Dr Boyce on AOL – 7/19/10

The Obama Deception Video Creates Claim Censorship

• I watched a recent video apparently made by Alex Jones, the creator of the film, "The Obama ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 19th 2010 7:04AM | Comments (2)

Tea Party Express Spokesperson Expelled for Racist Remarks

• The National Tea Party Federation, a group that represents the interests of Tea Party movements ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 19th 2010 6:28AM | Comments (2)

Mel Gibson: What You Probably Don't Know About His Money

• Most of us have spent a great deal of time hearing the most shocking details of the relationship ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 16th 2010 11:52PM | Comments (16)

Dr. Boyce Video -- Sherri Shepherd Stops by for a Conversation

• I like Sherri Shepherd very much. No, really I do. Unlike some of the less desirable creatures I've ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 16th 2010 1:10AM | Comments (6)

Rush Limbaugh Insults Black People With 'Cracker' Remark

• Rush Limbaugh is at it again, earning his paycheck from Premier Radio Networks. Recently on his ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 15th 2010 8:09PM | Comments (47)

Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton Downplay Tea Party Racism

• To the surprise of some, Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have pushed attention away from the ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 15th 2010 1:58PM | Comments (9)

How to Financially Destroy Your Children Right Before You Die

• I had a friend who shall remain anonymous. Actually, this person was a very close friend, almost ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 14th 2010 3:19PM | Comments (3)

Major Legal Problems for AKAs

• The women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are in the middle of a crazy legal situation that ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 14th 2010 1:21PM | Comments (30)

Obama’s Declining Poll Numbers: Not His Fault

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, The Institute for Black Public Policy

Recent polls are showing that 6 out of 10 Americans are losing faith in President Obama’s ability to run our nation. This decline in the president’s numbers is in stark contrast to where the numbers were at the start of his presidency. They are also reflective of the general fact that Americans are losing faith in government. While 60% of Americans polled say they have little belief in President Obama, 68% said the same thing about Democrats, and 72% said the same about Republicans.

I don’t agree with these assessments, since President Obama has proven time and time again that he is the most qualified candidate for the job. The broader challenge for the American people is that there are almost never enough good candidates available. The elitism that leads our officials to only consider Harvard and Yale graduates for the White House or Supreme Court nominations is disturbing, and such a limited set of selections is what causes us to choose incompetent individuals like George W. Bush or Clarence Thomas to run our country.

With that said, Obama has been asked to govern during a volatile economy, two wars and one of the worst environmental crises in American history. All the while, he has achieved the goal of reforming the financial and health care systems, which are each monumental achievements. This president deserves credit for having a vision for the nation and pursuing that vision relentlessly.

All the while, President Obama is not perfect. He has left the African American community in the shadows of American politics by allowing no direct attention to be paid to the terrible unemployment rates in major urban areas. He sold out black women by ignoring qualified black female candidates and nominating an inferior scholar, with a racially-discriminatory hiring record, for the Supreme Court (Elena Kagan) who happened to be his crony from Harvard. He even skipped out on the NAACP National Convention this year, perhaps to keep from appearing “too black” for America (but then again, the NAACP’s confusing Tea Party Racism resolution might have something to do with it – I’d keep myself away from that one too). I am sure that Obama’s consistent distancing from the black community is largely due to the fact that he wasted all of his racial political capital on the Henry Louis Gates debacle, which didn’t have nearly as much to do with race as it had to do with protecting his homeboy from Harvard (notice he didn’t speak up on the shootings of Sean Bell or Oscar Grant, which are more clear cut and damaging than the inconvenience Gates experienced on his front porch).

I don’t generally like politicians, but I dislike President Obama less than the others in Washington who are not doing what’s right for the American people. I also wonder if or how the president is going to mobilize voters to come out during mid-term elections or the presidential elections of 2012. While we can’t predict with certainty what will happen, we can guarantee that the momentum of the next election will not match what we saw in 2008.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

Why Would an NFL Player Choose to Also Deal Drugs?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

A very popular rap song with the chorus "Sippin on some sizzurp" was written by the group, Three Six Mafia. I never liked the song, and I never liked the trend. The trend involves something in the south called "Drank," that involves a mix of codeine with 7up or pieces of Jolly Rancher candy. Well, speaking of Jolly, The Green Bay suspended Defensive End Johnny Jolly for the entire 2010 season for getting caught with codeine cough syrup outside a nightclub in Houston. In fact, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Jolly may have been more than a recreational user. The paper alleges that Jolly may have in fact, "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana."

Click to read.

