Dr. Boyce: NCAA May Hire a Black President? Who Cares

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I am not a fan of the NCAA, a sports league that earns money on the par of the NFL and NBA, but has somehow decided that they don’t have to properly compensate their employees or give them standard rights to negotiation. What’s worse is that the NCAA does tremendous harm to the African American community, sucking up kids with hoop dreams and destroying their futures with inferior educations.

When I recently read that the NCAA may be hiring a black president (Dr. Bernard Franklin), the only thing I could say is “whoopty-damn-doo.” While some of us might be tempted to applaud such an achievement, we must fully understand that the disease of racism is sometimes delivered through the hands of a black overseer.

RELATED: OPINION: Ivy League Can Teach NCAA About Coach Diversity

Dr. Franklin, while running around the country applauding his organization for giving one opportunity to one black person, should probably think of the thousands of African American families being used up by the very system he has been trained to manage. The NCAA is, without question, one of the most exploitative regimes in the history of America, right next to slavery and the prison system. Billions are earned each year off the backs of African American families, while the league has worked together with Congress to create a nexus of regulations that keep the athlete and his/her family from getting a piece of the economic pie.

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Dr. Boyce Watkins on AOL – 10/28/09

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Lil Wayne's Automobiles: Ever Seen What He's Got at the Crib?

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Dr Boyce: Spike Lee vs. Tyler Perry - What Gives?

I woke up this morning to see that Tyler Perry is being forced to defend himself against nasty allegations coming from Spike Lee.  Spike has made it clear that he doesn’t appreciate what he perceives to be “coonery” in Tyler Perry films and TV shows. When I saw Perry flat out say that the accusations “pissed him off,” I thought, “Wow, now that’s an honest brother!”

RELATED: Tyler Perry Responds To Spike Lee’s “Coonery” Criticism

I grew up on Spike Lee and I’ll always love him.  I am also certain that images of black people singing, dancing and eating chicken certainly won Perry instant favor with the not-so-in-touch executives in Hollywood.  But here are three reasons that Spike Lee might be wrong about Tyler Perry:

1)    Tyler Perry is not all about Madea: I went onto BET a few times to talk about Hip Hop.  My hoity-toity friends in academia (many of whom pride themselves on writing research papers for journals that nobody ever reads) criticized me for being “unscholarly” by talking to rappers.  But my response was that hip hop culture has a dramatic influence on the young minds that I am trying to reach with education.  You don’t get a baby to eat healthy by only forcing vegetables down his throat; you sprinkle sugar on the food to get the child’s attention.  It’s not always a matter of forcing people to consume what they NEED – you should also be willing to let them have some of what they WANT.  Every positive black movie doesn’t have to be a PBS special.

 

Click to read.

Why We Must March for Heather Ellis Now

• by Dr. Boyce Watkins, 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.

Rally to be held in Kennett, Missouri in Support of Heather Ellis

To join the Your Black World Coalition, please visit www.YourBlackWorld.com.

From Dr Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.com

To the Your Black World family:

When the children of my assistant Shauntay (Justice and Journi) brought the case of Heather Ellis to me, I was in disbelief. I was shocked that in 2009, a young college student, with no criminal record, could face 15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart. I was even more appalled by the threats from the KKK and allegations by local leaders that the town went as far as blacking out the local news coverage during the minutes that the family held a press conference in support of their daughter. We sent information about the case to CNN and other media outlets, and they covered it (along with BET, Essence, ABC News and others), but I don't feel this is enough. We've decided that we aren't going to take this sitting down, and we hope you won't either

In honor of Justice and Journi, the two young visionaries who convinced me to take on this issue, we've created the "Journey for Justice," set to take place in Kennett, Missouri on Monday, November 16 at 11 am. On that day, we are going to meet at the Walmart where the incident took place (1500 1st St., Kennett, MO) and march to the steps of the courthouse(Square 200 Slicer St.). You can find out more information about the case and rally on the site www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com. Given that the prosecutor in the case (Stephen Sokoloff) has asked for a change of venue (to Bloomfield, MO - a town with less than 20 black people), some of the details of the rally might change (I have no doubt that they are scheming to make this as difficult as possible). But I can guarantee you this: On November 16, we are heading down there to fight against the madness occurring in this county, no matter what the cost.

