Immigration fight could pit black against brown
8:32 AM on 04/26/2010
OPINION - The outrageous legislation on immigration reform is right on time from a state that has proven itself to be increasingly obtuse in its thinking...
Henry Louis Gates lets US off the hook in 'slavery blame game'
2:55 PM on 04/23/2010
OPINION - Gates seems to have spent his entire life proving to the world that he is a "big shot," because simply being a black man may never have been quite good enough...
Obama's 'trickle-down' financial reform overlooks African-Americans
11:45 AM on 04/22/2010
OPINION - In other words, our ships can't rise with the tide, because some of these ships are not even in the economic water....
Height will forever be a towering figure
9:30 AM on 04/20/2010
OPINION - Dorothy Height reminds us that even long lives are far too short, and that the time for action is now...
Showing posts with label black scholars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black scholars. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Dr. Boyce Watkins on MSNBC's TheGrio.com - 4/27/10
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Dr Boyce on AOL – 1/7/10
KFC Ad Considered Racist: Has Black People Chasing Chicken
- KFC is in hot water after an allegedly racist ad that ran in Australia. In the ad, a white man is ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 7th 2010 5:46AM | Comments (4)
Michelle Obama is Livid with PETA Over New Ad
- Michelle Obama is angry with The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) after the ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 7th 2010 5:04AM | Comments (0)
Woman Claims to be Michael Jackson's Wife and Wants Money
- A woman by the name of Shellie Doreen Smith filled legal papers laying claim to Michael Jackson's ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 6th 2010 11:21PM | Comments (6)
Black United Airlines Pilot Charged with Trying to Fly Drunk
- Pilot Erwin Vermont Washington was removed from United Airlines flight 949 in November, after a ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 6th 2010 11:14PM | Comments (0)
Washington State Judges Open Door for Felons to Vote
- We know that one of the most egregious violations of civil rights in America has to do with the ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 6th 2010 1:44PM | Comments (0)
Funk Legend George Clinton is Broke: Can't Pay for Mother's Funeral?
- One of my favorite rappers in the world is TI. He's not just my favorite rapper because his lyrics ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 5th 2010 3:55PM | Comments (18)
B2K Member J-Boog Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges: What We Can Learn
- Jarell Damonte (aka J-Boog) of B2K (pictured second from the right) was arrested yesterday on ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 5th 2010 3:07PM | Comments (1)
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton Are Right About the Census
- It's kind of strange when the first person who calls you on the morning of New Year's Day is Rev. ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 5th 2010 12:37PM | Comments (8)
Morgan Freeman to Replace the Voice of Walter Cronkite on CBS News
- It's been six months since news legend Walter Cronkite died. Cronkite's voice has remained on 'CBS ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 5th 2010 11:26AM | Comments (0)
Eunice Johnson, Founder of Ebony Fashion Fair, Dies at 93
- An era came to an end on Sunday, when Eunice Johnson, widow of Ebony Magazine Founder John ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 5th 2010 1:57AM | Comments (11)
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Hazing Incident Halts National Member Intake
- I'll never forget the day that my friend at The University of Kentucky asked me to consider joining ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 5th 2010 1:43AM | Comments (6)
Bobby DeLaughter, Medgar Evers Prosecutor, Going to Prison
- Bobby DeLaughter, a well-known former prosecutor and judge in Mississippi, is set to report to ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 4th 2010 3:07PM | Comments (1)
Black Men in Prison: What Obama Must Fix Right Now
- The prison industrial complex affects all of us. Most of us in the African American community have ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jan 4th 2010 1:15PM | Comments (32)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Dr Boyce: Nike Isn’t Done with Vick
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
Dick's Sporting Goods recently made a decision that is bad for business. Taking one of the boldest, and perhaps silliest, stands of any corporation in recent memory, Dick's decided not to sell Michael Vick jerseys in any of their stores.
Perhaps they earned a few dog-loving customers, but they lost the support of any shareholder who cares about making money. It's one thing for lynch mobs to embrace vigilantism, but another for a corporation to engage in the same irrational behavior. Vick paid his debt to society; it's time to move on with our lives.
