Listen as Dr. Wilmer Leon speaks with Elliot Millner and Pastor Nathaniel Ellis about Heather's trial.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Media Coverage on the Heather Ellis Trial Continues
CNN is going to interview Dr. Boyce Watkins on Friday, and Fox 5 has jumped on the case.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NNPA Discusses Heather Ellis and her Fight for Justice
By Pharoh Martin NNPA National Correspondent
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 8:53 AM CST
(NNPA) - Because of a trip to Walmart three years ago, Heather Ellis is now fighting for her life. The 24-year-old former college student is facing felony charges that could get her up to 15 years in prison after being arrested for an incident that stemmed from her cutting a line at a Walmart in Kennet, Missouri.
The case is garnering national attention because of the racial underpinnings and perceived multiple injustices involved. It goes to trial Nov. 18. On November 16, the Your Black World Coalition, NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union, National Action Network, and Southern Christian Leadership Conference plan to converge on the small town of Kennett to protest and heighten the publicity.
Here’s what happened: On Jan. 6, 2007, Ellis and her cousin were sent on a midnight run to Walmart by her parents to pick up some items. With her cousin already standing in line near the register, Ellis tried to join him at the front of the line. That's when the clerk accused Ellis of cutting in front of other customers.
Customers behind objected and verbally accosted the then 21-year-old, according to Ellis' father Rev. Nathanial Ellis in an interview with the NNPA News Service. One White customer physically pushed the former college student. Ellis tried to explain that she was joining her cousin who was already in line and told the lady not to push her again. She was subsequently pushed again. The cashier would later refuse to ring Ellis up even after everybody else in line went through.
“The cashier stalled my daughter long enough for the night manager to come up,” Rev. Ellis explained. “My daughter paid with cash but she asked my daughter for an I.D. [Heather] said that she didn't need an ID because she paid with cash.”
Christopher Metzler Spars with Bill O'Reilly
Dr. Christopher Metzler at Georgetown University spars with Bill O'Reilly over President Obama's position on race relations.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses the Heather Ellis Case
Dr Boyce Watkins discusses the Heather Ellis Case, the rally and plans to find justice for Heather and her family.
Dr. Elaina George Discusses Swine Flu on Michael Baisden - 10/20/09
Dr. Elaina and Michael Baisden break down the hype and misinformation about the Swine flu.
Tyler Perry vs. Spike Lee
Watch Tyler Perry defend himself against Spike Lee's accusations of buffoonery on 60 minutes
Monday, October 26, 2009
Can a White Woman Use the Term “HNIC”?
When a white mayoral candidate in St. Petersburg, FL referred to the city's black deputy mayor as an "H.N.I.C" on an Oct. 13 radio show, she was quoting Princeton professor Dr. Cornel West. "The time is past for black political and intellectual leaders to pose as the voice for black America....The days of brokering for the black turf--of posing as the Head Negro in Charge (H.N.I.C.) are over," West wrote in his seminal book on American race relations, 'Race Matters.'
Dr Boyce: Marching for Heather Ellis – Why We Need to Do it Now
- by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com
On November 16, 2009, the Your Black World Coalition, NAACP, National Action Network, and Southern Christian Leadership Conference plan to converge on the small town of Kennett, Missouri to fight for justice in the case of Heather Ellis, a 24-year-old college student who faces 15 years in prison for cutting line at a Wal-Mart.
When Justin and Journi, my assistant's children, brought this case to my attention, I was heartbroken. Their passion about the charges pushed me to action, so I reached out to others to form the "Journey for Justice" to honor the two young children who inspired us to take action in Heather's case.
I have spoken with the Ellis family extensively, and I've also spoken with those who are familiar with the case. It is my opinion that this trial represents one of the greatest travesties of justice imaginable. The greater concern is that Heather's dilemma is not the root of the problem - it is merely a symptom of broader systemic patterns of civil injustice.
In nearby Poplar Bluff, MO, a 15-year old boy, Walter Currie Jr., was doused with gasoline and set on fire by his classmates, with the perpetrator allegedly yelling racial epithets as he did it. Heather's case is just the tip of the iceberg when referring to the ultra-conservative Bootheel area, less than 100 miles away from the town where Rush Limbaugh was born.
Here are the 5 reasons why we will march on Kennett and why we are not going to stop:
Click to read.More Coverage on the Heather Ellis Case
Racial injustice rears its ugly head again, this time in rural Missouri, where heavy-handed prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff is threatening to impose a lengthy prison sentence on a woman after an altercation at a local Wal-Mart almost three years ago.
In January 2007, 20-year-old Heather Ellis, then a student at Xavier University, and her cousin David went to a Wal-Mart in Kennett, Missouri, near the Tennessee border, in an area commonly known as the Missouri Bootheel. Kennett, in rural and conservative Dunklin County, which boasts that it seceded from the Union during the Civil War, is overwhelmingly white.
At the check-out line, the pair split up in order to find the shortest line. When Ellis left her line to join her cousin at a shorter line, customers complained and a store employee accused her of cutting, at which point an argument ensued and a manager notified a security guard, an off-duty Kennett Police officer. The situation escalated from there:
In the Ellis version, she was shoved by another customer, had her items pushed aside by the clerk and then was short-changed when she finally was checked out. The police affidavit contends, at numerous times, Ellis became belligerent, loud, abusive and cursing when she was told to leave by the store's assistant manager. Summoned by a frantic phone call from her son, as the pair walked out to the parking lot, [Ellis' aunt] Blackmon says she arrived in time to witness her niece being brutalized by police during attempts to place her in a squad car.
[...]
Ellis was charged with disturbing the peace, trespassing, resisting arrest and two counts of assaulting a police officer. Yet, curiously after being described in the police affidavit as "completely out of control" during her arrest, she was released to the custody of her parents to receive medical attention only 45 minutes after being jailed. However, her arrest triggered a whole series of problems. Although she returned to school in Louisiana, two months later, an attorney hired by the family tried to talk Heather into taking a plea deal offered by powerful Dunklin County Prosecutor, Stephen Sokoloff.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Walter Currie Lives Near Heather Ellis - Set on Fire by a White Kid
To give you a picture of the location in which Heather Ellis fights for her freedom, meet Walter Currie, a 15-year old in nearby Poplar Bluff, who was set on fire by his classmates with the attacker allegedly yelling the words "Burn nigger burn" while he did it - visit SaveHeatherEllis.com.
Updates on The Heather Ellis Case
Heather Ellis is a college student facing15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart - visit www.SaveHeatherEllis.com for more details on the national protest to be held in Kennett, MO on November 14.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Dr Boyce Web Chat: Megan Williams is Definitely a Liar
No matter what, Megan Williams is definitely a liar - the question is what did she lie about?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Chris Rock Good Hair: Did It Bomb at Theatres?
Chris Rock is very emotional about criticism he has received since releasing good hair, saying that he disrespects black women and said that Oprah Winfrey looks like a slave - is any of this true?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
News: Warren Ballentine Tells Juan Williams to “Go Back to the Porch”
I have no idea why FOX News political commentator Juan Williams is defendingRush Limbaugh, perhaps the most divisive, hateful person in American media today. I'm not sure why Williams is letting FOX News use him in the same way Armstrong Williams has always trotted out to defend conservative issues. (It's hard out there for a journalist.)
However, I do know that he does not deserve to be told to "go back to the porch," as radio talk show host Warren Ballentine said during a debate about Limbaugh last week.
The comments were made by Ballentine during a discussion with Williams on the 'O'Reilly Factor' about Limbaugh being dropped from a bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams football team. Williams and Ballentine disagreed about whether the 'Barack the Magic Negro' song that Rush Limbaugh played was "racial."
BILL O'REILLY: The reason that Limbaugh is not going to be able to buy in to the NFL is because a bunch of made-up stuff became legend, and he got hammered.
WARREN BALLANTINE: Okay, we won't look at the made-up stuff. Let's look at him playing 'Barack the Magic Negro,' and we're going to say that's just funny, that's just a joke, that's not racial either. It is racial to real black people.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Shocker: Man Arrested for Being Naked In His Own House?
You might want to think twice before getting naked in your house - a man faces a year in jail for being naked in his own house.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Dr. Boyce Watkins: The Politics of Attitude: Black Women on Trial
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University, AOL Black Voices, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com
Serena Williams has been listed as a headliner for this year's Australian Open. The problem is that it's not clear whether she'll be allowed to play.
Because of a recent outburst in which she threatened a line judge, Williams may be banned from at least one Grand Slam tournament. According to published reports, Williams told the judge, "You don't know me. You better be right. I swear to God I'm going to take this ball and shove it down your throat."Given that a ball going down your throat might actually kill you, the judge felt that Serena had threatened her life. Then again, Serena's from Compton, a town that has become famous for finding creative ways to kill people. Serena does not, however, need to take "the hood" with her all the way to Australia.
To make matters more interesting, Serena recently got naked for the cover of ESPN magazine, certifying her status as an iconic and thought-provoking figure for the early 21st century. These two events, plus the fact that she just happens to be one of the most dominant female tennis players in history, makes her the kind of woman we'll all be talking about for the next 100 years. Our great-grandkids won't be talking much about the boring apolitical figure called Michael Jordan. We'll congratulate Tiger Woods for being the first incredibly rich black man to consistently beat the crap out of the arrogant guys at the country club. Serena Williams' name, though, will come up in classes on feminist theory, history and sociology. Like Muhammad Ali, Serena is becoming bigger than her sport, and my greatest hope is that her ability to transcend tennis is guided by a desire to serve all humanity, and not just herself. Her nude body on the cover of ESPN is her way of yelling to the world that she is more than a tennis player. I agree that she is.
If the link doesn’t work, click here.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Woman Teaches Kids in Jail How to Get It Together with Beats, Rhymes and Poetry
T. Denise Manning is emerging as a leader for at-risk youth and teaching them how to get it together using a microphone, pad and pen as their weapons of choice.