Woman Eats Her Child's Brain? Mental Health and Criminal Justice Systems Failed Her

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

This week, a woman in Texas cut off the head of her three week old baby and ate part of his brain. What’s even more shocking about this terrible story is that she won’t get any jail time for it.

Otty Sanchez, a 34-year old, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of her child, Scott Wesley Buchholz-Sanchez. Prosecutors accepted the plea deal after learning that the woman thought that the devil made her kill her child.

The baby was found in a bedroom with three of his toes chewed off, his head severed and his brain ripped out. Police are saying that the child’s mother ate the boy’s toes and a piece of the brain before stabbing herself in the chest and throat. In the 911 call made by her sister, Sanchez can be heard in the background screaming, “I didn't wanna do it! He told me to!"

click to read

Black Female Unemployment Drops Big Time

Black Women Get Good News about Unemployment Again

• Black women have some reason to celebrate amid the dismal employment numbers in our economy. In ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 4th 2010 9:41AM | Comments (0)

Press Rewind -- Hollywood's Racial Miscastings, 30 Ways to Sign LeBron + More

• Hollywood has a history of questionable casting choices when it comes to race. The recent ... Read More
• By Journey Ade on Jul 3rd 2010 5:30PM | Comments (1)

Dave Chappelle's Strange Behavior on an Airplane: What's Up Dave?

• What's the deal with Dave Chappelle? According to TMZ, Chapelle was reportedly acting strange on a ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 3rd 2010 4:18PM | Comments (8)

Rick Ross Responds to Lawsuit Filed by Drug Dealer Ricky Ross

• The rapper Rick Ross has finally decided to respond to the $10 million lawsuit filed by Freeway ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jul 3rd 2010 3:50PM | Comments (3)

Snapshot: Janet Jackson Shows Up & Out At 2010 Essence Music Festival

• Janet Jackson showed her ass at the Louisiana Superdome last night. Literally. The Grammy ... Read More
• By Karu F. Daniels on Jul 3rd 2010 12:12PM | Comments (9)

What Black Fathers Must Do Right Now

by Dr. Boyce Watkins - The Institute for Black Public Policy

 

Father's Day usually occurs on my birthday, which is both exciting and a little bit sad. With each birthday, I feel like I'm on a slow ship to an unforeseen destination, with each birthday reminding me that I've passed another landmark. I keep wondering why birthdays show up around the same time every year, and I'm still hopeful that the trend will discontinue at some point. Wait, let me rephrase that.....if my birthdays stop coming then I'll be, well..... you know.

At any rate, when my birthday hits, doubled-up with Father's Day, I am led to evaluate my life and myself. I evaluate my life to see if I am the same man this year that I was last year; the truth is that I should have grown in some meaningful way or achieved something positive. I also evaluate myself as a father to see if I am getting at least a little bit better at making myself the kind of man that my kids need me to be.

 

Click to read

The NCAA is In Need of Serious Reform

Dr. Boyce Watkins - The Institute of Black Public Policy

I wrote about a new book regarding the NCAA’s alleged exploitation of black athletes, written by University of Georgia Professor Billy Hawkins. In his recently-released book, “The New Plantation,” Hawkins goes out of his way to help us understand that the method by which the NCAA does business is not much different from the mindset of plantation owners of the old south.

The analogies used by Professor Hawkins are thought-provoking and appear to be alarmist at first glance. After all, citizens are commonly comparing nearly every modern-day injustice to slavery in order to make a dramatic point. But in this case, the analogies are appropriate, in large part because slavery is not a dichotomy. Instead, it is actually a continuum, with complete freedom on one end and total servitude on the other. One could even argue that slaves themselves were not completely devoid of freedom, since they could have always chosen to run away, buy their freedom, maim themselves or even commit suicide as a way to escape their condition. The point of this very grim example is not to say that slavery was not entirely horrific; rather, it is to say that something does not have to be entirely horrific to be compared to slavery.

Click to read

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Scholarship in Action - 6/15/10

Brought to you by The Great Black Black Speakers Bureau, the #1 Black Speakers Bureau in the world.  To join the Your Black World coalition, please visit YourBlackWorld.com.

Hey peeps,

Rev. Al Sharpton and I are going to be on MSNBC Thursday morning at 10 am - don't forget that you can also hear us on his radio show every Monday at 1:15 pm EST (SharptonTalk.net).  Also, to all the high school graduates out there, I want to encourage you to do the following:  1) Value education more than anything - it's probably the most important thing you'll ever have (so get as much of it as you can), 2) Pursue your goals relentless - working consistently toward something for 5 - 10 hours a day will always yield results, 3) Think like bosses, not laborers - get a great job, but eventually work to put yourself in a position to create jobs by owning your own business and financial assets,  4) Remember that life is a journey of love - money and career mean very little compared to how you treated the people you care about.  Life is too short to be mediocre - always do your best.

