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Tavis: Pleased to welcome back to this program Aaron McGruder, the creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip 'The Boondocks.' He is bringing Huey and Riley to television starting this weekend. 'The Boondocks' premieres Sunday night at 11:00 PM on "Adult Swim,' that would be the 'Cartoon Network's' popular late night lineup.

Tavis: (laughs) Oh, Aaron McGruder, nice to see you, man.

Aaron McGruder: Thanks for having me back.

Tavis: You all right?

McGruder: I'm great.

Tavis: Nice to - let me ask that again. Are you all right?

McGruder: I'm fine, I'm fine.

Tavis: Are you really all right?

McGruder: Oh, I'm not crazy. I'm not insane.

Tavis: It's been a long time. Let me just start right here, it's been a long time since I have seen something come to television that had this much buzz on it, on the front end. I travel all the time. I've seen billboards; I've been like in eight cities in the last couple of weeks. I've seen billboards in every city, articles in every newspaper. Everybody is talking about this thing. What have you got yourself into?

McGruder: Well first of all, the credit for that goes to the network. 'Adult Swim,' they have built this massive audience, I think, by just having a really genius sort of approach to marketing their shows, towards young males. And they've done a fantastic job, and created so much interest and excitement about this thing.

You know, the show is what it is. We've been working on this thing for about two years now. So I could have made 'Lord of the Rings' by now. But, you know, it has really been a lot of work for me. But a lot of fun. I think, it truly is the show that I was hoping to make 10 years ago or so when I first started playing with the characters. So I'm real happy. I'm really happy.

Tavis: You have been so protective over the years about the brand. There's so many things you could have done over the years. I suspect all kinds of things offered to you, with regard to Huey and Riley and the strip. And you've passed on all of that. And you've waited for this moment to, as we say for brand extension, as they say in business school,you waited for this moment, for brand extension of 'The Boondocks.' Huey and Riley. Why this particular vehicle and why now?

McGruder: I think it was a matter of finding the right deal. There were a lot of opportunities to bring the strip to television. But there were certain creative controls that I wanted to have, certain financial stipulations. Basically, you go out looking for a fair deal. People in Hollywood aren't accustomed to giving those right off the bat, so sometimes you have to wait a while. And I kept grinding on the strip. And as that continued to build an audience, it gave me a little more leverage to get a deal I was happy with. And that takes a while.

Tavis: In your wildest dreams, did you envision that the rollout of this would be so controversial? By controversial, you know what I'm getting at.

McGruder: Yeah.

Tavis: The word "nigger" is used rather liberally.

McGruder: Generously.

Tavis: Generously in fact. In this first episode, a lot of folk upset about that. A lot of folk upset, not a lot, but critics - people ain't seen it yet, so I can't say a lot of folk, let me correct myself. Critics have taken aim at you for the use of the "N" word.

McGruder: We'll call them 'haters.'

Tavis: Well, (laughs), you call them haters, I'll call them critics. Critics upset about the use of the 'N' word. Critics upset about a particular scene where one of the characters is aiming a gun; it's a play gun, but aiming a gun at one of the characters, one of these kids. So, there's a lot of stuff in this first episode that is provocative. You knew what you were doing when you did it, guess. Did you expect, though, this kind of controversy going in? Did you plan it this way?

McGruder: Certainly, you certainly can't plan controversy.

Tavis: Yeah, you can.

McGruder: I think it's a mistake to try to. You know, controversy can be like war. You can planit to a certain degree, and then things kind of spin out of control. I've never believed in that. As for people's responses to the show, I imagine they will be about as broad as people's responses to the strip. As you know, the strip hasn't had, the strip has had its share of critics over the years.

That comes with the nature of the job of satire. It's not something I'm particularly afraid about. It is what it is. I actually try to not get involved in that kind of thing as much as possible. The "N" word, in using that, many other shows have used it. Just last year, we had Dave Chappelle using it. We had the conversation then; we've been having that same conversation for decades now. Doesn't really ever go anywhere.

Tavis: Do you ever get bothered by the fact, though, that people, and my mother would not agree with this assessment, but it's just a question. Sorry, Mom. But do you ever get upset at people who would criticize you or Chappelle or anybody else for using that word so liberally, to use your word, so generously, when we know that in fact it is part of the dialect of young people?

Huey and Riley in this episode aren't saying anything different; aren't behaving any differently than the way many black, not all, but many black kids do. And I'm not, you know, ignoring the sting and how that word affects a lot of people. But do you ever get upset personally that folk would come after you for using it, but they don't check kids on the streetwho they walk past using it?

McGruder: I feel like I don't take any of this personally.

Tavis: That's good. 'Cause your feelings would be hurt right about now.

McGruder: They would be really, yeah. I look at it like that - what I want to see is the conversation go someplace. As opposed to it being the same thing year in and year out, every time a show comes on, or a comedian or whatever. We consider Richard Pryor a genius. So why are we still talking about whether or not it is appropriate to use on a late night cable show?