Natural Remedies for the Swine Flu - Dr. Elaina George
Dr. Elaina George shares natural remedies for the swine flu.
Black Political News: Protests Planned in Heather Ellis Case
from Your Black World, SaveHeatherEllis.com
Kennett, MO. – Heather Ellis, a young college student out of Kennett, MO is now facing 15 years in prison if she is sentenced after being accused of cutting line at a local Walmart. Her case has gotten the attention of the nation, and has been the subject of extensive online protests.
Heather was in a Walmart store 3 years ago with her cousin. The two split up to find the shortest line. Since her cousin was in the shorter line, Heather joined him. That’s when the clerk accused Heather of cutting in front of the other customers. An argument ensued, leading to the manager and security guard being called, and finally the police.
The incident left Ellis, an honor student on her way to medical school, charged with disturbing the peace, trespassing and two counts of assaulting a police officer. After Heather refused to sign a plea agreement, Stephen Sokoloff, the town’s prosecutor, filed felony charges against Heather.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Your News: The Campus Accountability Project (CAP)
To sign up for the Your Black World Coalition, please visit www.YourBlackWorld.com.
Dr. Boyce Watkins
Hello to the Your Black World Family,
Think for one second and ask yourself: How many Black professors did you have in college outside of those who taught African American studies? Have you ever wondered why other students get to have professors who look like them, but Black people don't expect to have that same right? Imagine how much more comfortable your college experience would have been if you'd had a few more professors who looked like you. That is what I am here to discuss.
I am working in conjunction with the National Action Network on "The Campus Accountability Project." The goal of this initiative (which is going to last for no less than 10 years) is to directly confront the fact that most American campuses (HBCUs included) have a horrifically low representation of African American faculty, especially at the tenure level. As we know, America has a very twisted history when it comes to diversity and treatment of people of color, and this history shows itself in the present every single day. I remember being personally frustrated during my collegiate experience, given that I attended 4 years of college and another 7 years of graduate school without having ONE SINGLE AFRICAN AMERICAN PROFESSOR in any department, in any class, at any time.
This is WRONG and our students should not be forced to attend college within the confines of such an uncomfortable reality. Personally, the experience can be traumatizing for our children and obviously leads to high drop out rates of Black college students. The acceptance of this way of life relegates Black people to second class citizenship status in many of America's colleges and universities. Our children deserve better than this.
So, rather than just complaining about it, we are going to do something about it. We are engaging in a national campaign for campus accountability, to encourage campuses to become more diverse. We plan to conduct a series of meetings with university leadership, state legislators, legal counsel and community activists to ensure that our voices are heard.
The ideology is very simple: Diversity matters and campuses are ignoring it. Additionally, diversity should not be laced with cosmetic tokenism, athletic scholarships and polite little King Day Celebrations. It should be about respecting diverse ideas and ending the academic imperialism which disrespects Black scholarship and Black students, putting the needs of the African American community solely on the back burner. Black athletes give nearly a billion dollars a year to the NCAA on the football fields and basketball courts; well, it's about time we start to get a return on our investment.
If you believe in this cause, I hope you will forward this email to as many people as you can. This affects any American wishing to go to college (even if you didn't graduate), those who went to college and those who have children that they expect to send to college (which should be all of us, since education is crucial for success in this economy). I personally plan to push this initiative at least until the year 2020, and I believe that by engaging in firm, direct and aggressive action, we can make a tremendous difference on this issue.
There is a role for everyone here, since we are all hurt and affected by this problem. So, I encourage you to call your own campuses and alma maters and hold them accountable. IT IS NOT NORMAL for you to never be allowed to learn from a Black Professor. We deserve the same privileges received by the White students, and universities must be pressed to explain why there are tens of thousands of qualified Black professors that they reject for hire or promotion every year. Some will try to tell you that they can't find qualified minorities to hire, but that's simply a lie. The problem is that the powers that be tend to believe that those who are different are inferior, which is reflective of the White Supremacist foundation of the decision-making infrastructure of most American campuses (notice there were no Black people on most of these campuses for the first 80 - 100 years of operation. When Black people arrived, they certainly had no decision-making rights). There's no point in tap dancing around the issues and change will only be made if we are willing to fight for it.
Below, there is a very short survey to help us collect data on your college experience. It will only take 1 minute to fill out (it's very short) and it sorts you into HBCU and non-HBCU categories for the 4 questions provided. We also ask that you join the Campus Accountability Project to help us make America's campuses into trust worthy incubators of Black intellectual development. We know that a mind is a terrible thing to waste, but brilliant Black minds will always be wasted without the presence of high quality Black mentorship. Had I not met Dr. Tommy Whittler (the only Black professor in the entire Business School at The University of Kentucky), I never would have become a professor.
To fill out the survey, please click here. To sign up to join the Campus Accountability Project, please click here.
Be blessed, be strong and be intelligent. DO NOT spend one second being afraid. Life is too short for that.
Sincerely,
Dr Boyce Watkins
Syracuse University, Your Black World
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Judge on Trial for Allegedly Sodomizing, Spanking Inmates
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Black News: People Physically Fight Over Stimulus Money
Scuffles erupted as several thousand Detroit residents jockeyed, pushed and shoved Wednesday to get free money being offered to only 3,500 of the city's recently or soon to be homeless.
Several received medical treatment for fainting or exhaustion while frantically trying to obtain the applications for federal housing assistance. The long lines and short tempers highlighted the frustration and desperation that Detroit residents feel struggling through an economic nightmare.
The line around Cobo Center, a downtown convention center, started forming well before daybreak. Anger flared within a few hours as more people sought out a dwindling number of applications for the program.
Members of the Detroit Police Department's Gang Squad and other tactical units were called in for crowd control. Several people reportedly passed out from exhaustion and had to be treated by emergency medical personnel. Some minor injuries were reported, and no arrests were made.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Question: Did Obama Deserve the Nobel? Black Scholars Respond
Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction
Faculty Affiliate, African American Studies
University of Illinois at Chicago
I think he deserves the award because, as they said, he has established a different tone in the world. Two years ago, America was despised around the world. This is not the case today. Of course people still have criticisms of our policies etc but our global neighbors hated Bush so much that it was making global travel a frightening experience for Americans. There has been a shift in how people see us. That is directly tied to President Obama's diplomatic stance on a variety of issues.
Dr. Wilmer J. Leon
Political Science Professor at Howard University
Host of “On with Leon” – Sirius/XM Satellite
This is an incredible personal accomplishment for the Obama's, a wonderful international recognition of the shift in American foreign policy, and a compliment to the intelligence of the American electorate The Nobel committee is acknowledging the positive shift away from the unilateral exclusionary foreign policy of the Bush 43' administration to the multilateral inclusionary foreign policy direction of the Obama administration. The illegal invasions of sovereign nations, torture, and the ignoring of ecological issues of the Bush 43' administration only brought instability and insecurity for America and the rest of the world. President Obama offers hope through honest diplomacy and open dialog. This is the true path towards peace and security for all.
Visit Your Black World for Black News and information!
KKK Gets Involved with Black Student's Walmart Case
The Ku Klux Klan threatened the student who rallied in response to facing 15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart.
Woman Faces 15 Years in Prison for cutting Line at Walmart
A college student in Kennett, MO faces 15-years in prison for cutting line at Walmart.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Restaurant Puts N-word next to Obama's Name on a Sign
A restaurant owner puts a sign outside his door that says "Obama's Healthcare plan, N*gger Rig it."
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Dr. Boyce and Rev. Al Sharpton Discuss Michael Vick, Couples and Money
Dr. Boyce Watkins speaks with Rev. Al Sharpton about Michael Vick's deal with Nike and why couples get divorced over money.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Kid was Behind the Obama Facebook Death Poll
The Secret Serviceannounced today that a juvenile was behind the Facebook posting that asked whether President Obama should be assassinated, calling it a prank that would not lead to prosecution.
The agency declined to release the juvenile's name, age or residence.
The Facebook posting, put up Saturday but since removed, posed a quiz to readers, "Should Obama be killed?" The options were no, maybe, yes, and "yes, if he cuts my health care."
Click to read.Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tufts University: No Sex in the Dorm With Your Roommate Present
A new policy at Tufts University prohibits students in dorms from having sex while their roommate is in the room, according to the university's 2009-2010 student handbook.
A school spokeswoman says students have expressed concerns over roommate having sex in the dorms.
The Massachusetts university's formal rule also bars so-called "sexiling" -- exiling a roommate from the room so the other roommate can engage in sexual activity.
The new policy "is really about consideration and respect for others and the need for students to be mindful of their roommates' need for privacy, study and sleep," university spokeswoman Kim Thurler told CNN.
She said while she did not have an exact number of complaints from students about their roommates' behavior, "over the last few years, the Office of Residential Life and Learning received approximately a dozen expressions of concern about this issue."
Callie Morton, a freshman at Tufts, told CNN affiliate WHDH-TV, "If someone is going to go and have sex while their roommate is in the room, I mean I think that's kind of gross. I think it's kind of funny that they would have to make a rule about it." 
Watch Tufts students talk about policy »
Visit Your Black World for the latest in Black News
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins: Obama’s Losing His Approval, but All is Not Lost
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices, Syracuse University, TheGrio.com
In an appropriate show of respect, President Barack Obama addressed theCongressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference this weekend. His speech focused primarily on healthcare, which has become the latest battleground for our challenged new leader. In the eyes of the public, Obama is no longer the cool, hip politician he was a few months ago. He is now the guy considered to be too moderate to be liberal, too socialist to be conservative, too black to be white and too white to be "down." Obama can't quite be anything to anyone, which is the price he must now pay for trying to be everything to everyone.
Michelle Obama, as lovely as she is, arrived to the event with the president by her side. The couple, when appearing together, present an inspiring portrait of successful black love. Every black woman in America looks at Michelle and dreams of having her own political Mandingo accompanying her and her children to important social events.