Dr. Boyce

 

Dr. Boyce Video -- What the Hayell? What Is Wrong With T-Pain?

• I don't dislike T-Pain, but I can say that I dislike his music. At that the same time, I can't ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 15th 2010 12:30PM | Comments (0)

Former NBA Star Antoine Walker Faces 12 Years in Prison

• A judge ruled that former NBA star Antoine Walker must stand trial over unpaid gambling debts. ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 14th 2010 11:55PM | Comments (3)

Dr. Boyce Video: Images of the Black Woman in Media and Business

• Today I had the opportunity to speak with four interesting and empowered black women: Michaela ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 14th 2010 6:46PM | Comments (3)

Black Male Sets Trends in Finance: Houston Has More than Rappers

• This week, we've heard plenty about Slim Thug, a rapper out of Houston who is making noise with his ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 14th 2010 4:16PM | Comments (2)

Why the Hip-Hop Industry Doesn't Support Female Artists

• I met spoken-word hip-hop artist Shanelle Walker when I went to give a speech at Kentucky State ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 14th 2010 2:19PM | Comments (5)

Financial Lovemaking: Diddy's Son Gets $360K Car -- Too Much?

• Some of us turned our heads to the side when it was reported that the rapper and businessman Diddy ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 14th 2010 10:34AM | Comments (3)

South African Horns Criticized During World Cup

Click to Play

What do the Vuvuzelas sound like - are they really that bad?

Posted by Staffat 9:32 PM0 comments

Anita Baker Accused of Butchering the National Anthem

Click to Play

What do you think? ;

Posted by Staffat 9:23 PM0 comments

Rapper Vigalantee Raps about Black Women

Click to Play

Check out the new joint by Vigalantee, celebrating the black woman.

Posted by Staffat 9:15 PM0 comments

Did This Officer Just Punch this Black Woman in the Face?  Was this Police Brutality or Resisting Arrest?

Click to watch

Slim Thug Attempts to Defend His Comments about Black Women

• Many of you may already know about the "interesting" comments made by the rapper Slim Thug, and ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 13th 2010 12:13PM | Comments (10)

NFL Player Reggie Wayne Sues Mistress for Charging Up Credit Card

• NFL star Reggie Wayne is finding out the hard way that giving your credit card number out to anyone ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 13th 2010 10:01AM | Comments (12)

Dr. Boyce: How the Lakers-Celtics Rivalry Saved the NBA Both 30 Years Ago and Today

The NBA finals are not what you think.  You see, you’re watching the finals hoping that either the Lakers or the Celtics win, and wondering whether Kobe Bryant can outscore Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and the army of tall brothers that Boston is flying across the country to conquer Los Angeles.  That is not, my friends, the first thing on the mind NBA Commissioner David Stern.

First of all, Stern is wondering why LeBron James isn’t here.  Most of us expected, to the disdain of every other talented player in the league, that this would be the year that LeBron would take his rightful place on the Post-Jordan throne.  The natural and inevitable coronation of King James was part of the NBA marketing strategy, thus allowing Stern and company to make even bigger money in the Chinese market, where the fans want to see their All Stars become champions.  As we all know, it didn’t happen.

The second thought on Stern’s very sharp mind is that the finals he got this year, a renewal of the historic rivalry between the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics, is just as good, or better than what he would have gotten had King James shown up to play.  You see, there’s history here, and most of the relevant history isn’t about wins and losses on the court.

Click to read.

NJ Officer Taped Spraying Pepper Spray in Detained Black Man's Face

• I am not quite sure what to make of the ruffled YouTube video that is now scouring the web out of ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 12th 2010 8:40PM | Comments (63)

Brian McKnight Ruled to Have Fathered 14-Yr Old: Owes $341,640: All About Black Daddies

• It appears that the singer Brian McKnight is now a not-so-proud father. Well, the child isn't ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 12th 2010 12:53PM | Comments (14)

What does Barack Obama Have in Common with 50 Cent?

Click to Play

Check out Barack & Curtis, a new documentary by Byron Hurt

Posted by Staffat 12:38 PM0 comments

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010

Paterson NJ Cop Videotaped While Macing a Black Man

Click to Play

This video is storming the web - a cop in Paterson, NJ is caught on tape macing a black man on the ground. ;

The Age of the Hoochie Mama is Over:  It's Time for Hip Hop to Grow Up

Lil Wayne disrespects women because he's allowed to.

