Startling statistics as reported by Dr. Boyce Watkins, who is leading an initiative to fight against mass incarceration.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Hearing it from the Man Who Knew Osama bin Laden
Duchess Harris: Why Shirley Sherrod Should Be President
A scholar, Duchess Harris, explains the dynamics of race in America with an exciting new book.
Predominantly Black Memphis High School Earns a Visit From President Obama
President Obama is rewarding a Memphis high school that has really turned itself around.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Michelle Obama Dances with Kids on the White House Lawn (Video)
Yes, that’s Michelle getting down with some kids….again – changing what it means to be a first lady.
Technorati Tags: michelle obama,black politics,black celebrities,black celebrity gossip,black gossip
Why Would Osama bin Laden Try to Recruit Black People?
Dr. Wilmer Leon and Dr. Boyce Watkins discuss the allegation that Osama bin Laden once tried to recruit disgruntled blacks to be part of his revolution.
Monday, May 9, 2011
LeBron James Should Apologize for “Retarded” Comment
LeBron James is in hot water after remarks me made to a reporter.
Technorati Tags: black athletes,black celebrities
Who Do We Blame for the Black Unemployment Crisis: The White House or Congress?
A lot of politicians do a whole lot of talking, but who should be held accountable on the black unemployment crisis?
Pastor Onslow Ross: A Crook or a Victim?
Is this pastor a crook or a victim? Why he got 10 years in prison.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Huffington Post: Black Unemployment and the Great Black Disconnect for Obama
Dr. Boyce Watkins
Professor, Syracuse University
Posted: 05/ 8/11 03:51 PM ET
President Obama has a problem, a very serious one. The president's problem is what I would call "The Great Black Disconnect." This divide is the place where black America's love and appreciation for the Obamas disconnects from the intense economic suffering of the African American community. Like a festering and infected wound that remains untreated, President Obama's support within the black community is threatened by the fact that the people who love him most are suffering unlike anything our nation has seen over the last 50 years.
This week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its unemployment numbers for the month of April. The figures were consistent with the jobless recovery that has taken good care of Wall Street, but created homelessness on Main Street. The national unemployment rate grew from 8.8 percent to 9 percent, which will surely perpetuate President Obama's somber ratings on economic performance.
Technorati Tags: black unemployment,black scholars
Saturday, May 7, 2011
What Your Probably Don’t Know about bin Laden, Pakistan and US Foreign Policy
With the killing of Osama bin Laden, Americans remain woefully ignorant of what our government does overseas in the name of the United States.
Black Unemployment Keeps Going Up…..and Up….and Up
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, YourBlackWorld.com
President Obama has a problem, a very serious one. The president’s problem is what I would call “The Great Black Disconnect.”
Technorati Tags: black unemployment,barack obama
Friday, May 6, 2011
Roland Martin Apologizes for Donald Trump’s Behavior
CNN’s Roland Martin had some interesting things to say about "The Donald” – Click to read.
Friday Flash Feature: Denise Bolds Teaches Single Black Moms How to Raise Their Sons
Leslie DeTouche, Your Black World
Many single black moms are not sure how to raise their boys. Well, Denise Bolds has some solutions that work.
Why Won’t Obama Release the bin Laden Death Photos?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
Here, I speak with Nida Khan, a highly-respected journalist with The Huffington Post, Kiss-FM in New York and the Rev. Al Sharpton National Radio show.
Rashard Mendenhall Loses Sponsorship Deal Over bin Laden Tweets
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action
Rashard Mendenhall from the Pittsburgh Steelers has been dropped by one of his sponsors, Champion over tweets that were controversial in the midst of the Osama bin Ladenkilling this week.
click to readGroup Wants to Take the N-Word off Tombstones
Your Black World reports
EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Time has weathered the 36 concrete gravestones in a dusty, half-century-old cemetery tucked away in a corner of California’s former gold fields. Time has not erased, however, the bigotry of a bygone era carved into the markers.
click to read
Technorati Tags: black news,african american news
“Birthers” Replaced by “Deathers”: Don’t Believe Bin Laden is Really Dead
by Brook Griffin, Your Black World
Last week, when President Barack Obama released his long-form birth certificate, he silenced many of the critics, birthers, who didn’t believe that he was born in the United States. Now, the birth certificate controversy has been replaced by another one: whether or not Osama Bin Laden is actually dead.