Click to read more at AOL Black Voices
If the link doesn’t work, click here to find Dr. Watkins’ articles on AOL
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Black News: ACORN Not Going Down Without a Fight
From USA Today
LOS ANGELES — Millicent Hill says God put her in her stucco home on East 92nd Street, but she believes she would have lost the house without ACORN.
Hill's home is a center of after-school activity for kids in the Watts neighborhood in gritty South-Central Los Angeles. Children in her church-supported program can avoid the street, get a snack, work on a computer or get a hug.
LAST WEEK: House votes to defund ACORN
When "Mama" Hill, as she's known, faced foreclosure, ACORN members showed up at a public auction to protest, prompting the lender to cancel the sale. ACORN then found a buyer who rents it back to Hill. "I wouldn't be here without ACORN, and all of the kids would have to go somewhere else," says Hill, 69. "And they've got nowhere else to go."
Here and in other states, ACORN focuses on helping people with housing issues, supporting changes to health care and immigration policies, and registering voters.
ACORN — which has received about $53 million in federal funds since 1994 — has long been a target of conservatives because of its ties to Democrats. Attacks increased after its aggressive voter-registration and get-out-the-vote efforts for President Obama last year. Now, videos showing ACORN workers giving advice to conservative activists posing as a pimp and a prostitute are raising questions about its tactics and finances — and whether it can survive.
Click to read.Please join the Your Black World Coalition at www.YourBlackWorld.com
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Black News: Serena Williams, Kanye West, Public Outbursts and Race
by Dr Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University, Your Black World
From AOL Black Voices and TheGrio.com
Were there any racial implications to the recent outbursts by Serena Williams and Kanye West? Yes, there were. In my latest conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton, we break down these interesting events, all of which occurred during the past week. We can agree, however, that there are certainly things more important than worrying about Serena Williams and Kanye West. But these situations, in light of the backdrop of Obama's comments about Kanye, might provide true teachable moments regarding America's tattered racial history.As I've written before, Serena and Kanye have a lot in common, but nothing in common, all at the same time. Serena's actions were justifiable, given the intensity of the situation and the fact that the line judge made the wrong call. At the same time, most of us can agree that Serena went over the line by threatening to "shove the ball down the f**ing throat" of the line judge because of her mistake. Yes, Serena, you are from the hood. But you don't need to take it back to the hood to make your point to a U.S. Open line judge.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Dr Chris Metzler: Obama Presidency in Trouble?
September 16, 2009 · 2 Comments
President Obama’s presidency is in peril for two primary reasons. The first, his inability to be a transformational leader to an American public hungry for it is of his own making. The second, the thinly veiled demonstration of racism unskillfully disguised as “concern for country” is both to be expected and not of his own making.
First, President Obama came into to office promising “change that we can believe in.” However, on the signature issue of change, health care reform, he has not led; choosing instead to send a litany of mixed messages as to whether he would turn the Byzantine labyrinth that is the American health care system on its head. A transformational leader takes bold, decisive, innovative action if he or she believes that it is right for the country. Thus far, on health care, the President has not demonstrated transformational leadership; he has pledged fidelity to the status quo.
Time after time, the President and his team have delivered anemic polemics that were amateurish at best and incompetent at worst. These included a dreadful and inept message on the “public option” which seems to suggest that we can expect neither reasoned deliberation nor resolve from this President. Fearing that he was losing the rhetorical war, the President did what he has come to be known for; he delivered a speech.
The problem of course is that a good speechmaker does not a transformational leader make. While he scored some rhetorical points, he also raised grave questions about whether he is a transformational leader. Among them, did he fail to anticipate the pitfalls of changing the American health care system? Is he aware that transformational leadership requires the ability to orate and deliver? How does he define change? Is he counting on a critical mass of the non-critical thinkers among us to follow him because he is not George W. Bush?
Leadership, in a digital and global world, requires first having a message and then taking control of the message before the message gets lost in the real or manufactured political scandals of the day. What we have seen from this White House so far is that a) they don’t understand this b) they are incapable of rapid and deliberate responses and c) they intend to run from crisis throughout the Obama Presidency. This, of course, is counter to transformational leadership.
For example, former green jobs czar Van Jones was embroiled in controversy over comments he made prior to joining the White House. Was the White House aware of these statements? If so, did they think that in the information age the statements would not come to light? Once they came to light, why did it take them so long to act? Or does this White House think that if they ignore their opponents they will go away? The Van Jones controversy had been brewing for a long time (albeit not in the mainstream press; much like the ACORN controversy is now brewing) and the White House failed to address it at their peril while basking in reckless abandon.
The President did with Jones what he did with Rev. Wright; he took action long after the damage had been done. Are we to believe that this is transformational leadership?
On the controversy surrounding Henry Louis ‘Skip’ Gates, the President also demonstrated enervated leadership first calling out Crowley, the officer involved in the Gates arrest (although the President admitted that he did not know all the facts), then backing down and then inviting Gates and Crowley to the White House for an awkwardly staged and superfluous photo opportunity.
President Obama was elected by an American public famished for leadership, not pandering. We want to know that he will take the tough decisions utilizing solid and reasoned justifications. What we have gotten so far is leadership by speechifying, thus raising the question ‘does the emperor have clothes?’
America remains deeply divided among racial lines. Despite protestations to the contrary, there are Whites in this country that simply cannot and will not accept the legitimacy of a Black Presidency. Many of the Whites of whom I write, are the ones who still challenge the fact that the President was born in the United States. Their racial logic is riotous and birthed from White supremacy. In fact, at the so called 9-12 rally, a protestor held a sign which read, “the zoo has an African lion and the White House has a lying African.”
During this relatively young Presidency, we have heard the constant refrain “we want our country back.” If this sounds eerily familiar, it is because this was the same refrain we heard during the civil rights movement when there was a move afoot to ensure equal rights for Blacks. Of course, the Whites of whom I write deny any racial bias. I suppose that if one were to assume that racial bias means that one does not publicly use racial pejoratives when referring to the President, then one would be correct. However, during Jim Crow, it was not necessary to bar Blacks from voting because they were Black; the preferred methods included: poll taxes, voting tests and intimidation. Did this mean that racism had gone away; of course not. It meant then what it means today: racism continues to be the pig that we put lipstick on while calling it a beauty queen. It was a pig then and it is a pig now.
Moreover, so many Whites have conveniently and purposely bought into the dim-witted notion that the election of Barack Obama means the end of racism; that they have morphed into “post-racial,” “post-racists” and “post-prejudice” Americans. Race in America is built on a complex belief system that contains an array of beliefs that continue to define our existence in 2009 whether we choose to accept this or not.
Do critical thinkers really believe that on Election Day 2008 Americans magically eliminated all of their racial attitudes and beliefs? Do critical thinkers really believe that the lack of civility surrounding political discourse in this country, from which south Carolina congressman Joe Wilson is rewarded with campaign largess for calling the President of the United States a liar during a joint address to Congress, is devoid of racial animus?
The election of a Black President has upset the political and racial calculus in a country that could not have foreseen such an election. Thus many Whites, including the ones of which I write, are choosing to play it both ways. On the one hand, they are appealing to a base of unabashedly racist ideologues that wallow in a shallow pit of racial filth. On the other hand, they want to stay true to what they view as “hardy American values” from an era gone by. (Read the time before the Black President). Thus, they employ the “we want our country back” rhetoric and deeply deny any racial virulence. Not all Whites who criticize the President do so out of racial animus. The problem is that too many do and in so doing, sink deeper into racial acrimony that continues to destroy American democracy.
While we have been on the “post-racial” path for some time, the election of President Obama has lit the movement on fire. The reality is that we are infected with “post-racial” palaver. This is not a complaint but a critique. This critique allows us to question the quixotic theorem advanced by the Whites of whom I write that their “country first” rhetoric is not contaminated with racist dogma.
Dr. Christopher J. Metzler is the author of The Construction and Rearticulation of Race in a ‘post-racial’ America and an associate dean at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Black News: Jimmy Carter Gets Radical on Race and Obama
Former President Jimmy Carter said in an interview Tuesday that Congressman Joe Wilson's "you lie" outburst to President Obama was "based on racism" and that many of the critiques leveled against the president have been made because of his black heritage.
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man," Carter said in an sit-down with NBC's Brian Williams.
Carter specifically said that Wilson's comment was "dastardly" and part of an "inherent feeling" held by many Americans -- particularly Southerners -- that African-Americans "are not qualified to lead this great country."
"It's an abominable circumstances and grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.
Click to read.Your Black News: Howard University Responds to Student Demands
In an effort to address the student demands raised during the Sept. 4 protest , President Sidney A. Ribeau and Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer Alvin Thornton sat down with The Hilltop to go through each presented demand.
Howard University President Sidney A. Ribeau
Demand: Hours of the Financial Aid office should be immediately extended until 7 p.m. until the set purge date with staff (i.e. certified financial aid officers and managers) in place to render quality customer service and to serve the unusually large number of students who have yet to be validated.
Response: “That’s something that I agree with and will, in fact, do,” Ribeau said.
Thornton said even before students raised the concern, this issue was a priority. He said that the office will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. until the set purge date. He said additional staff people will be needed, but they have agreed to move a substantial part of the operation back to the Amour J. Blackburn Center. Ribeau said this move will be completed by Friday. “It’s not easy, but that’s what we’re going to do.”
Demand: 24-hour, 7-day a week access to the Undergraduate Library and Founders Library, as well as significant capital improvements and renovations to Founders Library and Undergraduate Library.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Financial Cost of Tirades: Serena and Kanye
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
When Kanye West stood on NBC four years ago and said "George Bush doesn't care about black people," I applauded. When he acted a fool on stage after not receiving some award he deserved, I laughed. When he came out with that really weird CD after dealing with personal crises involving the loss of his mother and break up with his fiance, I sincerely felt for him (but never bought the album).
