seeing 110-120 degrees.

You have to keep in mind, there are people for example, that work in a food truck, and so being in a hot kitchen in an area where it's 120 degrees is impossible. Think about the pets and animals that are at the zoo. The people that actually work at the zoo and even people that work indoors, but have to deal with going to work. It is small things, but have big impacts. I want you to take a listen to what a librarian had to go through as

he is going to the library. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN JANEZIC, SCHOOL LIBRARIAN, SANBORN ELEMENTARY: I was crossing the students, crossing the parents, and all of a sudden when I was done, I turned around, I'm sweating. I'm tired. I want to come in back to the library where it's nice and air conditioned. And as I'm walking back I trip, like what just happened? And I tripped because this part of the shoe, right here, was like this, it looked like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And yes, some of the impacts of the heatwave are a little bit easier to deal with. You can buy a new pair of shoes, but you do have to take things seriously because there are already dozens of deaths that have been reported as a result of these recent heatwaves.

There are more than 2,300 records that have already been set throughout the US over the last couple of weeks, and like Chad said, there is no relief in sight.

So officials in these most impacted areas, again, telling people to be extremely careful, especially when it comes to your health -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That heat is pretty bad when it melts the bottom of your shoes, it melts the bottom of your shoes. Imagine the impact that it does have on your body, on all living beings. So everyone has got to be really careful. Heed all the warnings. Take it very seriously.

Camila Bernal, thank you so much.

All right, still ahead, the White House pushing back on Florida's new education standards for Black History and planning to unveil a new national monument to honor Emmett Till, the black teenager whose murder in 1955 helped galvanize the civil rights movement.

We'll have details straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:55]

WHITFIELD: A serious mistake.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is speaking out after US Army private, Travis King, abruptly crossed into North Korea on Tuesday.

Texas Republican, Mike McCaul went on ABC this morning to share his concerns about what the hostile country will want for King's return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): He was facing disciplinary charges and was going to fly back to the United States, but instead, he did not board the plane, went with a tour group to the DMZ, and then ran across the line.

You and I have been there. There is something you just don't do, and now, he was taken captive by the North Koreans and I'm sure that he's not being treated very well. I think it was a serious mistake on his part and I hope we can get him back.

To me it is -- you know, question is, is he defecting? I think it was more running from his problems. That was the wrong place to go. But you know, we see this with Russia, China, Iran when they take an American particularly a soldier captive, they exact a price for that and that's what I worry about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The White House said, it tried directly contacting North Korea's government to learn if King is still in their custody and they do not have any details on his wellbeing or whether he is alive.

[15:30:11]

The White House pushing back on Republican efforts to minimize Black History and planning to unveil a new national monument to honor Emmett Till on Tuesday.

The vicious murder of the Black teenager in 1955 helped galvanize the civil rights movement, and it comes after Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday slammed Florida's new education standards for teaching African-American history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities, that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So I think that they are probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I'm joined now by CNN White House reporter, Priscilla Alvarez.

Priscilla, tell us more about the monument and its plans, the White House plans.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Fred, this is a move to protect places central to Till's life and death. So on Tuesday, what would have been the 82nd birthday of Emmett Till, President Biden will sign a proclamation establishing this new monument. This would be the fourth time that President Biden has created a new monument and it will span two states -- Illinois and Mississippi -- to reflect where he lived and where he died, and it will be across three sites.

So let me tell you the significance of each one of those sites. The first is where mourners gathered after Till's death. The second is where his body is believed to have been pulled out of the river. The third is where an all-White jury acquitted, Till's murderers.

So all of these sites carry significance and will mark his life, again with this proclamation that President Biden was signed on Tuesday.

Now in a statement, a White House official said the following. They said: "This designation reflects the Biden-Harris administration's work to advance civil rights and commitment to protecting places that help people or help tell a more complete story of the nation's history.

Now, of course, Fred, this comes at a fraught time over issues of race. You played it there. Vice President Harris going after Republicans for their education standards in Florida. And so this is a moment that the president will mark to really underscore the significance of Till's life and his mother and what followed, but also comes at a time where the White House is making clear their causes against those of Republicans as they change the standards in Florida.

WHITFIELD: All right, Priscilla Alvarez at the White House. Thanks so much.

All right, in Ohio, an unarmed Black man was attacked by a police officer's K9 as he was surrendering with his hands up.

We'll show you the disturbing bodycam footage and the story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:37:09]

WHITFIELD: In Ohio, an unarmed Black man is attacked by a police officer's K9 as he surrendered to authorities with his hands up, despite urging by an Ohio State Trooper not to release the dog.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joining us now with more on this.