I am humbly and passionately requesting that others join us on the court house steps on November 16. Heather's trial is November 18, but we want to make our point before the trial begins. Please share this message with anyone you know (you can use this form letter to cut and paste to your friends), and please offer rides to anyone who would like to be a part of this movement. This is NOT going to be an easy fight. This town is very close to Poplar Bluff, where 15-year old Walter Currie Jr. was doused with gasoline and set on fire with his attacker allegedly yelling "Burn nigger burn" while he did it. Walter and Heather could be my kids or your own - we've got to do something.

Also, below there is full contact information for Walmart executives that Shauntay provided for the Your Black World family to use. If you are concerned about this injustice, please email the individuals on this list and share your thoughts. If you are looking for a form letter to email/fax/send to the Walmart executives, please click here.

Obviously, Heather's legal defense is going to be expensive for the family. If you wish to make a donation of any amount, please click here to do so. I assure you that this money will go right to the family's legal fees - I'll see to it that it is not used improperly. If you wish to provide any other kind of support (i.e. putting together bus trips or sharing organizing experience), please click this link. You can also call (888) 315-1591.

Given that professors are usually trained to sit in the Ivory Tower and watch the world go by (which bothers me, since I think that Black Professors should be connected to our communities), I admit that I am still learning how all this works. So, I would like to thank Elliot Millner, JD from Your Black World, Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, Rev. Dwight Montgomery from the Memphis chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King Downing, JD from the Sean Bell Coalition, and Rev. Jessie Bonner from the Sikeston, MO chapter of the NAACP, who have been quite helpful with this case. Of course, I thank Pastor Nathaniel Ellis, Heather's father, who has represented the family with tremendous grace and dignity.

To find out more about this case, please visit www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com. Also, I've written some things about the case on MSNBC and AOL Black Voices as well. We are going to fight like crazy for this girl, and I sure as heck don't plan on losing.

God bless all of you,

Dr Boyce

Here is the contact information for executives with the Walmart Corporation. For those who cannot attend the rally, I humbly ask that you challenge each of your friends to send an email and/or letter or make a phone call to any of the individuals below, requesting that they intervene to support Heather's case.

If you can't see the image, you can find it by visiting www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com.
Here are other people you might want to write to or call as well:

US Attorney General Eric Holder:

950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC. 20530-0001

(202) 514-2001

Click this link to reach out to Chris Koster, the Attorney General for the State of Missouri. Here is a form letter you can use for either AG Holder or AG Koster.

To join the Your Black World Coalition, please visit www.YourBlackWorld.com.

Media Matters Talks about 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.

 

Click to read.

News: 15 Years in Prison for Cutting Line – Pretrial Has Begun

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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.

According to the family, the prosecutor in the case, Stephen Sokoloff, has asked for the trial to be moved to Bloomfield, MO, a town with less than 20 African Americans in it.

Dr Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton are planning a march in Kennett to support Heather Ellis.

A Man Shoots the Boy who Sleeps with His Daughter

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

I have daughters and I love them all. They are all at "that age," between 16 and 20, where they tend to love the boys that you want to beat down the most. Every time I hear them express their undying love for Lil Wayne, I can only think about him having 3 women pregnant at the same time. When I see a Chris Brown poster in their room, I remind them that Chris was accused of having boxing practice on Rihanna's face.

But as a father, you can't protect your daughters from themselves. Some things they have to learn on their own. And if sleeping with a pants-saggin, "purple stuff dranking," gold grill wearing, 10,000 tattoo having buffoon is the way they need to learn their lessons, you just kinda have to deal with it.I empathize with Wade Edwards, the man accused of shooting a boy for sleeping with his step daughter. Wade shot the boy four times, aiming for the "relevant zone" with each bullet. But while I can understand Wade's anger, I do not, for one second, condone his actions.

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If the link above doesn’t work, click here.

Dr. Boyce: Rapper Nas Has Tax Trouble

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Hip Hop Wired is reporting that the rapper Nas is having some serious financial problems. In addition to owing his wife Kelis $44,000 per month in child support, it turns out that the artist also owes the federal government another $2.5 million in taxes. Here are quick thoughts about Nas, love and money:

1) Nas has a complicated life. His decision to marry the "love of his life" is going to cost him for the rest of his life. The rapper's tax situation could be due to irresponsibility (as appears to be the case with Method Man and Nicolas Cage), or it could simply be a matter of using write-offs that were not allowed by the IRS. We can't assume that Nas' tax trouble automatically makes him into a horrible citizen.

Click to read.

News: Protestors Planned to Fight Black Student’s Arrest and Trial

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.

 

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce on Serena Williams

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

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.

Click to read more.