But after Kanye's stunt last night on the MTV Video Music Awards, I wanted to slap him. Damn brother, that was just pathetic. When Beyonce told you she liked men with big egos, you surely put that theory to the test.
Kanye West's decision to bum rush the stage and yank the mike out of the hand of Taylor Swift, a 19-year old woman winning her first award has finally certified him as the jackass that everyone thought he might be. I have been a big supporter of West, and I still support him to a point. He brings some degree of intelligence to hip hopthat the industry has needed for a long time. But the truth is that his actions last night were rooted in extreme selfishness and horribly arrogant behavior. Not good for Kanye, nor anyone else.
This must have been "The weekend the black folks went wild," because Serena Williams had an equally problematic outburst at the US Open. After a very bad call by one of the judges, Serena felt the need to offer to shove the ball down the "f*cking throat" of the woman for making her mistake. OK sistuh-girl, does the judge really need to have the ball shoved down her throat?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Dr. Elaina George Explains What We can Learn from the Death of MJ
The following is a statement made by Dr. Elaina George, an Otolaryngologist out of Atlanta and advocate for physicians.
‘Michael Jackson did not have a chance’ was my first thought when I read the report that just came out about what caused his untimely and tragic death. I was unprepared for the absolute disregard for the first tenant of the doctors’ Hippocratic Oath – First do no harm.
There was no way that harm would not have come to Mr. Jackson. It was beyond negligent to give him a mixture of three different kinds of sedatives, a muscle relaxant, an antidepressant in addition to Propofol, a general anesthetic that is only used in an operating room setting (because it can stop someone’s breathing). Each of these drugs by themselves can be lethal, but together it is a recipe that will almost definitely kill someone. I can think of no medical scenario that would justify mixing these kinds of drugs. Hopefully, Mr. Jackson’s death will teach us that prescription drugs, though helpful are no substitute for doctors doing everything in their power to protect the health of their patients, including just saying no when it is appropriate.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Black News off TheGrio – 8/22/09
First black NFL official dies at 81
1:55 PM on 08/21/2009
CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) -- Burl Toler, the first African-American official in NFL history who went on to work one Super Bowl in a distinguished career, has died. He was 81.
Female boxers will get a chance at Olympic gold
By theGrio
12:38 PM on 08/21/2009
For anyone who doubts a woman can hit or ever score a knockout punch, look no further than these women. Some are college students on scholarship and they all fight to win.
Urban farming may save the hip-hop generation
By John Baiata
12:21 PM on 08/21/2009
When Darren ("The Human Beat Box") Robinson was at his improvising best, rapping for "The Fat Boys" during the 80's and early 90's, fat was phat.
Naked man arrested for assault on plane
By theGrio
9:01 AM on 08/21/2009
VIDEO -- Authorities say a flight was forced to return to Oakland International Airport after a male passenger stripped, hit another passenger and fought with crew members.
Poll: Americans losing confidence in Obama
8:01 AM on 08/21/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new poll says that Americans, concerned over the future of health care reform and anxious about the growing federal budget deficit, are losing faith in President Barack Obama.
Burress' teammates saddened by plea deal
3:24 PM on 08/20/2009
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Plaxico Burress' decision to plead guilty to a weapons charge and accept two years in prison surprised his former New York Giants teammates
2 teenagers charged as adults in hate crime against elderly black fisherman
2:39 PM on 08/20/2009
Two teenagers were arrested Thursday and charged as adults in what police say was the racially motivated beating of an elderly black fisherman.
Same-sex couples stage 'kiss-in' to protest treatment at diner
By theGrio
12:15 PM on 08/20/2009
VIDEO - Dozens of same-sex couples locked lips inside a popular Maryland diner Wednesday to protest the treatment of a lesbian couple there.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Dr Wilmer Leon Interviews Suzanne Simons
Dr Wilmer Leon interviews Suzanne Simons about her book “Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War". Click here to listen!
Black News: The Latest from Dr Boyce Watkins on AOL – 8/11/09
The Latest
Love Gone Bad: Scorned Women Krazy Glue Man's Genitals
- OK, if you cheer when you read this story, then you need some serious help. If you squirm when you ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (0)
Black Professors, Black Scholars and Intellectual Suicide
- If you've ever attended college, you've interacted with a professor. If you were lucky, you might ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (16)
Dr. Boyce Money: Soulja Boy's Bad Financial Advice
- In his video called 'Rich N*gga Sh*t' (I can't even write the title, because I don't want to ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (17)
Dr Boyce: Why Everyone Should Go to College
- The following is an exerpt from the book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College." ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (34)
Financial Lovemaking: Tiny, Toya, Weezy and TIP
- OK, was I confused when I found out that Tiny and Toya (TI's "baby mama" and Lil Wayne's ex-wife, ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (21)
Dr. Boyce: 'Jungle Monkey' Cop Sues City of Boston?
- I did some commentary on CNN last week about Justin Barrett, the cop who referred to Harvard ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (35)
Dr. Boyce: Jasmine Sanders Makes it Big in NYC Radio
- Jasmine Sanders is more than the woman who works down the hallway from Wendy Williams. She is a ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (2)
Dr Boyce Money: Is the NCAA Racist or Just Getting Rich?
- In a letter written to NCAA president Myles Brand, Chairman Bill Thomas of the House Ways and Means ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (17)
Financial Lovemaking: Should You Marry a Professional Athlete?
- Many of us remember the nearly $822,500 gambling debt and subsequent arrest of former NBA star ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (3)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Your Black News: 2 Years in prison for Making a Song about Killing Cops?
A Florida rapper is sentenced to two years in prison for a song called 'Kill Me a Cop' that he produced as a teenager.
Authorities say 20-year-old Antavio Johnson raps about killing two Lakeland, Fla., police officers in the tune, which cops found on MySpace while surfing for gang-related activity.
Johnson pleaded no contest to two counts ofcorruption by threat of a public servant and was sentenced to two years in prison last month. He was already in jail on a cocaine charge at the time. ...
Singing about killing a cop was not Johnson's first mistake. Pleading guilty and not hiring a lawyer were. Just ask Ice Cube and N.W.A., who sang '%#@* tha Police' as a form of police protest more than 20 years ago.
Back in 1988, N.W.A had everyone from the FBI to the Secret Service breathing down its neck and lawsuits galore. If someone could have figured out a way to charge the group with a crime, lock 'em up and throw away the key, I'm sure it would've happened.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Going to College Should Not Be an “If”
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
The following is an exerpt from the book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College."
Before I tell you all the great things about college, and all the things that are going to happen before, during and after, we should start with a very basic question: why do you want to go to college anyway? I mean, you could be doing a lot of things: playing in the NBA, bustin rhymes with your boys on stage, acting in Hollywood, or just plain old "kickin it". More realistically, you could also just jump right out and get a job after high school. There was a time when that wasn't such a bad thing. My grandmother always tells me stories about the days when a high school diploma went a long way, when a house cost 8 cents, when dogs didn't bite and you could leave your front door open at night. But a lot of things have definitely changed since then, and a person must adjust to the times.
If you want to increase your chances to getting a good job one day, then getting a solid education under your belt is a great place to start. Once, I asked a friend if she was going to college. I think that she was the kind of person that wanted to make the quick money, rather than spend 4 years investing in her education. In her mind, it was all about making money right away, and college would be a waste of 4 years for her. When I asked her if she was going to go to college, she said "I like money too much to go to college". I said to her "I like money too much not to go to college!" So the fact is this: you need degrees to get to the cheese! To lay it down in concrete terms, a census bureau survey showed that college graduates earn nearly one million dollars more during their lifetime than people with high school diplomas. What would you do with your extra million?
Sure there are exceptions. I went to college with guys who never graduated and left early for the NBA to make more money than most of us will ever make. However, this is clearly the exception. For every Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson, there are literally millions of other students who are not quite good enough to make the big money. For every Vivica Fox or Jenifer Aniston, there are a lot of women out there in Hollywood with roaches crawling across the bathroom floor. I am not saying this to stamp out the dreams you may have, it's a reminder that you should pursue higher education no matter what you decide you want to do. This guarantees that you will have something to fall back on in case your plans don't turn out quite the way you thought they would.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Black News: Dr. Wilmer Leon Speaks with Annette John-Hall
Want to talk about race? Annette John-Hall of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Dr. Wilmer Leon speak on issues of race. Click here to listen
Thursday, August 6, 2009
News: President Obama’s Approval Rating Drops
President Barack Obama’s approval rating is falling on concern unemployment is rising and the budget deficit will grow, a Quinnipiac University poll shows.
Exactly half of the registered voters surveyed from July 27 to Aug. 3 by Quinnipiac said they approve of the job Obama is doing, compared with 42 percent who disapprove. That’s down from 57 percent approval and 33 percent disapproval in a poll taken in late June, according to results released today.
Americans are upset about rising unemployment and worried that health-care plans making their way through Congress will add to the U.S. budget deficit, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Hamden, Connecticut-based polling institute. The combination has helped drive down the president’s ratings.
Your Black News: Black Congressman Convicted
Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted Wednesday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him in a case that included the discovery of $90,000 in his freezer.
Former Rep. William Jefferson arrives at U.S. District Court with his wife, Andrea, on June 9.
A federal court jury convicted Jefferson on four bribery counts, three counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud and one count of racketeering. He was acquitted on five other counts including wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Jefferson, a 62-year-old Democrat, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 4, 2007, about two years after federal agents said they found the cash in his freezer. Authorities said the cash was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on video.
Jefferson had pleaded not guilty. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 150 years in prison, with sentencing tentatively set for October 30.
After the verdict on the fifth day of jury deliberations, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis turned down a prosecution request for Jefferson to be taken into custody, ruling that he posed no flight risk.
The verdict showed that "no person, not even a congressman, is above the law," said U.S. Attorney Dana Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia. Asked what might have turned the case in the prosecution's favor, Boente said: "We always thought that a powerful piece of evidence in this case was $90,000 in a freezer."