In 2004, the women at Spelman College told the rapper Nelly to take a hike for sliding a credit card through a woman’s backside. The women told Nelly to take his music elsewhere, and his concert was cancelled. I thought that after this incident, women across America would slide their own credit card in the other direction, away from the record stores and websites used to purchase music from artists who make it their mission in life to disrespect black women. I have to admit that I was wrong.

What has always amazed me is the fact that we have trained young people to endure and embrace consistent disrespect from rappers like Slim Thug, who recently stated that white women are a far better choice for relationships, and Lil Wayne, who has done everything in his power to show just how little regard he has for African American females. Wayne even has a song called Alphabet B*tches, which isn’t exactly like the ABCs you learned in preschool. For some reason, we all keep dancing to the beat and showing up for concerts, reminding the artist that freedom of speech is in full effect, no matter how harmful that speech may be. 

Click to read.

This message was sent from Dr. Boyce Watkins: Your Black World to bwatkins@twcny.rr.com. It was sent from: Dr. Boyce Watkins, 23F Queens Way, Camillus, ny 13031. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.

Email Marketing by

To be removed click here

Images of Black Women in Media: Dr. Boyce Show

Dr. Boyce Watkins Show - AOL

Today I had the opportunity to speak with four interesting and empowered black women: Michaela Angela Davis(founding Editor of Vibe Magazine), Christina Mendez (well-known plus size model), Dr. Catrice Austin (owner of VIP Smiles, Celebrity dentist), and Alisha Crutchfield(celebrity stylist and Fashion Director for the Miss Universe pageant).

 

Click to read

THE INSTITUTE OF THE BLACK WORLD PRESENTS THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM PRESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION

                                                                                                FRIDAY JUNE 18, 2010

Black America: The Economic State of Emergency

Rayburn House Office Building ROOM 2237

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM Opening Ceremony

Welcome-Rick Adams* , Chair of the IBW Board of Directors and Convener for the Commission
Overview and Introduction of the Shirley Chisholm Presidential Accountability Commission Members Dr. Ron Daniels*, President of IBW
Opening remarks-Dr. Elsie Scott* President Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

                               Greetings- Hon. John Conyers*, Member of Congress

                               Greetings-Hon Barbara Lee*, Member of Congress
                               Citation in Memory of Shirley Chisholm-

1- 2:30 PM Public Panel One: The Human Face of the Economic Crisis

Moderator- Attorney Nkechi Taifa*-Senior Policy Analyst, Open Society Foundation, Washington, DC

                                    Mr. Walter Fields* -Executive Editor, North Star News, Newark, New Jersey

Dedrick Muhammad*- Senior Organizer and Research Associate for the Program on Inequality and the Common Good, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC

Ms. Faye Moore*- President, Social Services Employees Union Local 371, New York, New York

‎
2:30- 4 PM Public Panel Two: Legislative and Policy Solutions to the Economic Crisis

Moderator- Dr. Duchess Harris*- Associate Professor, American Studies, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
Dr Ron Walters*- Pre-eminent political scientist, author, distinguished leadership scholar, College Park, MD
Dr. Julianne Malveaux*- President, Bennett College for Women, economist, author, commentator, Founder & Thought Leader of Last Word Productions, Inc, Bennett College, Greensboro, NC
Erica L. Williams*- Deputy Director for Progress 2050, Center for American Progress, Washington DC

4 PM Closing Remarks

(The people with a (*) by their name are confirmed.)

Rick Adams, Chair Institute of the Black World (IBW)

                                  Convener, Chisholm Presidential Commission  Contact: 412-580-8084

Dr. Ron Daniels, Founder, Institute of the Black World (IBW)

President of IBW., Contact 718-533-1624

UNC Scholar Outraged Over Exclusion of Black Professors

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

Dr. M. Cookie Newsom

is the Director for Diversity Education and Assessment at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a trouble maker and an angry black woman, which is likely going to cause her serious problems with her colleagues (we talked yesterday about how being angry can get a black person into serious trouble). Dr. Newsom, however, has good reason to be angry. In a recent interview with Diverse issues in Higher Education, Dr. Newsom stated in plain language that most major universities are not serious about diversifying their faculty and that this hurts all students, especially students of color.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn’t really want a racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty diversity presentation at the American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) annual national conference in Washington, D.C. "It’s totally a myth."

Dr. Newson based her conclusions on statistics and data she collected which shows that most major universities are good at documenting plans to increase faculty diversity, but most of it’s nothing but lip service.

Click to read more.