Tavis: Because at one point Richard stopped. Richard came to his senses, by his own admission, and said, "I won't use it any more."

McGruder: Yeah, you know, and sometimes black people, Black Panthers, become ultra conservatives. Anything happens. But we appreciate Richard Pryor for what he does; we appreciate Dave Chappelle. And I look at it, where it's not about, you know, you either have to be for it or against it. You look at the context in which it's used. We're on 11:00 PM on cable. It's not 8:00 on broadcast. It is 'Adult Swim.' It is a late night block for adults.

And I think, you know, I would not - I've said this, I would not ever expect Najee Ali or Al Sharpton, activists, to come out in favor of using the "N" word. They have a job to do. And I am not interested in any type of conflict. I think those are great guys who go out and talk about issues a lot of people won't talk about. So you're not going to find me out there dissing Al Sharpton for any reason. That said, my job is to do a really funny show for my audience, on late night cable. And we may just have to agree to disagree whether or not it's appropriate to use in that context.

Tavis: Since you mentioned Chappelle, two things about Dave Chappelle. Number one, please tell me that after your first season of success, you're not gonna disappear and fade under the pressure? I'll leave that alone. Anyway, secondly, speaking of Dave Chappelle, I wonder whether or not you think that it is possible, Aaron, to push the envelope too far? You clearly have made a living out of pushing the envelope in the strip. Is it possible, though, to push the envelope too far?

McGruder: Well, first thing about Chappelle, I will say this, running a show is a hard thing. And I have been halfway to LAX many a time with my ticket to South Africa. (laughs) So, you know, I have a lot of respect for what Dave Chappelle did in his two years. He made two years of a great TV show. A lot of people will never come close to that, you know. What was the other question?

Tavis: You got me thinking about Chappelle. The second question is whether or not you think you can push the envelope too far. Is it possible?

McGruder: Sure.

Tavis: If you had done that, or if you ever do that, will you know that you've done it?

McGruder: You know, well, that's where your corporate partners come in. With the strip, for example, Universal Press Syndicate, they have never drawn a line and said, 'No, you can't do this.' What they say is, 'Based on our expertise, if you put this out, these are the things that might happen.' And I think, that's what your corporate partners are there for. But ultimately, it's really, you know, your skill as a satirist, to be -to walk that line and not cross it. Because obviously when you cross it, bad things happen. And there can be repercussions. It's not like you can just say anything. You have to really think it through.

Tavis: So for fans of Huey and Riley in the strip, and Granddad for that matter - and I should mention that Regina King from "Ray" does the voice of both characters.

McGruder: Yes, of Huey and Riley.

Tavis: And you told me this like a few weeks ago when we saw each other.I wasn't sure I was going to believe it until I actually saw it. She pulls it off.

McGruder: It's amazing.

Tavis: She pulls it off. Two different characters, different voices. I love it. So Regina does both voices, Huey and Riley. And John Witherspoon, the comedian, does the voice of Granddad.

McGruder: Yes.

Tavis: And Ed Asner, is in this first episode. A bunch of people. Okay, so that said, for folk who are fans of the strip, how is the animated series different from the strip?

McGruder: You know, the strip is largely about what's going on in the news today. And the show is about the characters. We tell stories. We write these stories, you know, a year or so outside of when they air. So it's hard to be current. So, in that sense, we do more story telling. And we expand the world.

So there's a lot more characters. We try to take advantage of the medium of animation and go different places. You see in that first episode, we have a flashback, young Granddad in the '60s. So we try to have more fun with it, and in a lot of different types of ways than you can do in a little tiny strip.

Tavis: Well, speaking of fun, Aaron knows how to have fun, and like or loathe his work, and obviously millions of people like his work. Just as I wrap this conversation up, just some sampling of episodes, I can't tell you what the episodes are about. But I will give you some of the titles of the upcoming episodes, just to get you ready for what Huey and Riley are about to break off on the 'Cartoon Network.'

'The Trial of R. Kelley' is one episode. 'The Return of the King,' that will be an episode about Dr. King's returning after a 30-year coma to what things are like today. And another episode about 'Let's Nab Oprah' about Riley's plan to kidnap Oprah Winfrey. That's what you got coming up. After this first episode on 'The Boondocks" 11:00 PM on 'Adult Swim.' Sunday night. Aaron, nice to see you.

McGruder: Thank you so much.

Tavis: Glad to have you, all the best to you.

McGruder: Appreciate it.

Tavis: Up next, some final thoughts about the life and legacy of Rosa Parks. Stay with us.

Last weekend I was honored to speak in Montgomery, Alabama at the first of three memorial services for Rosa Parks. There I shared some of my personal memories of Mrs. Parks and what her friendship and life meant to me. Last week here on the program, I shared some of those memories as well with our audience. So many of you e-mailed asking that we re-air that tribute. And so on the day when we say a final goodbye to Rosa Parks, here is my tribute last week.