Click to read.Wednesday, August 5, 2009
News: “Jungle Monkey” Cop Sues Boston
A Boston police officer is suing the city after he was suspended for referring to a black Harvard professor as a "banana-eating jungle monkey" in an e-mail.
Boston police Officer Justin Barrett apologized for his e-mail about Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
"If I'm charged with a crime I want a chance to answer. I want the chance for a fair hearing," Officer Justin Barrett told CNN on Tuesday.
Barrett has apologized and denied he is a racist.
His lawsuit claims his civil rights have been violated; Barrett's lawyer said the words referring to Henry Louis Gates, Jr. were misinterpreted.
"The choice of words were poor; but they weren't meant to characterize professor Gates as a banana-eating jungle monkey," attorney Peter Marano said. "They were meant in a response to behavior and characterizing the behavior. Not the person as a whole."
Marano said the city had effectively fired Barrett, though he is officially suspended with pay.
He said it was fair to hold Barrett to a higher standard than the general public because he is a police officer, but that he was still entitled to express his opinions.
"Being held to a higher standard shouldn't eradicate his right under the First Amendment for free speech. That is part and parcel of the lawsuit," the lawyer said.
Gates was arrested at his house last month when a neighbor called police after she thought she saw a man trying to break into Gates' home. The man turned out to be Gates himself, who was attempting to free a jammed door.
Click to read.Tuesday, August 4, 2009
News:Making fun of Obama?
Someone made this poster of Barack Obama, mocking him and saying that he is the joker of socialism. Does this look racist? Not quite sure. What do you think?
Dr. Wilmer Leon: Breaking Down Obama’s NAACP Speech
Drs. Mack Jones, Robert Smith and Wilmer Leon do an in-depth analysis of President Obama’s speech to the NAACP. Click here to listen!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
State of Illinois Files Bias Suit Against Wells Fargo
CHICAGO (Reuters) -- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit Friday against Wells Fargo & Co., accusing the second-largest mortgage lender of steering blacks and Latinos into high-cost subprime loans.
"As a result of its discriminatory and illegal mortgage lending practices, Wells Fargo transformed our cities' predominantly African-American and Latino neighborhoods into ground zero for subprime lending," Madigan said in a statement.
High foreclosure rates resulted from the illegal sales practices, the state's attorney general said.
College Athletes Should Be Paid
The NCAA, which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 'educational' organization, has come under fire recently for capitalizing on the commercialization of college sports. Many athletes have accused the organization of unfairly using them for financial gain.
Since 1995, the NCAA has spent more than $84 million on legal fees, including some settlements. Former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon filed a lawsuit on July 21 against the NCAA and its member schools, accusing them of illegally profiting from using the likeness of former players for commercial pursuits like video games, DVDs, and jersey sales.
Dr. Boyce Watkins, a finance professor at Syracuse University, has become a vocal critic of the NCAA, for what he calls its exploitation of the black community.
click here to read moreScholar News: AKA President’s Dirty Allegations
Members of the country's oldest black sorority are suing to remove their president, alleging that she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the group's money on herself — some of it to pay for a wax statue in her own likeness.
In the suit filed in Washington, D.C., the Alpha Kappa Alpha members also alleged that international President Barbara McKinzie bought designer clothing, jewelry and lingerie with the sorority credit card. She then redeemed points the purchases earned on the card to buy a big-screen television and gym equipment, the lawsuit said.
"This is extraordinarily shocking if not illegal conduct," Edward W. Gray Jr., an attorney representing the plaintiffs suing the Chicago-based sorority, said Wednesday.
McKinzie denied what she called the lawsuit's "malicious allegations," saying they were "based on mischaracterizations and fabrications ... not befitting our ideals of sisterhood, ethics and service," according to a statement issued this week by the sorority.
The lawsuit also accused the sorority's board of directors of signing off on spending funds on McKinzie without the required approval by the group's membership. For example, the lawsuit says the board approved a monthly "pension stipend" of $4,000 for four years after she leaves office and purchased a $1 million life insurance policy for her. The suit demands McKinzie be fired and return money to the sorority.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Rev. Jackson, Sharpton, Watkins, Ogletree Meet to Discuss Gates
Click here to listen to Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Dr. Boyce Watkins (Syracuse University) talk with Harvard Law Professor, Charles Ogletree
Deborah Stroman: Is Higher Ed a Right or a Privilege?
by Dr. Deborah Stroman
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Get Real! That’s my kind response to the critics of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) recent academic reform policy that eliminates the minimum SAT and ACT scores for admission. This well-thought out and crafted course of action finally gives colleges the academic freedom and independence to do what they do best – make decisions as to which students they want on their particular campus. Not the NCAA, the athletic leagues, or any other sport-related governing body has the right to tell an academic institution who is most deserving of the opportunity to sit in their classrooms and learn. Although our country promotes a spirit of education for all, the reality is that higher education is for the privileged. And those with the financial resources receive more access and resources. With a wink and a nod though, the student-athlete can oftentimes bypass this necessity if one possesses the talent to throw a tight spiral or shoot a silky-smooth jumper.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Dr. Peniel Joseph on the Skip Gates Case
With the Gates fiasco, the rosy glow has faded
AP Photo, Cambridge Police Department
My first reaction to watching the unfolding Saga of Skip Gates's Cambridge Arrest was that America's postracial bubble, like its recent economic troubles, was about to pop. The fact that some observers had never bought into the story of a race-free America purged of its past sins by a watershed presidential election had done little to diminish either that narrative's moral resonance or political weight.
Since America's racial disparities remain as deep-rooted after Barack Obama's election as they were before, it was only a matter of time until the myth of postracism exploded in our collective national face. That they would rear their ugly head in the form of an intellectual and racial cause célèbre is fitting, since black scholars and activists have been engaged in a robust debate over the meaning of race in the Age of Obama.
Suddenly Obama's recent declaration before the NAACP—that American blacks have come farther than at any other time in our country's history—seems suspect, our national progress undone by the fact that Gates's predicament has become a metaphor for the nation's legacy of racial discrimination.
Click to read more.News: Henry Louis Gates 911 Tapes Released
Just out. Listen to the audio from the 911 call on Henry Louis Gates’ Arrest by clicking here.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Your Black News: Black Republicans Concerned about Party’s Future
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Sarah Palin's resignation from her role as governor of Alaska has prompted new questions about the GOP's leadership and future. While Michael Steele made history by becoming the first black chairman of the Republican National Committee, where do African Americans stand in helping to redefine the party?
TheGrio sat down with a group of black Republicans to discuss their feeling on their political party and its future.
"What does it mean to be a black man that agrees with the Republican party's agenda, the Republican party's message?" said hiphoprepublican.com's Brandon Brice. "That is, reducing the size of government, giving people real opportunities to excel from any circumstance or situation."
According to a report released in May by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Africans Americans make up two percent of the nation's Republican party, compared to 22 percent of the democratic party. The study also found that during the 2008 election, 95 percent of blacks voted for Barack Obama, while just four percent voted for Republican candidate John McCain.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Black News: Dr Boyce Watkins, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Charles Ogletree Talk About Gates
Tomorrow morning, July 26, 2009 at 8:30 am EST, Dr Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University will appear on the Jesse Jackson Show with Rev. Al Sharpton and Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree. The conversation will center around the recent arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates.
Raising the Minimum Wage: A Very Good Idea
by Dr. Boyce Watkins
I am a curious professor, a compassionate capitalist and the owner of a small business. All of these hats create a complex perspective on whether or not it is a good idea to increase the minimum wage. After all, we are in a recession, and one might be tempted to argue that any sort of pay increase would slow down our nation's economic recovery, eliminate jobs, and significantly reduce corporate profitability.
Sorry to burst those bubbles, but the data don't validate most of the above concerns.
First of all, the minimum wage was introduced during the Great Depression, the mother of all economic downturns. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was designed to ensure that the most vulnerable Americans were no longer going to be exploited by the power of big business. The Great Depression came to an end shortly thereafter, and there is no evidence that it slowed down the economic recovery in any significant way.
Secondly, the budgetary implications of minimum wage increases are not very large. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 2 percent of all men and 3.6 percent of all women currently earn the minimum wage. But while the impact on our national budget is small, the gains for those affected are tremendous: there are nearly 5 million children in families who earn the minimum wage, and nearly all of these children are going to have better lives in the advent of an increase.
Black News: E. Lynn Harris Dies at 54
John Bazemore/Associated PressThe author E. Lynn Harris.
Updated | 2:48 p.m. E. Lynn Harris, the best-selling author of novels that addressed questions of identity and sexuality among black men, has died, his publicist told The Associated Press. He was 54.
According to his official biography at his Web site, Mr. Harris was born in Flint, Mich. and raised in Little Rock, Ark. At the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, he was the school’s first black male Razorbacks cheerleader and was a lifelong fan of the team. He sold computers for a living until he self-published his first novel, “Invisible Life,” in 1991; it was picked up by Anchor Books in 1994, spawning a prolific writing career spanning ten more novels, from “Just As I Am” in 1994, to “Basketball Jones,” published in January, as well as a 2004 memoir, “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.”
In a review of Mr. Harris’s 2006 novel “I Say a Little Prayer” in The New York Times Book Review, Troy Patterson wrote that Mr. Harris “has helped bring taboo topics — like closeted black men indulging their sexuality ‘on the down low’ — into mainstream conversation.” From his debut with “Invisible Life”, Mr. Patterson wrote that Mr. Harris offered a writing style that “was smoothly paced, and the prose occasionally opened up on Fitzgerald-lite moments of sparkling sentiment.”
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Dr. Boyce Watkins speaks on AOL – 7/22/09
The Latest
Dr Boyce: Henry Louis Gates and His Arrest at Harvard
- I don't like our nation's criminal justice system. Every statistic reeks of racism, and the prison ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (2)
Dr Boyce Money: What Can Michael Vick Do Now?