Polo, this was caught on police body camera.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Fred we should mention that it was the Ohio State Highway Patrol that initiated this traffic stop. It is the actions of the Circleville Ohio Police Department that are being called into question here and their decision to release their K9 officer as the suspect involved as you're about to see seem to be in the process of surrendering himself to authorities.

Now a warning to viewers, and we cannot do it enough, this video is difficult to watch and we'll warn you again when the footage takes that disturbing turn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SANDOVAL (voice over): The footage provided by Ohio State Highway

Patrol is disturbing, but now under scrutiny after a man was mauled by a police officer's K9.

July 4th, Jackson County Ohio, a case report shows a Highway Patrol officer in a marked vehicle tried stopping the driver of this big rig for a missing mudflap. The man behind the wheel later identified by authorities as 23-year-old, Jadarrius Rose drives on and a chase begins.

About 20 minutes into the pursuit, the big rig is seen rolling to a stop.

OFFICER: Get out of the truck.

SANDOVAL (voice over): But that lasts only a few seconds. The driver continues to flee and officers stay on him for another eight minutes.

OFFICER: He drives off again. We are heading north bound.

SANDOVAL (voice over): It wasn't until police used tire deflation devices --

OFFICER: We're stopped.

SANDOVAL (voice over): That the chase came to a slow, but dramatic and disturbing stop. That's a Circleville Ohio Police Department K9 unit rolling up to the scene.

After repeated orders from State Troopers, the driver eventually steps out of the rig, his hands in the air as requested. A patrolman is heard asking the K9 to not be released, though it's unclear if he could be heard by all officers on scene. That's when the K9 is deployed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not release the dog with his hands up. Do not release the dog with his hands up. Do not release the dog with his hands up. Don't --

Get the dog off of him.

SANDOVAL (voice over): After the K9 take down, an officer approaches then quickly walks away, her hands covering her face as Rose screams in pain.

The frustration audible in the voice of another State officer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was I not loud enough?

SANDOVAL (voice over): After the dog is removed, officers move in to arrest Rose and administer first aid.

JADARRIUS ROSE, ALLEGED SUSPECT: You just let a dog bite me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you had to do was come to me. ROSE: I was coming out, the gun was pointing at me. How do you expect

me to respect you? You've got a gun pointing, it is like, 20 of you all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you had to do was stoop, fellow.

ROSE: I did stop.

SANDOVAL (voice over): A spokesperson for the Ohio State Highway Patrol tells CNN: "As troopers were attempting to gain compliance by providing verbal commands to the suspect, the Circleville Police Department deployed their K9, which resulted in the suspect being bitten."

[15:40:10]

CNN has reached out to the Circleville Police Department for comment. Police say Rose was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released before being taken to jail.

His attorney declined to comment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL (on camera): The NAACP, however, is releasing comments including the head of the Columbus branch releasing a statement to CNN really just condemning the actions of that K9 officer and the handler.

In a statement you see there writing: "The Columbus Ohio NAACP is outraged at the recent video depicting the Circleville Police unleashing a dog on an unarmed Black man. Mr. Jadarrius Rose, who had his hands up in the air and was on his knees. The officer's peers shouted for him not to unleash the dog, but apparently, their shouts fell on deaf ears."

For that last portion, we should mention again, we have not been able to confirm whether or not that call from the State trooper to not release the dog, if those were heard by other officers, but Fred, as you can imagine, that outrage that these kinds of images are reminiscent of pictures from decades ago with dogs being unleashed on civil rights movement members in the 1960s.

WHITFIELD: All right, Polo Sandoval, thanks so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:46]

WHITFIELD: "Keep this stuff a priority." Some of the best advice given to American tennis phenom, 27-year-old, Chris Eubanks.

His rise in the tennis stratosphere has been long followed after his remarkable success as a top player at his alma mater of Georgia Tech. His first ATP tour win in Majorca earlier this month, and that epic quarterfinals battle at Wimbledon within the last week-and-a-half.

Well, this week, he is the main draw at the Atlanta open. And after that, the US Open, were a while back, he was a practice partner, but now a headliner, which has fans clamoring for tickets to see him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: You just seem like you're cool as a cucumber out there.

EUBANKS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You're very graceful and you are so focused, and there is so much going on around you and you don't seem to engage with all of that is around you, but you are staying very insular and focused.

So now with all of this, all of these trappings of stardom, does it add new pressure? Do you think it changes your approach at all?