Nelson Mandela's World Cup Appearance Historically Significant

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

World Cup may be Mandela's last great goal for South Africa

8:03 AM on 06/10/2010

OPINION - To say that this event has significance to Mandela would be a tremendous understatement...

> MORE

 

 

Visit our Other Blogs and Join Our Family!

African American News

Black Celebrity News

Syracuse University

Your Black World

Black Scholars Blog

Black Political Blog

Black News Blog

Scholarship in Action at Syracuse University

Follow us on Twitter!

o

No More Arizona News for a While, Please

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

Forgive me for saying this, but part me of is getting sick of hearing about Arizona. Most states only get a few days in the news cycle, but since the politicians in Arizona were crazy enough to pass a law to stifle illegal immigration in their state, our news has been seemingly flooded with one story after another about Arizona: A politician in Arizona has links to the KKK, Arizona changes its textbooks to downplay people of color, brown faces are lightened up on a mural in Arizona. It never seems to stop.

OK, I think I get the point: Arizona is a state with racist policies, at least more racist than most. Can we try to move onto something else now?

This isn't to say that there is not a level of seriousness to the illegal immigration situation in Arizona. We've figured that out. The federal government has long refused to properly enforce immigration laws, and the residents of Arizona came up with their own response, one that threatens to undermine the civil rights of every black and brown person in the state. Got it.

To some extent, the national attack on the state of Arizona smells a bit like political narcissism. The collective outrage that some have expressed over the civil liberties issues in the Arizona immigration law has been hardly present during other more serious racial atrocities that have occurred over the past 20 years.

The sense of urgency that President Obama had about the passage of the state's new immigration law has never been matched when confronting the fact that the United States incarcerates over five times more black men than South Africa did during the height of apartheid. Attorney General Eric Holder's investigation into the legality of Arizona's political decisions was never preceded by a similar investigation into the civil rights abuses of unequal funding for inner city public schools. It seems that when civil liberties of a broad Latino base were attacked, the whole country went up in arms. But when black folks have been getting abused, our needs have been put at the bottom of the to-do list.

Click to read

Black News: Killer of Three Black College Students Gets 30-years to Life

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, The Institute for Black Public Policy

Nearly three years ago, two black college students and a friend were murdered in a schoolyard in Newark, NJ. Monday, a jury returned guilty verdicts for three of the murders and one attempted murder after deliberating for less than a day.
Rodolfo Godinez, a 26-year old gang member and native of Nicaragua, was convicted of all charges against him, including multiple counts of robbery, weapons possession and conspiracy. He can get up to 30 years to life for each murder count, and the sentences can be given out consecutively.
"This man will never see the light of day," said Robert D. Laurino, the acting Essex County prosecutor.
Sentencing for Godinez is set for July 8. His lawyer, Roy Greenman, said,"Obviously, there will be an appeal on a number of grounds," but he declined to state the grounds on which he'd be filing.
The prosecution did not assert that Godinez was the one who hacked at the victims with a machete or shot each of them execution-style, in the back of the head. He was argued, however, to be the one who summoned the other gang members to the schoolyard on the night when the murders took place. The murders were particularly chilling because all four of the victims were "good kids" with no criminal history and educational plans for the future.

Click to read

 

Find more black news at:

Your Black World

Black Scholars Blog

Black Political Blog

Black News Blog

The Latest from Dr. Boyce on NewsOne.com

DR. BOYCE: Detroit Mayor Missing After 7-Year Old’s Death

By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 19, 2010 9:51 am

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Detroit Mayor Missing After 7-Year Old’s Death

TAGS: Detroit, shootings

DR. BOYCE: Harvard/Yale Domination of Supreme Court Is Not Good

By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 17, 2010 1:20 pm

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Harvard/Yale Domination of Supreme Court Is Not Good

TAGS: Elena Kagan, Harvard, NAACP, National Action Network, Supreme Court

DR. BOYCE: Obama Got It Wrong With Supreme Court Nominee

By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 13, 2010 2:34 pm

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Obama Got It Wrong With Supreme Court Nominee

TAGS: Barack Obama, Elena Kagan, Supreme Court

DR. BOYCE: Don’t Judge Lawrence Taylor Until We Are Sure

By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 11, 2010 4:41 pm

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Don’t Judge Lawrence Taylor Until We Are Sure

TAGS: Lawrence Taylor, NFL misfits, rape

DR. BOYCE: Prison Rape Is Not Funny, So Let’s Stop Joking About It

By Dr. Boyce Watkins May 10, 2010 11:09 am

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Prison Rape Is Not Funny, So Let’s Stop Joking About It

TAGS: Prison, rape