- Previously, I did a piece on Michael Vick and discussed ways in which Michael can get his ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (2)
Are Hip Hop Artists "Bo-Jangling" for the Dough?
- I was on the phone with an artist in NYC the other day. I asked her why she hasn't released an ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (3)
Dr. Boyce: Michael Vick is Finally Free
- Michael Vick is finally out of prison. He is not just being transferred from one prison to ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (9)
Dr Boyce Money: Steve McNair's Missing Will
- My heart was broken when I read about the murder of NFL great, Steve McNair. My heart went out to ... Read More
- Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (10)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Black News: Henry Louis Gates Arrested: More Facts
Note by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
I spoke with another high ranking police official about the Gates case. He is pretty candid with me about most things, so I believe what he had to say. Here were his thoughts:
1) Disorderly conduct is an easy trap to fall into. When dealing with an officer who gets out of line, you should cooperate and then deal with the situation later. If Gates argued with the officer and yelled at him from the porch, that opened the door for him to be arrested.
2) If there were extra officers at the scene, it's likely that they were called when the officer arrived and realized that there were two men in the house (Gates and the driver) and only one of him. It's standard procedure to call for additional backup when you are outnumbered. But then again, I am not sure if the driver had left by then or not.
3) There are usually extraneous variables that have to be checked out in these situations. For example, even though Gates showed that he owned the home, he could have had a restraining order against him filed by his wife in the middle of a nasty divorce. Given that Gates had appeared to be breaking into the house (by pushing the door), the officer would be expected to make sure that Gates was not there to hurt his wife or do something illegal. Of course this sounds absurd in this case, but there are many cases where husbands break into the homes of their estranged wives in order to hurt them.
Just thought I would share these facts. The conversation was very interesting and insightful.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Your Black News: Obama Taps Black Woman for Surgeon General Post
President Barack Obama nominated an Alabama country doctor who has three times resurrected her clinic in a fishing village after disasters to be U.S. Surgeon General on Monday and help him advocate for healthcare reform.
Dr. Regina Benjamin promised to advocate for Obama’s healthcare agenda as “America’s doctor” if she gets the job as chief public spokesperson on health issues, saying her own family and patients have been victims of the failing U.S. system.
“Through floods and fire and severe want, Regina Benjamin has refused to give up. Her patients have refused to give up,” Obama said in a White House Rose Garden announcement.
U.S. surgeons general in the past have issued influential reports on topics including smoking, AIDS and mental health. Benjamin said she not only wanted to serve in the traditional role of surgeon general, encouraging healthy habits, but press to make medical care more easily available.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins: Is FreeCreditReport.com Actually Free?
5 months ago I signed up for the "free" credit report. Little did I know that I would be charged 1.00 per month on aservicecalled "Your Savings Club" which they automatically sign you up. Also they charge you another 1.00 per month as well as 30.00 for "CREDITDIAGNOS". In addition it is your regular charge of 11.95 for "CIC*Credit Monitor". So because I didn't cancel in time, my "FREE" credit report cost me 214.75.
Justin of Lawndale, CA June 10, 2009
Freecreditreport.com requires you to enter yourinformationin BEFORE it discloses its terms and conditions. Upon reading all the terms and conditions I simply closed my web browser. I did not click on "agree" to terms and conditions and I did not click on either "no, just give me my free credit report" or "yes, I would like my 27 three credit reports" I simply closed the window.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins: Michael Jackson’s Kids and Their Money
"Stuntin like my daddy" was the first song on the album, "Like Father, Like Son," issued by Lil Wayne and Birdman in 2006. "Stuntin" is a hip hop term synonymous with "flossing," blinging," and "balling." It means that you've engaged in excessive spending to ensure that you have the finest of everything and are even willing to live at the edge of your means in order to present appropriate status symbols to the world. Anyone who follows hip hop knows that you should never take financial advice from a rapper. In light of the recent passing of their father, I sincerely hope that the children of Michael Jackson didn't hear the Lil Wayne song, since their daddy's financial "stuntin" before his death has left the children with a conflicted economic legacy.
On one hand, we shouldn't feel sorry for Michael Jackson's kids, at least not financially. Their father's amazing talent gives them a brand that is literally worth well over a billion dollars in future royalties and licensing fees. Michael Jackson may have died physically. But financially, he is still a viable and overwhelmingly powerful corporate entity.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Are Frats and Sororities Being Held Accountable?
Since Alpha Phi Alpha was founded in 1906 the nine major black fraternities (Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Omega Psi Phi) and sororities (Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta. Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho) have been trailblazers, at the forefront of the fight against racism and at the forefront of the fight for African American empowerment. But over 100 years after their founding, are these organizations still doing the work that they set out to do?
To the extent that individuals have criticized these organizations from without they've attacked their membership practices--more specifically the practice of hazing. Almost all of the "Divine Nine" have had to deal with not only hazing allegations, but hazing related deaths over the past few decades.
But more recently members have severely criticized their organizations for their financial practices.
Most recently a case filed by a member is wending its way through the Nebraska courts alleging that the executive board of Alpha Kappa Alpha gave its International President an illegal stipend in the amount of $250,000, in violation of its Constitution and Bylaws, and without consulting the membership.
The case has not been decided, and the sorority is countersuing the plaintiff. However, this is not the first time in recent years that allegations of financial impropriety have been made against one of the "Divine Nine".
Your Black News: White Firefighters Overcome their “Oppression”
In a 5-to-4 decision, made along ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the white firefighters in their racial discrimination case. This is a direct reversal of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor's previous decision and is sure to be an extended topic of discussion during her upcoming confirmation hearings.
I've always been wary of the way the city of New Haven handled the results of its now infamous firefighter promotion test. It never made sense to me. When test results came back, and no black firefighters had scores high enough for immediate promotion, New Haven decided to throw out the results of the test on the grounds that the test itself may have been discriminatory and that the black firefighters might sue the city for discrimination. New Haven was not being altruistic in its concerns about "racial fairness."
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Bernie Madoff Gets 150 years in Prison
I guess crime doesn’t pay. Bernard Madoff, the billionaire who bilked investors out of billions of dollars the largest Ponzi Scheme in American history was just sentenced to 150 years in prison.
Get more financial news at
Your Black News: Nigerians Fighting Against the Oil Companies
LONDON (Reuters) -- Oil rose to $70 a barrel on Monday after Nigeria's main militant group said it attacked a Royal Dutch Shell oil platform, outweighing a fairly bearish report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said its fighters struck the Shell Forcados platform in the Delta state.
There was no immediate independent confirmation but Shell said it shut in some oil production at its western operations in the Delta while it investigated reports of attacks.
U.S. crude for August delivery rose to a high of $70.06 per barrel, up 90 cents, before slipping back slightly to $69.75.
"The Nigerian supply disruptions brought in some buying," said Christopher Bellew, broker at Bache Commodities in London.
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Dr. Icilma Fergus: Black Health at TheGrio
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Michael Jackson and the truth about cardiac arrest
2:10 PM on 06/26/2009
Michael Jackson is dead at 50 from cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest simply means that the heart has stopped pumping, which results in cessation of blood flow and oxygen to the organs and tissues. The body cannot be sustained without this,...
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New anti-smoking bill will save African American lives
8:39 AM on 06/26/2009
The new anti-smoking bill marks a monumental achievement in the fight against tobacco companies in the United States. It is geared towards protecting family and children and empowers the FDA to regulate the tobacco companies more stringently. The bill aims...
Universal health care a need not a want
7:47 AM on 06/16/2009
2009 marks a very extraordinary and exciting time in the United States of America. For the time in history we are under the leadership of an African American president. His background is not one of a privileged and wealthy individual...
What We Can Learn from MJ’s Debt
Michael Jackson is not dead. No, he's not on a deserted island chilling with Tupac and Elvis (who some believe faked their deaths), but he is certainly alive in corporate and social spirit, impacting millions of people.
Michael will make 1000 times more money in death than most people make when they are alive. But similar to when he was alive, massive amounts of cash will have to be generated in order to counter the enormous debt that Michael created while he was doing his thing.
Reports have stated Michael Jackson's debt to be as high as half a billion dollars, enough to make some major corporations blush. What's worse is that this debt was not created via a series of sound financial investments: it was conceived by building personal amusement parks, buying rare monkey statues, and rocking his way from one expensive store to the other.
Michael's spending became his addiction. Financial needs could have been what led to him agreeing to do 50 concerts in London this year (a tour he was preparing for just before his death), when he may have not been able to handle one. It was starting to get sad watching Michael perform, similar to watching Muhammad Ali after he'd spent 10 years dealing with Don King. While the 50-year old Michael Jackson may have given a great performance, it would probably be something less than what we've come to expect.
Click to read.Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Craziness: Pastor Prays for Obama’s Death
From the Baltimore Afro-American:
A well-known minister of a denomination that once supported slavery and is firmly against a woman’s right to an abortion said recently that he is praying for President Obama to die.
The Rev. Wiley Drake, a former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told Fox News Radio earlier this month that he was practicing “imprecatory prayer” or seeking a divine curse that would cause the president to die.
“If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death,” Drake said in an interview with Fox’s Alan Colmes, according to the Associated Press.
www.yourblacknews.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Dr Jeremiah Wright: He’s Not What Bill O’Reilly Tells You
Rather than letting Fox News sound bites define Jeremiah Wright for you, take a look at his bio.
Life, Love and Legacy
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.
The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. is a man of faith, a homiletic genius, a theological scholar and a pastor’s pastor. He is a family man who enjoys spending quality time with his wife, children, grandchildren, extended family and friends.