The top brass at the Nike Corporation are smarter than the management at Dick's Sporting Goods, but they too understand the need to stay away from Michael Vick, at least for right now. When asked to respond to rumors that Vick had signed a deal with Nike, the company gave an immediate and resounding "no." After the Nike denial, Michael Vick's agent, Joel Segal, had to backpedal faster than an NFL defensive back to kill any indication that his client has re-signed with the "big swoosh." However, the confidence with which the signing was announced indicates that the relationship might be deeper than we think.
The truth is that I don't believe a single word of the Nike dismissal. Like the big egos in Beyonce's song, Nike's swoosh is " too big, too wide, too strong" for them to sit idly by as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL makes his return to the game. Nike executives have seen Vick grace the cover of Xbox games and sports magazines and often refer to him as the man who "revolutionized the quarterback position." They know that Vick is not washed up, and that some of his best years may still be ahead of him.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Why I respect Eric Holder
Attorney General Eric Holder took heat this week for doing something that most Black elected officials are simply not willing to do: He told the truth about race. During a Black History Month speech, the Attorney General lost some major political points by stating that when it comes to discussing race in America, we have become “a nation of cowards”. I couldn’t have been prouder, for you have to be pretty damn brave to admit that we are as cowardly as we are.
I watched the words roll out of Holder’s mouth like steamy breath pouring out on a cold winter day. I simply couldn’t believe it. Eric Holder wasn’t just speaking about Black History, he was MAKING Black History. While everyone looks to the first Black President to deliver something other than Ebony magazine covers, I am also looking to see if the first Black Attorney General can deliver some real progress on a justice system that has mutilated Black families across the nation.
Sure, being the first Black Attorney General is a nice accomplishment, almost cute. I don’t use the word “cute” to demean the significance of Holder’s achievements, but far too many African Americans are focused on obtaining such accolades in America as long as they remember to never really use their prominence to make a difference. You are given the keys to the vault as long as you firmly agree to keep the keys out of the reach of the Black masses. You are not to mention race in any meaningful way, and if you do, you’ll get body slammed, even by the most liberal among us. Racism in America is deep, and the disease has the greatest impact on those who think they’ve been cured.
Don’t believe me? Just answer this question (I say this as someone who likes Barack Obama and voted for him): When was the last time you heard President Barack Obama even say the words “black man”, “black men”, or “black male” in any forum other than a Black event? Instead, you only hear him speaking for the middle class and gleefully indulging us with borderline ridiculous and hyper-redundant comparisons to Abraham Lincoln (who is given far too much credit for the ending of slavery). Were he to compare himself to Martin Luther King or even acknowledge the existence of Malcolm X, he would be crucified for it. President Obama is allowed to humiliate and chastise Black men in speeches about personal responsibility, but he would be severely punished if he were to give those same speeches to the masses of Americans who have squandered their wealth and helped to destroy our financial system (especially those on Wall Street). He speaks on Black men needing to take accountability in spite of urban Black male unemployment rates as high as 40%, while he uses policy support and massive spending to coddle a nation dealing with 7.4% unemployment. I say all this as a fan of Barack Obama, but I also say this as a man who believes that the hard work on racial equality must be done by those in power if we are to ever have a chance of fulfilling Dr. King’s dream. This does not imply that Barack Obama does not believe in racial equality. It is to say that he is likely being told that discussing the truth on race in America will get him into serious trouble. Even if you are not a coward yourself, you are forced into taking cowardly positions on honest racial dialogue when you realize that the punishment for such engagement is incredibly steep.
I know what Eric Holder was talking about in that speech. I know that the price for speaking honestly on race is high, for I pay it every day on my own campus (I will probably pay it for writing this article). Every day, I witness conversations being had around the dinner table that most Black people know they cannot have in public. Eric Holder, by virtue of his willingness to bring the dinner table conversations into the public eye, has now joined me in the group that has been labeled to be “bad angry Black men”.