EUBANKS: No, I honestly don't think it does. I think that if this had happened earlier in my career, it probably would, just because -- but I think now I'm just more mature. I've seen the ups and downs of professional tennis, myself from other players, and the one thing that I think is a common denominator with the players who have had a lot of success is that they still keep the primary thing, the primary thing, and that's the tennis, and that's the process. That's what got them to that point.

So that's always going to be first and foremost, I think with me, something that I'm going to do my best and my coach would also do a good job of emphasizing. We need to keep this stuff the priority. But yes, I think it is a bit -- it is pretty cool to, like you say, to have people talking about you. And you know, in terms of someone who can maybe do another deep run in the tournament, maybe possibly win a tournament, you know.

So all of that is cool, that's great, but as long as I continue my process, and I stay giving a hundred percent when I step foot on the court, whatever the result is, it is. You're not going to find me complaining about it too much as long as I can honestly look at myself in the mirror and say, I did all the stuff that I was supposed to do, today just didn't go my way and then we'll move on.

WHITFIELD: Move on. Next week, a week at a time, right?

EUBANKS: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Okay, you set another record. You're 27, and you set a record for the first Black American man to reach Wimbledon quarters in 27 years, 27 is your lucky number.

EUBANKS: It is. You know I didn't put that together, but that's actually really cool. That's really good.

WHITFIELD: If you play the numbers, you might want to add 27 to that.

EUBANKS: I should have played that last week, so I might have won the Powerball.

WHITFIELD: All right, looking forward. US Open, what is that? You know, what do you envision? You've already been there as a spectator. You know what the arena is like? You'll be center court, Arthur Ashe Stadium. You mentioned, he is one of your idols.

EUBANKS: Yes. That's going to be -- it is going to be unlike any other US Open I think I've ever been to. I've played in the Open before last year. I won my first Grand Slam match at the Open, so it's a tournament that's always so, so special to me.

But I think this year is going to be different. I've joked with some friends, like I go to the Open, it is going to be a circus this year. It is going to be -- but when we go to the practice, of course, there is always --

WHITFIELD: Oh, people are buying tickets to see you.

EUBANKS: Yes, I know that, that's the crazy part. That's the crazy thing to think about. It's like a bite by the practice course, but the main practice course is the Open. Fans are usually there, just clamoring for autographs yelling, can I get Serena, Venus, Roger, Novak. And it's going to be -- that's going to be I think be the first telltale sign.

I'm also used to walking through the grounds, going and watching friends play, just sitting on the side, maybe some people will notice me, they'll ask for a quick picture here and there. But they kind of -- I kind of get lost in the mix.

But this year, it is going to be very, very interesting. I'm going to see how the reception that I get amongst the fans I think would be great. But again, it's going to be a tournament that I'm really going to focus in and trying to keep the main thing, the main thing and that's going to be the tennis.

WHITFIELD: You're an idol whether you like it, embrace it or not. As you mentioned, people are coming up to you and yelling your name and it's your new world. So what do you want to symbolize or teach people?

EUBANKS: Honestly, I was asked this question during Wimbledon, I couldn't figure out an answer. But I think now I've had some time to kind of think about it. It's more so just about perseverance, and just understanding that what is meant to happen for you is going to happen in its own time and the most frustrating thing about it is I think we, as people, we think we can control so much and I'm a control freak, you know, my friends can tell you.

But I think just understanding that what is meant to happen, it is going to happen in its own time, but you just have to continue to trust and have faith that it will happen and continue to put in the work leading up to it.

It may not happen when you want it to or when you think it should, but I think that where I'm sitting right now in my career is a pretty good example of just kind of trusting it and just going all in and just saying, when it happens, it's going to happen and let's just let the rest play out when it does.

WHITFIELD: I love that philosophy. Your friends, are they treating you any differently? Especially now that you've come home?

EUBANKS: Yes, the one thing that they are saying is if I can't meet up for lunch, and they're saying, oh, you're too big for me now, but so far they, everybody has been great. It's been fun. It is a little joke amongst us, but now, that's kind of the new thing now.

If I, hey, you want to grab dinner, oh, I can't. Oh, wow. So famous now. So, but they are all -- we are enjoying it and taking it in stride.

WHITFIELD: Oh, we're glad you had time for us. Good to be with you.

EUBANKS: Absolutely. Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: Chris Eubanks.

EUBANKS: Appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: What a pleasure. Thank you so much. All the best to you.

EUBANKS: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, watch him, Chris Eubanks, this week Atlanta Open and then next, US Open.