South Park Makes Fun of Tyler Perry
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
South Park is a show that takes no prisoners. Sometimes they can be brutal, and when your name is mentioned on the show, you might as well prepare to be embarrassed. The latest victim of the show is Tyler Perry, who is presented as “Funny Bot,” a woman in a dress who tells silly stereotypical jokes that make you laugh over and over again. Every time Funny Bot throws out a catch phrase (“Oh lawud, this chicken sho is hot!”), someone hands him a dollar. He is also, by the way, presented as the greatest threat to all of man-kind by President Barack Obama (you can see a clip by clicking here).
click to read
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The White House’s Progress on Civil Rights: Laying Out Some Facts
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, YourBlackWorld.com – Scholarship in Action
Below is a direct cut and paste of the White House’s most recent work on Civil Rights. I obtained the information from this link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/civil-rights. I was inspired to visit the page after receiving an email from Michael Blake, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement (he was on the panel with myself, Al Sharpton and Ben Jealous at the Measuring the Movement forum this year in New York City). They are working hard to get African Americans enthusiastic about the 2012 elections and Blake is the man on the job.
Actor Jeffrey Wright Says “There is No Black Cinema”
Your Black World reports
In this interview, actor Jeffrey Wright talks about the state of black cinema and the fact that African Americans don’t have the power to tell our own stories. This leads to biased reflections of how we are portrayed in media of all kinds, affecting the way we see ourselves and the way other people see us.
The interview is below, and you can also watch by clicking here.
[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/AYK48BQC]
Study: Minorities Still Locked Out of Most Institutions
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, YourBlackWorld.com, Scholarship in Action
I took a look at an ABC News picture of President Barack Obama sitting in a Situation Room with lead advisers watching the assassination of Obama bin Laden. Everyone had a tense look on their face, as 10 years of hard work suddenly came down to the wire. I couldn’t help but notice, as I scanned all the faces across the room, that there were only two women present (Hillary Clinton and another woman in the back), and one bi-racial black man (President Obama). Every other person in the room was a white male.
What startles me the most is that millions of other Americans can look at this picture and see absolutely nothing wrong with it. The “white guy’s club” has always been the status quo in leadership positions.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Justice Department May Investigate the NCAA for Anti-Trust Violations
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
A letter was sent this week by the United States Department of Justice to the NCAA, stating that it has received several requests for an anti-trust investigation into the league’s current Bowl Championship Series (BCS) structure. The system is being criticized for making it difficult for teams in some conferences to qualify for the major bowls, costing them millions of dollars in revenue.
"Serious questions continue to arise suggesting that the current BCS system may not be conducted consistent with the competition principles expressed in federal antitrust laws," Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said to NCAA President Mark Emmert.
Dead NFL Player Dave Duerson would Not Have Qualified for Full Disability Benefits
By ALAN SCHWARZ Published: May 4, 2011
BOSTON — As the football world absorbs Monday’s news that Dave Duerson had the football-related brain damage he suspected before fatally shooting himself in February, an overlooked detail has emerged: had Duerson reached out for help via the N.F.L.’s disability plan, which he helped administer, his neurological injuries would not have qualified for a high level of benefit, if any at all.
President Obama’s Approval Rating Jumps 11 Percent
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action
Life is good in the White House this week, as a recent CBS/New York Times poll shows that President Obama’s approval rating jumped a startling 11 points this month. As of this week, 57 percent of Americans say they approve of the way President Obama is handling his job, a stark increase from the 46 percent number just one month ago.
Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Arrested for Hazing
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action
The Bakersfield Police Department has confirmed that four men were arrested in a hazing incident involving students at California State University. As of Saturday, police were investigating an alleged felonious assault involving members of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
The report was initiated after a 25-year old man was admitted to the hospital as a result of the incident. The investigation found that between March 28 and April 25, four students were assaulted on multiple occasions. The assaults included beatings and being shot at close range with a BB gun.
The members of the fraternity involved in the alleged incident are not officially sanctioned by the university. They do, however, recruit students from the CSUB campus through a club they’ve established.