Being labeled as the “Angry Black Man” can be sad and hurtful. It doesn’t matter how nice you are. I can be as friendly and personable as I want, but the truth of the matter is that if you speak openly about the mass incarceration of Black males, the horrific conditions of inner city schools or the massive unemployment rates of Black males across America, you are going to be attacked and discredited for it. I saw Lou Dobbs (CNN’s version of Bill O’Reilly) mention that he doesn’t feel that Holder is “passing the test” to be qualified as Attorney General, all because Holder made one strong statement about racial equality, one that Martin Luther King would agree with wholeheartedly. What is saddest about our nation is that we have a long history of crucifying those who’ve pushed hardest for our country to advance its racial dialogue. The response to such conversation is as predictable as a dog in front of a bowl of Puppy Chow.
I once recall mentioning the idea of having a prominent Black scholar come to my campus to speak on the social implications and questionable capitalist incentives of mass incarceration and stock ownership in the prison industry. This was a Finance topic, and I am a Finance professor. The idea was shot down immediately by another Black man who felt it would scare the people on campus. When I do CNN interviews on matters related to race, higher administrators on my campus celebrate interviews by other faculty while pretending that my interview never happened. Black scholarship is considered to be “ghetto scholarship”, because those evaluating the quality of such work are typically those who understand or appreciate it the least. The issue of race is demeaned to being a footnote of worthless banter by those who need to learn to keep their mouths shut.
Where Eric Holder and I differ is that he is far more courageous than me. He has decided that he can both be the Attorney General of the United States and speak honestly on behalf of African Americans. I gave up on being a campus Dean, President or high ranking government official a long time ago, since I enjoy the freedom of speech that comes with academic marginalization. I run my own business so that no one can control me financially and pull the suffocating purse strings that cause the rest of us to keep the truth in our pockets. The funniest part of it all is that every piece of historical evidence says that we are simply engaging in the same denial as the previous generation. When I was approached about joining the Obama Administration, I immediately said no – I love Barack to death, but I am not interested in being controlled by lies and pandering. I am not sure what Eric Holder was trying to do with his statement, but I am incredibly proud of him and I hope his statement is a signal regarding how he will conduct business as The United States Attorney General. Our country should be absolutely ashamed of the way it has dismissed Black men in the prison system, giving them longer sentences for the same crimes, disenfranchising them from the rest of the world and using the criminal justice system as a path to modern day slavery. If only we could get liberal groups to be as passionate over this injustice as they are about saving the environment. Perhaps then, meaningful and mutually respectful multi-racial coalitions can exist.
Eric Holder, you have my respect. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to feel that way. Yes, you are right, we are a nation of cowards, and until we gain the courage to have honest conversations, we are always going to be plagued by race. Dreams (like that of Dr. King) are created while we are sleeping. But these dreams are fulfilled when our eyes are wide open and we are wide awake. Wake up America…..it’s time to be honest.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “What if George Bush were a Black Man?” He makes regular appearances in national media, including CNN, ESPN, BET and CBS. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My Brother Kevin Powell: Ending Violence Against Women
Writer’s note:
Given all the hype and controversy around Chris Brown’s alleged beating of Rihanna, I feel compelled to post this essay I originally wrote in late 2007, so that some of us can have an honest jump off point to discuss male violence against females, to discuss the need for ownership of past pains and traumas, to discuss the critical importance of therapy and healing. Let us pray for Rihanna, first and foremost, because no one deserves to be beaten, or beaten up. No one. And let us also pray that Chris Brown gets the help he needs by way of long-term counseling and alternative definitions of manhood rooted in nonviolence, real love, and, alas, real peace. And let us not forget that Rihanna and Chris Brown happen to be major pop stars, hence all the media coverage, blogs, etc. Violence against women and girls happen every single day on this planet without any notice from most of us. Until we begin to address that hard fact, until we all, males and females alike, make a commitment to ending the conditions that create that destructive behavior in the first place, it will not end any time soon. There will be more Rihannas and more Chris Browns.
In my recent travels and political and community work and speeches around the country, it became so very obvious that many American males are unaware of the monumental problems of domestic violence and sexual assault, against women and girls, in our nation. This seems as good a time as any to address this urgent and overlooked issue. Why is it that so few of us actually think about violence against women and girls, or think that it’s our problem? Why do we go on believing it’s all good, even as our sisters, our mothers, and our daughters suffer and a growing number of us participate in the brutality of berating, beating, or killing our female counterparts?