Finally, tonight, a few thoughts about the life and legacy of the mother of the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks. I had the wonderful pleasure to spend a significant amount of time with Ms. Parks over the years. As many of you know, she lived in Detroit. But during the winter months, would came west to California where it was a little bit warmer and she could navigate through those months a little bit better. So because she lived around the corner from me, relatively speaking, with a friend of mine, I got to know Ms. Parks and spend some significant time with her.

I recall having a conversation with her one day on the eve of the publication of my very first book, a little tiny book, a collection of my radio commentaries called "Just a Thought.' It just so happened that around the same time Ms. Parks had her book coming out, her autobiography. And we, in the midst of a conversation decided that we would do a joint book signing. I suspect it was probably my idea to talk her into that. But she agreed. And so I arranged a book signing for us here at a local bookstore. We arrived on the day of the signing. As you can imagine, throngs of people waiting to meet Rosa Parks.

So we walk our way into the bookstore. And I pull out a chair for Ms. Parks and I seat Ms. Parks at the head of the line where the people are about to start getting books signed. I take the seat farthest away from where the line is to begin. Ms. Parks looks around and leans over to me and whispers in my ear, 'Tavis, why don't we change seats.' I didn't know why, but I figured it out. Had people gotten their books signed by Ms. Parks first, they would have left, they would never have come to see this guy named "Travis Smiley" who they did not know, and had never heard of.

So by suggesting that we change seats, she was making sure that I was going to be included in that moment, and not overwhelmed by her personality. Her generosity that day moved me in ways that I've never forgotten, at my very first book signing for my very first book. After that of course Ms. Parks and I got to be even closer, and from time to time I would escort her to church on Sunday mornings. She was such a woman of faith. And so she would spend Sunday mornings going to church here in LA for the months she was here. Always trying out different churches, meeting different people, going different places.

And I had the occasion on a few opportunities, to escort her to church on Sunday morning. Nothing like spending a Sunday morning with God and Rosa Parks. One day my mother was out visiting me, speaking of great stories. My mother was in the kitchen cooking, my mother is a great cook, and she was here visiting from Indiana one day. She's watching right now, I'm sure, hi Mom. My mom was visiting one day and she'll recall being in the kitchen with me talking, when the door bell rang. I wasn't expecting anyone. So I went to the door and looked out the little peephole to see who was outside.

There was a driver standing there. And I said, 'May I help you?' through the door. He said, 'Mr. Smiley?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'There is a special visitor who would like to come say hello to you.' Now, I don't let people roll up on my house unannounced like that. But I said, 'I'm not expecting anyone, sir, I don't usually let people in my house who I'm not expecting.' He said, 'I understand that, Mr. Smiley, and I wouldn't be ringing your doorbell if it weren't somebody special. I think you'll be okay. Let me go to the car and get her.' He walks back down my walkway, approaches the car, opens the door, and to my surprise, out pops Rosa Parks.

I go running back through the house, 'Mama, Mama, guess who is coming to dinner?' I said, 'Rosa Parks is walking in the house right now.' My mother, as always, said, 'Boy, stop lying.' I said, 'Mom, I'm not lying, Rosa Parks is coming to dinner right now.' My mom had rollers in her hair. She runs to the bathroom, takes the rollers out, comes back to the kitchen. I let Ms. Parks in and Ms. Parks sat and had dinner with me and my mother. I called the folks at my office just around the corner, and said you wanna meet Rosa Parks? She's at my house having dinner right now. What a moment that was having dinner with my mother and the mother of civil rights, Rosa Parks. A day I'll never forget.

Finally, I was so honored when I was doing commercial radio to be involved in ensuring that Rosa Parks would receive the highest civilian honor that Congress can bestow upon any person, it's called the Congressional Gold Medal. Bill Clinton had honored Ms. Parks in '96 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But a few years later, Congress hadn't found its way after all these years, to honor Rosa Parks in the highest way they could. For other leaders, yes, but not Rosa Parks. And so we started a radio campaign one day to get legislation passed to bestow upon Rosa Parks, while she was still cognizant and could appreciate it, the Congressional Gold Medal.

And every day on the radio we would call out the names of members of Congress from every state from California to the Carolinas, who had not signed on to support that legislation. As it turns out, the legislation eventually passed, and it passed with the highest number of votes of any person to have ever received the Congressional Gold Medal. And God knows if anyone deserved it, Rosa Parks did. I believe, and someone once said, that every race should be judged by the best they've been able to produce. And not by the worst. It's clear that Rosa Parks is one of the greatest Americans that the black community has ever produced.

Her courage, her conviction, her commitment stands as an example to me, and to generations to follow, about what can be done. She was really just an ordinary woman. But she had extraordinary courage. She will be sorely missed. I have a lifetime of memories that I'll always hold on to. That's our show for tonight. You can catch me on the weekends on PRI, Public Radio International. Check your local listings. See you back here next time on PBS. Until then, good night from Los Angeles. Thanks for watching, and, as always, keep the faith.