The White House Can’t Get It’s Story Straight on Bin Laden
John Cook — When you're dealing with the assassination of the world's most-wanted criminal, you might want to actually know what you're talking about. In the space of 36 hours, the official story on what happened to Osama bin Laden has gone from "he went down guns blazing and taking hostages" to "basically we shot him."
Monday, November 29, 2010
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE IT, IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?
A black former postal worker from Hingham, Massachusetts thought that this day would be a routine work day filled with mail drop offs and pick ups. Until he came face to face with a disgruntle and racist white customer. The woman featured in this two part YouTube
video sensation comes face to face with the postal worker. In video one, she is enraged, hangs from the carrier’s postal truck window and demands that he retrieve a piece of certified mail that she has signed for. When the postal worker denies her request for retrieval of her mail, her true colors shine and she begins to racially attack the worker with statements like “You’re a fucking nigger thief.” Clearly this woman is delusional because she follows that statement with “I’m not prejudiced but right now I’m getting real pissed off.” The postal worker remained calm and clear during this racial attack. He explained to her that he could not take back the certified mail and why was she calling him names. Unfortunately his calm demeanor seemed to enrage the women to the point
of threatening his life.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
NFL PLAYER IN THE RING
Former NFL Pro Bowl running back Herschel Walker has followed up his run on NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" with a new contract to become a Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
Promoter Strikeforce announced that the one-time Heisman trophy winner – and fifth degree black belt in Taekwondo – has signed a multi-fight contract and will begin a 12-week training camp in California next month.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Talk about Healthcare Reform, Michael Vick
Dr Boyce Watkins of Syracuse university will be appearing with Rev. Al Sharpton on “Keeping it Real with Al Sharpton” from 2 – 3 pm EST on Tuesday 8/18/09. They will discuss Obama’s educational plans, Michael Vick and Healthcare reform. Dr. watkins and Rev. Sharpton have appeared together on several other shows, including “Keep Hope Alive with Rev. Jesse Jackson”, “The Wendy Williams Experience”, “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” and more.
Monday, August 17, 2009
M. VICK CRIED IN PRISON
NEW YORK (AP)—Michael Vick(notes) says he cried in prison because of the guilt he felt about being involved in dogfighting, and was disgusted with himself for allowing it to happen.
In an interview with “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday night, Vick said the day he walked into prison he realized “the magnitude of the decisions that I made.
“And, you know, it’s no way of, you know, explaining, you know, the hurt and the guilt that I felt. And that was the reason I cried so many nights. And that put it all into perspective,” he said.
A three-time Pro Bowl pick during six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick served 18 months in federal prison for running a dogfighting ring and was reinstated last month by the NFL after being out of action since 2006.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Black News: Black Farmers are Losing their Land
Black Farmers are losing their land to interests that want to use the land for industrial purposes.
Dr Wilmer Leon interviews Monica Davis about the plight of Black Farmers". Click here to listen!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins Supports Michael Vick
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
He's back. After a 2 year saga that kept my head spinning, the young man who made a terrible mistake is finally being allowed to make a living. I have supported Michael Vick all along, but not because I felt that he was innocent. I've supported him because I do not believe that dog fighting is the kind of crime that deserves a lifetime punishment. So, to the extremists at PETA who want to see Michael Vick burn in the hell of unemployment and incarceration for the rest of his life, I only have one thing to say: grow up.
Michael Vick's reinstatement to the NFL and recent signing by the Philadelphia Eagles unleashed a plethora of thoughts within me. On some level, his return is a bit of an "Athletic Juneteenth" for those who tire of seeing our country make African American athletes into public enemy number one whenever they screw up. To this day, we act as if Marion Jones is the devil, Barry Bonds is a monster, and Terrell Owens is some kind of criminal. This treatment is nothing new, as black athletes have been getting villified for decades, and their molehills are consistently turned into mountains, ripe for high-tech lynchings. This is the tradition of America.
It only seems appropriate that Michael Vick sign his contract in a city like Philadelphia, the place that I love and fear at the same time. I love the city because they've supported me in my work with the great Wendy Williams, Dom Giordano andCharlamagne Tha God. But there is a dark side of "Killadelphia" that shows itself in the way they support their sports teams. They are the fans that cheered when it appeared that Michael Irvin may have broken his neck, so they sure as heck aren't going to pay much attention to animal rights protestors blocking their path to a Super Bowl. In a city like Philly, the slogan is simple: "If you win, we forgive all sin." Vick will be right at home.