Technorati Tags: kevin powell,black women,african american women,black writers,african american writers
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Credit Card Companies are Certainly Out to get You During This Crisis
By Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.DrBoyceMoney.com
In case you weren’t sure, credit card companies are not out to help you. If you are financially illiterate and uninformed, they are going to exploit you. If you are worried about the financial crisis, they are going to prey on your fear to get money out of you. They are also doing exactly what the rest of us are doing: trying to remain protected in a fragile economy.
The stimulus is stymied. The bailout is a failout. The stock market has consistently given a “thumbs down” to every piece of legislation passed in response to this crisis. Our economy is like the sick man who won’t respond to antibiotics. While the results of the latest package are yet to be seen, the truth is that no one is sure what will work. Every company is out to protect their assets and hold on to their cash, which means they no longer have much interest in loaning money to you.
Yes, this is true even if you have a good credit score, which is the ironic part.
Customers are opening their monthly statements to find that credit card companies have started to either ration credit (give less of it) or raise the interest rate being paid on outstanding debt. This doesn’t even count all the dirty tactics used, like using your payments to pay off low interest debt first, quietly getting rid of the grace period or charging interest on your balance from the prior two months vs. the current one. Even when you’ve been making payments on time for years, banks keep raising the bar to maximize shareholder wealth. When liquidity is scarce, those giving out water demand a higher cost per bottle. Additionally, higher default rates have justified the increase in interest rates, but higher interest rates increase the likelihood of default. It’s a nasty cycle, really.
Lawmakers are trying to intervene. Congressional hearings have taken place. Banks are being scolded by senators who keep telling them that this form of business practice is unethical and that they are gouging the American consumer. All this might be true, but what is also true is that you can’t force banks to loan you money. Also, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to legislate a strong economy.
If you have a less than stellar financial history, there is an even greater opportunity for your credit card company to raise your interest rates. If you have defaulted on other loans or are a slow payer in other areas, then they have no problem telling you to pay up or ship out. The days of easy money are long behind us, and companies are dramatically shifting their business practices.
The bottom line is that THEY’VE GOT YOU. They know that you’ve become addicted to the debt they so readily offered in the past, and this debt has become the lifeblood for the lifestyle to which you’ve chosen to become accustomed. They know that they can charge you a higher interest rate because you can’t do anything about it. Like a drug addict who is angry about paying more for his product, you really don’t have any other choice.
Well, maybe you do.
Here is one solution: tighten your economic belt. That means putting together a financial fitness plan today that consists of getting rid of as much debt as possible. I’ve mentioned in prior articles and on our website that paying off debt can be one of the best investments you make with your money. This is especially true if you have a stable job and are paying a high rate of interest to your credit card company.
So, the Dr. Boyce Challenge for this month is simple: Create a budget which includes the steady elimination of credit card debt. That means you should list every single expense you have for the entire month on one piece of paper or a spreadsheet. Don’t leave anything out. Count the money you want to use for getting your hair done, your nails, paying your mortgage, car note, whatever. Count everything. That will be your first step toward obtaining financial fitness.
As you create the budget, allocate at least 10% of your monthly after tax income toward reducing credit card debt. So, if you earn $3,000 per month after taxes,$300 per month should be allocated toward removing credit card debt, not including interest. So, if you owe $5,000 in credit card debt, you can remove this debt in roughly a year and a half. While $300 may seem like a lot of money to find in your budget, it’s there if you look hard enough. In fact, if you spend $10 per day on lunch and/or coffee, you can find the bulk of the money by taking your lunch to work. Make this one of the first bills you pay, not the last. The last bill is the one that only gets paid half the time. It’s easier to negotiate with creditors if you don’t need them so much. Take small steps toward finding your financial freedom.
Next month, we will move to step 2 of the Dr. Boyce Financial Challenge. While I confess that this change won’t be easy, I can promise that it will be worth it in the end. Be strong and remain focused, this is your opportunity to shine.
Dr Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “Financial Lipo 101: From financial fat to fitness”, to be released in April, 2009. For more information, please visit www.DrBoyceMoney.com.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
What Love Means to Me – A Tribute to Valentine’s Day
Brought to you by The Great Black Speakers Bureau - The #1 Black Speakers Bureau in the world.