 

If the link doesn’t work, click here.

Method Man Arrested for Tax Evasion - Why Not Nicolas Cage?

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Method Man was arrested for not paying $33,000 in taxes, but Nicolas Cage owes 6 million and hasn't gotten arrested - what gives?

The Campus Accountability Project (CAP)

To sign up for the Your Black World Coalition, please visit www.YourBlackWorld.com.

Dr. Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.com

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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The Dispute between Martin Luther King's Kids

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Dr Boyce Watkins discusses the legal dispute between the children of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

My Colleague Dr. Julianne Malveaux on the Unemployment Rate

The bureau of labor statistics issues a report, The employment situation, on the first Friday of every month (www.bls.gov). For the past several months, the report has contained no surprises. We know the jobless situation is getting worse, and we only wait for their statistical confirmation of our pain.

This month the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent. More than 200,00 jobs were shed, but more than that, more and more people are shrugging the labor market off, feeling that they can't find work. The 9.8 percent for everyone translates into 9 percent for whites, 12.7 percent for Latinos, and 15.4 percent for African Americans. But the reported data are only part of the fact. According to BLS, the real overall unemployment rate is more like 17 percent. Using the same algorithm, the rate for African Americans is more like 27 percent.

Translation. One in six Americans is jobless. More than one in four African Americans cannot find work. Everyone else in the universe has been bailed out, especially the bankers and mercenaries of our world. What about the people, the ones who need their job to buy food, to pay for school supplies, to sustain families? These are the folk who have been ignored by the so-called economic recovery, the folks who have been shrugged off by the notion that the economy is in recovery.

Click to read.

MLK’s Angry Children

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Martin Luther King is rolling in his grave. Yes, I said it. So sue me.

Well, you might actually do that if you were one of Martin Luther King's children. In fact, yesterday Martin Luther King III and Rev. Bernice King - who were suing their brother Dexter for mismanaging the funds in their parents' estates - avoided a jury trial and settled their longstanding feud. The three children had been the only shareholders in King Inc, the corporation created to control their father's valuable legacy. Dexter is still the president and CEO of the estate, and had been, until late last night, its administrator.

Martin and Bernice had accused Dexter of wrongfully taking money from the family, alleging that he took "substantial funds" out of their mother's estate and "wrongfully appropriated" money from their father's. I am not sure what the difference between "wrongfully appropriating" money and good old fashioned stealing is, assuming that there is one, but perhaps I am not wealthy enough to know the distinction. Of course Dexter denied the accusations.

Click to read on MSNBC’s TheGrio.com

Did Obama Deserve to win the Nobel Prize? Black Scholars Speak Up

Marvin Lynn, Ph.D.
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.

Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Barack Obama and Financial Independence

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In this web chat, Dr Boyce Watkins talks about the legacy of Jack Johnson and how this translates to present day America, enslavement of the black man.

LA Times Quote that we can never forget

"A word to the Black Man. … Do not point your nose too high. Do not swell your chest too much. Do not boast too loudly. Do not be puffed up. … You are on no higher plane, deserve no new consideration, and will get none. … No man will think a bit higher of you because your complexion is the same as that of the victor at Reno." – The LA Times, Shortly after Jack Johnson became the heavyweight champion of the world.

My interpretation of this quote: America will always dislike a proud black man and do what they can to humble him. Be proud and don't let ANYONE steal your manhood.

Dr. Boyce: Eddie Griffin – Going for Broke

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

I had a lot of fun watching the new Vh-1 show, "Going for Broke," starring comedian Eddie Griffin. Griffin is one of the funniest comics in America, the comedian that Chris Tucker could have been (if he would simply stop disappearing between Jackie Chan movies).

On the show, Griffin gives insight into his personal life, which is both intriguing and disturbing. The show is called "Going for Broke" for a reason, because Eddie just might actually get there.
Here are some reasons that Eddie Griffin might actually become the broke celebrity that he is trying to become:

1) He spends like a damn fool. One of the easiest traps for an entertainer to fall into is the "infinite money trap." That's when the person thinks that they've got an endless supply of cash, giving them ability to spend whatever they want on whatever they want. Apparently Eddie may have fallen into this trap, since his Bentley was being repossessed in an early episode of the show. Eddie's conversation with his accountant was also revealing, as the words "all the accounts are empty" seemed to strike him hard. With all the success that Eddie Griffin has had, it is difficult to imagine that he would be completely broke. But the truth is that this kind of thing happens all the time.

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