All right, still ahead, a new episode of "See It Loud: The History of Black Television" explores the way Black talent and creators have forged a path in dramatic television, a preview straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:31]

WHITFIELD: All right, the new CNN Original Series: "See It Loud: The History of Black Television" celebrates the creators of productions showcasing Black talent and stories.

This week's focus, dramatic television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE ALLEN, 1992: We don't see Black people at that nine o'clock dramatic slot. We might see one in "LA Law," or here and there, fly away, but they're not the center of the core of what the show is about.

GARTH ANCIER, FORMER PRESIDENT, WB AND FOX NETWORK: I don't -- I don't recall Black dramas being pitched very often.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Certainly, you could say that was an outcome of the Clarence Thomas and the Anita Hill hearings, it did show that Black people could hold the audience with a drama without taking their clothes off.

ANCIER: Television networks were under the impression that their advertising rates will be lower for the Black family shows. There was just a sense that my colleagues did not want a basically an all-Black cast.

BLAIR UNDERWOOD, 1992: As long as we can make you laugh, then it's comfortable. Whenever you're playing dramatic roles, and you're taking on a different persona, it's uncomfortable.

ANCIER: I don't think that would be true today, but that was true 20 years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow, some pretty serious admissions there.

Joining us now is Sylvia Obell. She is a journalist and host of the podcast, "The Scottie & Sylvia Show." And she appears in "See It Loud."

Good to see you, Sylvia.

SYLVIA OBELL, JOURNALIST AND PODCAST HOST: Hi, how is everybody?

WHITFIELD: Everyone is great.

So this series, you know, it is said that it has been harder for Black creators and performers to break into dramatic television than in other genres like comedy. We just heard some examples, you know, of the realization and in part, an explanation why. Why in your view? Do you believe that has been the case?

OBELL: Yes, I think it's definitely about the fact that with dramas, you really have to empathize with the characters and see them as fully fleshed out, 3D all around, and so it's not about just can we make you laugh? You know, it's like, can we make you feel?

And can the audience be open to understanding what it is really like inside a Black home? Or just being in the Black body and our struggles? And what things are really like, from our point of view, versus just maybe what is the comfortable thing to be understood.

So I think it's a lot more about the empathy factor, and wondering if the country is ready to reckon with that while it's working in real life.

WHITFIELD: And this series, you know, takes us on a journey from "The Roots" mini-series in 1977. I mean, I was, I think, in elementary school, you know, when, when that came out, and it was it was seismic, I mean, it really did change a lot in your watching of a program, your commitment to a show, learning of history.

And then we also saw the evolution of storytelling involving Black people, all the way up to "Shondaland" today. So in your view, you know, what have been some of the most impactful Black dramas on television over the years?

OBELL: Yes, definitely, Shonda with "Scandal." "Scandal" was a huge one for sure. It took so long for us to get a Black lead and as a woman -- a Black woman lead in a drama. So that was great to see.

"The Wire" without a doubt is definitely a drama that people still reference today that humanized a lot of characters that we see on the street, but not ever going to know what's really happening behind the scenes.

There's also -- Showtime had the "Soul Food" series, which was a spinoff of the movie, which I think is one of the best looks at a Black family that we've gotten to see. And then now that even the "Power Universe" that has literally taken over Starz Network and is the most -- one of the most watched Black shows on television.

WHITFIELD: You know, we've seen how the rise in Black showrunners, you know, television executives, network owners has really amplified the number of Black dramas that we see on television. In your view, has it kind of become, you know, mainstay? Commonplace? It's no longer an anomaly to see a show or a production with a lot of Black people in it or behind it?

OBELL: Yes, no, that's definitely been something that's been progressed, the ownership, the distributorship, seeing people like Ava DuVernay and Shonda Rhimes and Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry really opened those doors behind the scenes.

I think to stay there, I think as we -- television as a whole, we're seeing deals with the transition from cable and streaming, and you know with the writers' strike and all of the things happening, I think equity and fair pay are going to be very big to see how if this -- we can keep this up, because we've had booms before.

It's been about sustaining them, and so I think it's about the executive sustaining that behind the scenes for it to continue, and that have just been that, oh, remember those five to 10 years that we had good TV again kind of thing.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sylvia Obell, thank you so much. Great talking to you.

OBELL: You, too.

WHITFIELD: And be sure to tune in to an all-new episode of the CNN Original Series, "See It Loud: The History of Black Television," airs tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern only on CNN.

[16:01:00]