Click to read more.Tuesday, August 11, 2009
News: Dr Boyce Watkins Supports Suit Against the NCAA
8:50 AM on 08/11/2009
- In this April 3, 1995 photo, UCLA's Ed O'Bannon celebrates after his team won the NCAA championship game against Arkansas in Seattle. O'Bannon is suing the NCAA over its use of former student athletes' images in DVDs, video games, photographs, apparel and other material. (AP Photo/Eric Draper, File)
The revolution has been televised.
I always knew it would be, since African American athletes have always been center stage in the NCAA's multi-billion dollar money machine. Millions of Americans go mad during the month of March to see "Tyrone G. Anyhood", the latest corporate product being lined up on the Great American assembly line of mass exploitation and academic fraud.
The NCAA has profited handsomely from the black community's commitment to producing and delivering hoop dreams that put young black men on the court during the hours they should be spending in a book. We perform death-defying athletic circus acts for the amusement of America, while universities profit under the guise of providing education. The NCAA's professional sports league has created hundreds of multimillionaires and has facilitated the purchase of summer homes, yachts and private planes for many of the fat old men who refuse to even hire African American coaches.
Some of the players have finally said, "enough."
Ed O'Bannon, a former star for the UCLA Bruins, has put his name at the top of an historic class-action lawsuit being filed against the NCAA for the illegal use of player images in videogames. This lawsuit is significant and opens a Pandora's Box of disturbing issues, like a maid charged with cleaning out a house with dead bodies and asbestos. To make things simple, here are just a few reasons the suit may actually end up having massive implications for the African American community:
Click to read.Monday, August 10, 2009
Black News: Can you get 2 years in prison for making the wrong song? This guy did
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.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Jennifer Hudson's Movie 'Winged Creatures' Renamed 'Fragments'
After winning Oscars in 2006 for their roles in 'The Last King of Scotland' and 'Dreamgirls,' respectively, Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson worked together on a film called 'Winged Creatures.'
With a cast that includes Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, Jackie Earle Haley, Josh Hutcherson, Embeth Davidtz, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Robin Weigert, the movie seemed, at the the very least, promising. Not quite.
It was shelved for three years while producers tried to find a distribution company. Now, with its new title, 'Fragments,' this Rowan Woods-directed film will be released in a limited number of theaters on July 31, with a DVD release date set for Aug. 4.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Check Out Mary J. Blige's New Video For Lebron James Film
Lionsgate has released the music video for Mary J. Blige's newest single, 'Stronger.' The video features the talented players from 'More Than a Game,' a remarkable true-life coming-of-age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of adversity.
Five young basketball players from Akron, Ohio, who are coached by a charismatic but inexperienced father and led by future NBA superstar LeBron James, embark on an improbable seven-year journey that leads them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship.
Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested on and off the court, as James' exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they've set out to achieve together.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Glenn Beck Thinks Obama Doesn't Like White People
NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel commentator Glenn Beck said he believes President Obama is a racist. Beck made the statement during a guest appearance Tuesday on the Fox & Friends morning show. He said Obama has exposed himself as a person with "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."
His remarks came during a discussion of Obama's reaction to the arrest of Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gates is black and was arrested for disorderly conduct by a white policeman over a misunderstanding about a break-in at Gates' home.
An Obama spokesman, William Burton, said the White House had no comment on Beck.
Beck's statement was challenged on the air by Fox host Brian Kilmeade, who noted that most of the people who work for the nation's first black president are white.
7/27/09: Dr Boyce Watkins hits Anderson Cooper 360 Again
Watch Dr Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University on Anderson Cooper 360 speaking on the problem of racial profiling. Click here to watch!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Players Sue the NCAA Over Illegal Use of Images
I've written extensively about the NCAA and what I perceive to be their consistent efforts to exploit the black community. They spend millions on public service announcements to protect their deception, but eventually the athletes and the public are going to wise up to what they are doing. The truth is that college athletes should be paid for the same reasons that any actor in a Hollywood blockbuster film would expect to receive compensation. The problem is that the families of athletes don't quite know how to organize and fight for their power. So, when I read about the recentlawsuit against the NCAA for allegedly misusing the images of athletes for videogames, I was a very happy man.