To get financial advice from Dr. Boyce, please visit www.DrBoyceMoney.com. To see video commentary from Dr. Boyce, please click here.
Dr. Boyce Watkins
FYI: I should be on the NPR show "Tell Me More with Michel Martin", a journalist for whom I have tremendous respect. We recorded today with Shelby Steele, a conservative scholar out at Stanford and another scholar named Jon Powell, at Ohio State. The conversation is interesting, and I recommend you give it a listen. You can learn more about the show at this link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/.
I also got another call yesterday from "The Big O"...yes, you know who I am talking about. Apparently, there is some interest in my Financial Lovemaking Book. I'll keep you posted on that one, since I am not 100% sure if my demographic matches that of the Great Ms. Winfrey. While I feel that Financial Lovemaking can work well for her audience, my alignment with the hip hop community may make for an awkward fit. The fact that I engage in critical analysis (meaning that no one is 100% good or 100% bad) means that I sometimes make enemies in this game because of my refusal to kiss anyone's butt too much. But I do give respect where it is due, and I consider Oprah to be an amazing role model for all of us. The same goes for President Obama.
In light of the fact that Valentine’s Day is coming, I was thinking about the whole idea of love. I must also admit that I thought about love when I noticed the singer Chris Brown might have ruined his career in this mad situation with Rihanna (apparently, there may be some abuse in that relationship, I’m not sure). Either way, I think that anyone who has been young and in a relationship understands how stupid and crazy things can happen. I’ve never considered Chris Brown to be a bad person. But he may have done a bad thing.
Seeing the huge loss that these two young people may have imposed on their lives (Chris and Rihanna), led me to reflect on love and what it means to me. Here is my personal perspective on love….love it or hate it (haha).
What Love Should and Should Not Be
By Dr. Boyce Watkins
I’ve lived a bit of life and made my share of mistakes. But as a professor, I am trained to learn from poor choices and grow from them. Most processes have a purpose and a pattern. If you think hard enough and honestly confront your failures, triumphs and observations, you can usually walk away with a bit of insight. The term “No pain, no gain”, can certainly be applied in the game of love, and I intend to gain from my own personal portfolio of blissful heartache.
So, I’ve come up with some “Rules of Love” out of respect for Valentine’s Day. It’s not scientific and not a fit for everyone. But it comes from the head, the heart and all the other body parts I can’t mention in this article. So, at least you know it’s sincere.
Love should be RESPECTED: One of the silliest things I see in some relationships is that people seem to be most interested in chasing the person who loves them the least, while kicking their greatest admirers to the curb. They choose the best option they can GET instead of the best option they’ve already GOT. There is something that people love about a challenge. It can be a natural instinct to equate kindness with weakness and easy access with a lack of value. Many of us are guilty of crying over the person who ignores us and ignoring the person who cries for us. Someone who gives you their heart can also take it away, so we must respect those who’ve truly earned it.
Love should be EXPECTED: Part of the reason that some of us spend our time chasing the loser who doesn’t love us is because deep down, we feel that someone who cares for us must be flawed or unworthy of our time. On the other hand, it is easy to feel sorry for yourself when you see that the one you usually want doesn’t want you back. The truth of the matter is that if someone disrespects the appreciation you are showing toward them, then they don’t deserve your love anyway. You should love yourself enough to walk away from those who choose not to treat you as you deserve to be treated.
Love should be given to YOURSELF: Part of demanding the love that you deserve is engaging in the difficult art of SELF LOVE. Many times, we look in the emotional mirror and see blemishes, flaws, faults, mistakes and the ugliest sides of who we are. Rather than greeting the world with our heads held high, we keep our heads down and hope no one notices that we are not as good as everyone else. Loving yourself is similar to learning to love another person: there is a point where you must simply accept the flaws. You must realize that you are no more defective and no more perfect than everyone else, and that you too deserve to be happy. If you can’t love yourself, then it’s damn near impossible to truly love someone else, since you are only offering them what you perceive to be damaged goods.