Steeped in Family Tradition and Educational Achievements
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Wright is a son of the parsonage and hails from a family steeped in educational achievements. A third generation family member to matriculate at Virginia Union University, Dr. Wright followed in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather, Dr. Hamilton Martin Henderson who graduated from Virginia Union with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the late 1800s and finished seminary at Virginia Union in 1902. His father, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr., also graduated from Virginia Union with two undergraduate degrees and from the seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 1938. The senior Wright also received a Master of Sacred Theology degree (S.T.M.) from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
Dr. Wright’s mother, Dr. Mary Henderson Wright, also graduated from Virginia Union and earned her first master’s degree before age 19 from the University of Chicago. She also earned a second master’s degree and her doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Foundational Strengths
With four earned degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from Howard University, a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. grew up in a home where reading books was a daily way of life. Wright read a wide range of sources from the Greek philosophers and Shakespeare to African American authors such as Carter G. Woodson (the Father of African American History) to Sterling Brown (one of the Harlem Renaissance artists), as well as one of Dr. Wright’s college professors.
News From The Grio
The 'Mikaeel' Jackson you didn't know?
7:02 AM on 06/27/2009
A music legend. An icon. A controversial figure. Media outlets around the world have widely reported on Jackson's travels in and out of countries, his suffering and recovering from various rumored illnesses, even informing the public about his visits to bookstores and antique shops. But there is one topic the mainstream...
theGRIO SPEAKS
President of National Action Network
Let's remember what Michael did for us
7:51 AM on 06/27/2009
It was the mid-1970s. The nation was fresh off the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War was...
Deputy Editor
On Michael Jackson, Obama is tone deaf
4:47 PM on 06/26/2009
Al Sharpton said it best: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color. Way before Tiger Woods, way before...
Head of Cardiology at the Harlem Hospital Center
Michael Jackson and the truth about cardiac arrest
2:10 PM on 06/26/2009
Michael Jackson is dead at 50 from cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest simply means that the heart has stopped pumping, which...
Author of 'Kiss The Sky' and journalist
Michael Jackson and the American imagination
9:47 AM on 06/26/2009
(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File) Just months after our President proved that you can be born black in America and achieve...
Political Analyst & Writer
Michael Jackson's death: a 'bad' dream
9:45 AM on 06/26/2009
How ironic. Between the economy and the weather -- seemingly endless rain that has robbed us of half our summer...
Business commentator
Fewer blacks are in the black
9:44 AM on 06/26/2009
Debt. Everyone has some these days. From our own federal government (the current federal deficit is a whopping $11.3 Trillion)...
Sister of Troy Davis and anti-death penalty activist
Troy Davis' sister speaks: Death row's invisible victims
8:54 AM on 06/25/2009
My name is Martina Correia and I am on Death Row in Georgia. No I have not murdered anybody, never...
Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University
Obama's not good enough on black unemployment
8:33 AM on 06/25/2009
In America, there are essentially two types of power: Political power and economic power. African Americans, relatively speaking, have always...
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NAACP President & CEO
Demand justice for Troy Davis
8:18 AM on 06/24/2009
In Georgia, a man named Troy Davis sits on Death Row despite unassailable evidence pointing to his innocence. It is...
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ACLU: Mich. zero-tolerance law unfair to black students
9:50 AM on 06/27/2009
Schools are not using enough discretion under Michigan's zero-tolerance expulsion law and are disproportionately kicking out black students who ultimately end up behind bars, according to a report from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Filipino 'Thriller' dancing inmates stage a tribute to Michael
7:29 AM on 06/27/2009
The Filipino inmates who shot to global fame with a Youtube video recreating the "Thriller" dance swayed and stomped again Saturday in a behind-bars tribute to their idol, Michael Jackson. After being told of Jackson's death Thursday in Los Angeles, the 1,500 inmates...
Five members of Jena Six plead no contest
5:58 PM on 06/26/2009
Five members of the Jena Six pleaded no contest Friday to misdemeanor simple battery and won't serve jail time, ending a case that thrust a small Louisiana town into the national spotlight and sparked a massive civil rights demonstration...
Audio of emergency call for Michael Jackson released
2:45 PM on 06/26/2009
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An emergency caller from Michael Jackson's home says he wasn't breathing or responding to efforts to revive him. The Los Angeles Fire Department released the emergency call Friday. The caller reported that Jackson was on a...
Jackson's music flying off the shelves
By theGrio
12:44 PM on 06/26/2009
Michael Jackson's music is flying off store shelves. Gloria Washington loaded up on Jackson's hits at Best Buy hours after his death. "I'm devastated. I'm totally devastated. I'm a true Michael Jackson fan," said Washington. "I was there at his...
Hundreds gather outside Jackson's boyhood home in Gary, IN
By theGrio
11:44 AM on 06/26/2009
Residents of Gary, Indiana are mourning the loss of their most famous native son. Hundreds gathered outside of Michael Jackson's boyhood home as news of his passing spread through the town where his musical career began. Jackson died in Los...
The King of Pop is dead
9:51 AM on 06/26/2009
Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop" who once moonwalked above the music world, died Thursday as he prepared for a comeback bid to vanquish nightmare years of sexual scandal and financial calamity. He was 50. Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in Holmby Hills...
Kid saves Superman
By theGrio
9:24 AM on 06/26/2009
Hakeem is a student at P.S. 36 in Brooklyn. He hopes to one day become a doctor, but in the meantime he's happy to be a hero to a super-hero. "Hakeem saves Superman by pushing the kryptonite into the crevice...
Fans remember Michael
By theGrio
8:49 AM on 06/26/2009
All over the country people are remembering, and celebrating the life of music icon Michael Jackson. In Los Angeles mourners gathered all over the city as news spread about the pop star's sudden death. In Jackson's hometown of Gary, Indiana is was a mix of grief and celebration...
Jermaine Jackson speaks on behalf of family
By theGrio
10:00 PM on 06/25/2009
Michael Jackson's family has issued their first statement on the passing of the entertainment legend. Jackson's older brother Jermaine spoke briefly to reporters at UCLA Medical Center on Thursday, just hours after Michael's passing. "This is hard," he said tearfully...
Obama Says Nothing about Jackson’s Death
Al Sharpton said it best: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color. Way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama, Michael did with music what they later did in sports, in politics and in television."
If there is such a thing as 'post-racial', Jackson was probably the first and most visible international post-racial figure that this country has ever produced. He made history uniting not only Americans, but the world through his music, much in the same way Obama has done with his campaign.
It's surprising therefore, that a day after the news of Michael Jackson's death and with the nation deep in mourning, President Obama has not personally acknowledged a man who helped paved the way for his election.
Although the president released a brief statement through his press secretary Robert Gibbs on Friday afternoon, much was left unsaid. He was characteristically cautious, aiming to strike a political balance when he called Michael Jackson a "spectacular performer" whose life was "sad and tragic."
ACLU Says Michigan Schools Expelling too many Black Students
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Schools are not using enough discretion under Michigan's zero-tolerance expulsion law and are disproportionately kicking out black students who ultimately end up behind bars, according to a report from the American Civil Liberties Union.
The study by the ACLU of Michigan was released Wednesday. It identifies a school-to-prison pipeline it says has been created by suspension policies, cultural stereotypes, referrals to law enforcement for school fights and factors such as not requiring expelled students to get an alternative education.
Michigan's 1995 zero-tolerance law requires an expulsion for possessing any "dangerous weapon," and the ACLU says it is broader than required by federal law. The ACLU wants state law to be eased so only firearms possession is subject to mandatory expulsion.
The ACLU's report says students were disciplined for bringing a toy gun, novelty lighter and eyebrow archer to school.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins: What Michael Bay Did Wrong – Transformers Racism
I came to the latest release of "The Transformers" looking for what I saw in the first film: Jaw-dropping special effects and a story just interesting enough to hold you over until the next explosion. I didn't go to the film looking for racism or embarrassing minstrel shows. My "racial bias glasses" are designed to weed out harmless, inadvertent racism, which comes with living in a society that spent 400 years thinking that black people were less than human. But when racism is thrown in my face repeatedly in the form of ridiculous and disgusting stereotypes, that's when I start to get mad.
Michael Bay is one of my favorite directors, next to the Hughes Brothers (where are they by the way?). He's damn good at what he does. But on this occasion, Bay simply missed his creative target and I'm not the only one who's noticing.
Meet Skids and Mudflap, two Transformers who may as well have been called Lil Wayne and Random Black Male idiot. One of them actually has a gold grill, and neither of them can read. They are bungling buffoons and cowards with barely an ounce of intelligence. One of them rides around as an Ice cream truck with the words "suck my popsicle" on the side, yelling "get your ice cream bitches" to those who might want to buy from his dirty little truck. They also remind you in every other sentence that you are a "punk ass bitch" and that they want to "bust a cap in your ass."
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Transformers Movie Uses Racial Stereotypes
That clunking engine noise you're hearing may be the sound of 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' rolling along on broken-down racial and ethnic stereotypes.
Movie critics and columnists from the Associated Pressto the New York Times are raising concerns about two newly added Autobots, described as "jive talking,""minstrelsy," illiterate and action avoiding. And of these bickering twins, Skids (Tom Kenny) and Mudflap (Reno Wilson), one even reportedly sports a gold grill, I mean tooth. Oh, you get the picture.
The only robots with any discernible personality traits, aside from bravery or antagonism, are the Autobot twins, Mudflap and Skids. These are shockingly crass and unfortunate black stereotypes, jive-talking fools who can't read and bumble their way from one mishap to the next. They are Jar Jar Binks in car form.
Source: 'Transformers' Shape-Shifts Into Noise, Nonsense, AP
Technorati Tags: transformers movie racism
Elliot Millner On Trusting the Police
In the past several weeks, there have been numerous incidents involving the police and Black people, that have resulted in serious injury and death on both sides. This includes several recent incidents in Oakland, California; in Seattle, a 15-year old girl brutally beaten for being mouthy and kicking a shoe; an off-duty Black New York police officer being gunned down by a white officer; and other incidents in places around the country.