Let me break it down for you:
Based on my 16-years of experience as a college professor (I currently teach atSyracuse University, a school that earns millions off black families every year), collegiate athletics is not, in my opinion, about amateurism and it's not about education. It's about making money. Period. Many athletes are admitted to college every year and they would not be granted admission were it not for their ability to play sports and make money for the campus. Making money is not a problem, but the problem comes with the fact that universities do not share this revenue with the families of the players.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Dr Boyce Watkins on MSN – The Henry Louis Gates Case
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
I am not Al Sharpton. In fact, I never could be and I don't want to try. I am also not Henry Louis Gates, a man with an undeniable contribution to the legacy of Black Scholarship in America. I am simply Boyce Watkins, the son of a 17-year-old mother and a father who happened to be a high-ranking police official for the past 28 years. I've argued with my father for decades, as his Bill Cosby-like views of the world have often made my face twist with confusion. But I listen to my father, because there is value in seeing other points of view.
When I hear about a Black man being mistreated by police, I take a moment of pause. I think about the horrific statistics on Black males in the criminal justice system, in which we are more likely to be arrested for the same crimes, more likely to be convicted, more likely to be incarcerated and expected to get more prison time than our White counterparts.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
South Africa Cutting Funding for AIDS Vaccine
South Africa's government joined Monday in launching a high-profile trial of an AIDS vaccine created by its own researchers -- the first designed by a developing country -- but the moment was marred by the lead researcher's announcement it has actually halted funding its own project.
It was a jarring development in a nation whose politicians have a history of unscientific responses to the epidemic. Attempts to get an explanation from the government were not immediately successful.
Monday's announcement was meant to be a proud occasion for a nation where politicians have a history of unscientific responses to the epidemic. But after a government minister lauded the project, Professor Anna-Lise Williamson, the scientist heading the research, said the state had pulled the plug on its funding.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Your Black News: Kids Invited Back To Swim
A suburban Philadelphia swim club has invited children from a largely minority day-care center to come back after a June reversal that fueled allegations of racism against the club, a spokeswoman said Sunday.
Some kids from the Creative Steps Day Care center say club members made racial remarks.
The development came during a hastily called Sunday afternoon meeting of the Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. Club members voted overwhelmingly to try to work things out with the day-care center, which accused some swim club members of making racist comments to black and Hispanic children contracted to use the pool, said Bernice Duesler, the club director's wife.
Duesler said the club canceled its contract with the Creative Steps day-care because of safety, crowding and noise concerns, not racism.
"As long as we can work out safety issues, we'd like to have them back," she told CNN.
She said the club has been subpoenaed by the state Human Rights Commission, which has begun a fact-finding investigation, "and the legal advice was to try to get together with these camps, " Duesler added.
Alethea Wright, Creative Steps' director, said, "They should have done that before."
Click to read.Black Celebrities: Did Bill Cosby Leave a Woman Hanging Out to Dry?
Recently, I listened to yet another radio debate about the manner in which Bill Cosby talked about the plight of some black people at least 5 years ago. Economically speaking, I too would be considered one of the working poor in the African American community mentioned, however, some of the words used to describe the behavior associated with this class of people did not fit me or others that I personally know. In fact, I am a highly, educated single mother with a master’s degree in social work. I also hold a bachelor’s of broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, arguably one of the finest J-Schools in the nation. I’ve been employed, unemployed, underemployed, upset, bewildered, disappointed, depressed and even disgusted.
Interestingly, none of the books I’ve read about “lower economic people” who are believed to be “failing the civil rights movement by not holding up their end of this deal,” invited me or others to the table to discuss individual situations or the people I encounter as a social worker who are simply trying to make this thing called life work the best way he or she knows how. Just because a school is open does not mean what is being taught is adequate. Just because there is a hosptial near by doesn’t mean I am welcome there or can afford to be seen there. In fact, recently I learned that I need a major operation but I don’t have insurance to cover the projected $20,000 cost. Did I mention, I work full-time?
To obtain Delores Jones for a speaking engagement, please contact us with the following information:
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