These are some of the most recent and extreme examples of a problem that, in one form or another, spans the length of U.S. history. The reality is that police forces, in varying forms, have been traditionally used as a tool to preserve and promote white supremacy, and to keep Blacks (particularly those in impoverished communities) "in their place". The idea of "protecting and serving" as it relates to policing, had as its root and initial goal the same objective as most other laws and statutes enacted in this country: To protect the interests of property-owning white males. There are few areas in the United States(if any) where the police in some form or fashion have not actively participated in violating the rights of Black people, utilizing any methods deemed necessary, including murder. Although some things have changed, it is naive (to say the least) to think that the legacy upon which the idea of policing was built in this country(white supremacy and Black oppression) has been erased from its method of operation.
Click to read more on Your Black Attorneys
www.blackbloggers.wordpress.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Protecting Those who Testify
Photo: Elliot Milner, Attorney at Law
Many of us have read about the traumatic beating of a woman in broad daylight in an Oakland beauty salon. The woman chose not to testify, in part because she feared retaliation from her attackers. The protection of witnesses is a serious issue and solutions are necessary. Elliot Milner, an attorney, had this to say:
“This is a complicated issue, and there is no easy solution. Most police departments only provide protection in the most extreme cases, and this is usually a very rare occurrence. I am a proponent of self-help. I'm not speaking about vigilante justice, simply saying that if people in urban(and any other) communities want to make sure that their neighbors who speak out against those who commit crimes are not harmed, then it is necessary for people in the community to take the initiative to let it be known that they will not tolerate harm being done to innocent citizens who simply seek to have those doing wrong held accountable.
I completely understand that is easier said than done. However, community intervention is a must. The police(in Oakland or any other city/town) are not going to protect you. Even if they have the desire to, most police departments do not have the funding or personnel to accomplish that. In several cities, groups of men in urban communities have taken to policing the streets of their neighborhoods. It is imperative that people in the community show that they are not afraid and will not be imprisoned in their own homes, as is the case in some neighborhoods. Also, participating in dialogue with individuals who may be "in the street" or committing crimes is a must. The more you isolate a person or group of people, the more likely they are to react negatively to you.”
New Government Map Highlights HIV Rate Increases Across America
By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - A new Internet data map offers a first-of-its-kind, county-level look at HIV cases in the U.S. and finds the infection rates tend to be highest in the South.
The highest numbers of HIV cases are in population centers like New York and California. However, many of the areas with the highest rates of HIV _ that is, the highest proportion of people with the AIDS-causing virus _ are in the South, according to the data map, which has information for more than 90 percent of the nation's counties and Washington, D.C.
HIV infection rates are higher in African-American communities, and high minority populations in the South help explain the finding. While that's not surprising, the high rates seen throughout states like Georgia and South Carolina were, said Gary Puckrein, president of the National Minority Quality Forum, the nonprofit research organization that put the map together.
Of 48 counties with the highest prevalence rates for HIV that had not yet progressed to AIDS, 25 were in Georgia, according to the map. Those were counties in which more than 0.7 percent of the population was infected with HIV.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Dr Boyce: Why I support Obama’s Overhaul
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Finance Professor Syracuse University
I have a friend who broke both of his legs climbing a dangerous mountain in Southeast Asia. This friend has nearly died 8 times, been chased by bears, and has had food poisoning too many times to count. After his latest injury, we presumed that he would understand that taking such risk simply doesn't pay. But he rebuffed our intervention, stating that the risk is what makes his life worth living. My friend seems to believe that pursuing and living the dream might be worth enduring the occasional nightmare.
The current financial crisis is certainly the worst of economic nightmares. Job losses have been enormous and the stock market has shrunk faster than Lindsay Lohan's dress size. A report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics last week reported that in May jobless rates were higher in all 50 states and in the District of Columbiathan they were a year ago.
The Black community has had a double dose of economic drama, as our unemployment rate is nearly double that of White Americans, standing at 14.9% according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Black urban centers such as Detroit have been hit especially hard.
www.yourblackpresident.blogspot.com
Your Black News - Study: 1 in 4 South African Men Admit to Rape
South Africans received a horrifying measure of just how bad their country's rape crisis is with the release this week of a study in which more than a quarter of men admitted to having raped, and 46% of those said that they had raped more than once.
The study, conducted by South Africa's Medical Research Council, reveals a deeply rooted culture of violence against women, in which men rape in order to feel powerful, and do so with impunity, believing that their superiority entitles them to vent their frustrations on women and children. The men most likely to rape, the researchers found, were not the poorest, but those who had attained some level of education and income.
www.yourblackglobal.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Your Black Attorneys: The Troy Davis Case: Things you need to know
" I have faced execution and the torment of saying goodbye to my family three times in the last two years and I may experience that trauma yet again; I would not wish this on my worst enemy and to know I am innocent only compounds the injustice I am facing."- Troy Davis, from Georgia's death row, on facing a fourth possible execution date.
For those who are unaware, Troy Davis has been on Georgia's death row for about 18 years, after being convicted of murdering police officer Mark McPhail(Mr. Davis has maintained his innocence from the very beginning).
It would take pages to give all of the details of Troy Davis' case, however I will say that there was no physical evidence found(including a murder weapon) connecting Troy Davis to the killing of Officer McPhail; he was convicted largely on the basis of inconsistent and often contradictory eyewitness testimony. The vast majority of those prosecution eyewitnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony implicating Mr. Davis, and one of those who hasn't is Sylvester Coles, the main alternative suspect presented by the defense during Troy Davis' trial. In addition, there have been multiple allegations of police coercion and the usage of unethical interrogation techniques.
(For additional information on Troy Davis' case, or to get information on how to act, check out www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/troy-davis and http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/.).
Troy Davis' ordeal has been going on for nearly two decades now, and is nearing its end, one way or the other. He has had numerous appeals denied(most recently in April 2009), habeas corpus petitions denied, stays of execution granted and expired, and also had one request for clemency denied by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles(the same board that would decide any future request for clemency regarding Troy Davis).
Friday, June 19, 2009
Dr Boyce: The Legal and Financial Issues In the Salon Beating
OK, don't lie. You know that when you heard about the woman being beaten in the beauty salon in Oakland, you clicked on the link faster than Eminem's neck snapped when he had Bruno's behind in his face. You were curious, yet disturbed by the incident, as was nearly everyone else in America.
But one thing that black attorneys such as Christopher Metzler noticed during this incident were the legal implications of attacking someone in public, in broad daylight, videotaping the incident and then bragging about it on the radio. Now that the Oakland Police Department has taken notice, the women responsible for the attack are going to have some serious problems.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Civil Rights Groups Seem to Like Obama’s Recent Proposal
WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of prominent civil rights organizations -- including ACORN, Center for Responsible Lending, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, NAACP, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), National Council of La Raza, National Fair Housing Alliance -- joined together today to applaud the launch of the financial reform effort by Americans for Financial Reform. Americans for Financial Reform's broad array of financial experts and advocates are joining together in an unprecedented campaign to reform our financial system and rebuild our economy. http://ourfinancialsecurity.org/
Statement by civil rights groups:
"We applaud the work of Americans for Financial Reform, and are proud to join the effort to restore economic security by ensuring that financial institutions are accountable for their actions and promising that all Americans, no matter their race, ethnicity, disability, sex, age, or other protected class, are treated fairly. For years, the civil rights community has denounced the discriminatory business practices of financial industry players that have forced underserved borrowers to pay more for financial services while receiving less value and assuming enormous risks. As we modernize the financial regulatory system, we must ensure that the current two-tiered financial system is replaced with a transparent financial system that allows all Americans to build wealth equitably and fairly. When implemented, the strong recommendations made by Americans for Financial Reform will begin this important transformation."
Technorati Tags: civil rights,black news,black politics,african american news,african american politics
www.yourblackpolitics.blogspot.com
Dr Boyce: Michael Eric Dyson and Barack Obama Need to Talk
When I heard the controversial and heated comments about President Obama that were made by my respected colleague Michael Eric Dyson, I felt like a 2nd grader running outside to see the fight between two middle school kids. Both Barack and Michael are men I've grown to appreciate, and I love them for their strengths as well as their imperfections. Michael was the reason I became a public scholar during graduate school, as I would watch the words flow out of him like an MC in the booth dropping his hottest album. The man is good, damn good.
Barack Obama needs to listen to the words of Michael Eric Dyson. In fact, he should give Dyson as much, or more respect than he gives me or any other black public intellectual in America. Dr. Dyson, no matter how you perceive his critique of President Obama, represents a form of insight that you are not going to find in politics, the pulpit or anywhere else. At the same time, I will confess that his words may also come from an impure place that lies within the darkest part of our souls. In other words, Dyson, Tavis, Barack, Jesse and every other ambitious man in America is always going to be tempted by the "Demon of Playerhaterology". Men are naturally competitive, and no man likes to be disrespected. Obama, as a condition for his employment, is often asked to disrespect other leaders across America who represent the essence of meaningful black thought. That's going to create a long list of enemies.
Read more Black Politics at www.YourBlackPolitics.Blogspot.com.
Your Black Money: Rethinking your retirement plan
From our Black Money Blog. For more black wealth advice, please click here.
They grew up during a time of cultural change, and now are being forced to redefine retirement at midlife.
The 77 million Americans in the Baby Boom generation face an economic storm: The Wall Street meltdown trampled their retirement nest eggs more than any other group. After losing jobs during what they thought would be some of their peak earning years, many are struggling to get back into the workforce. Health care costs are rising, and declining home values mean they might not be able to count on home equity to guarantee an easier retirement.
SAVE EARLY: Tips for building a solid retirement plan
"This generation will be sobered by their experience," says John Coyne, president of Brinker Capital, an investment management firm. "They may not have as extravagant a vision of retirement as they did last July."
The confluence of events has an even bigger impact on a subset of the Baby Boomers known to analysts as the Sandwich Generation. Those Boomers are putting money toward their children's college education and their aging parents' long-term care, as well as their own retirement savings.
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