Love is meant to be CELEBRATED: I’ve admittedly never been able to fully grasp the concept of homosexuality, but I’ve never had a problem with gay marriage. One thing I believe is that love was created by GOD: that includes love between a man and a woman, a man and a man or a woman and a woman. There should not be religious, social or racial boundaries imposed on meaningful love, for we do not get to choose the shape, size or complexion of the package. When God blesses someone with such a powerful connection, this love should be celebrated by all of us and not judged or held in contempt. Melting someone’s halo of happiness by dousing it with a flood of hate is a counter-productive use of our time and a wasteful spiritual endeavor.
Valentine’s Day is meant to be YEAR ROUND: You should not need a special holiday to show someone you love them. You should tell them something good, positive, and affirming every time you see them, because this will make that person feel good. You should not need corporate America’s permission and some hyper-commercialized holiday as your excuse to show affection. I encourage you to say ten nice things per day to people you care about, which may include complimenting them on their clothes, their hair, their personality, their beauty or their presence. It will make them feel good and leave a lasting psychological impact. Our words are “emotional money” and we should be consistently making donations.
Love should be REFLECTIVE: The hardest way to get what you want is to selfishly pursue it, take it or relentlessly absorb it. That’s like waiting for your paycheck and never showing up for work. If you are in a truly loving situation, you get what you want by REFLECTING IT. If you WANT more success out of life, you GIVE more hard work. If you WANT better grades, you GIVE more time to the library. If you WANT more appreciation from your partner, you GIVE more attention and affection. If you choose to share your love with someone who deserves it, then they will give the love right back to you, with interest. Like a healthy economy, the cycle will become recursive and productive trade increases the value of each partner’s “Life Portfolio”. In pleasure, pain and everything in between, to get more, you must give more. You must also make payments in the currency deemed most valuable to your partner. There’s no way around that fact.
Love should be PRACTICED: Love is not just a feeling, an emotion, a whim or something that makes your skin shiver. Loving someone is a DELIBERATE ACT and a series of habits designed to sustain and maintain the relationship you have with one another. The work of the greatest writers in history was not always driven by inspiration and a desire to write…..sometimes, it was the act of sitting down each day and forcing themselves to write which eventually inspired them to do their greatest work. In other words, love is a series of proactive habits, choices and behaviors that correlate with your desire to have a meaningful and stable relationship with another person. It’s not something you just randomly “fall into” and “out of”…..it is something you choose to do.
Love should be CONTEMPLATED: When it comes to dating, I tell my daughter and God daughters the following: “If a man is not someone you can see raising your children, then don’t even go out on the first date.” They look at me like I’m crazy, but the point is simple: While you cannot easily choose to release yourself from the psychological grips of love, you have some ability to choose who you are going to fall in love with in the beginning. Most of us don’t meet someone and decide that we are going to be with this person for years. There is always the first glance, the first date, the first kiss, the first touch, and before you know it, you’re stuck in a situation that doesn’t make any sense to you. So, if you don’t start with point A, you can never reach point Z. This makes the most sense when you can see that point Z is not the place you want to visit with this particular person.
Love should be REMEMBERED: A big challenge for many young or single people (and even those who are married) is that we spend our time chasing the love and affection that is most intriguing to our hormones, while ignoring the love that is most tried and true. A man might spend hours on the phone with a pretty lady who doesn’t even like him, but simultaneously ignore his grandmother who would gladly give her life for him. Valentine’s Day is not just the day you send “sweets to your sweetie”. It is also the day you shower love on your mother, brother, sister, father, best friend, homeboy, children, grand parents and all the people who will love you long after your sweetie has become sweet on someone else. In the city of love, new buildings are shiniest and most appealing. But the older buildings are the sturdiest and most enduring.
Love is LIFE: Not only does the act of love create and sustain life, it is also the greatest part of our journey through life. We may or may not remember or be inspired by our professional or educational achievements, but we have an immediate and powerful emotional reaction when we reflect on the love we’ve experienced over the years. Thinking about children, family or ex-lovers can create an emotional response that can’t be matched by a corporate job or advanced degree. I tell my students that one of the most important decisions they will ever make is who they choose to spend their lives with. I’ve seen many people drive themselves down the path to hell by choosing to share their love with someone who deserves it the least. Like the most amazing roller coaster, the journey of love is long, complicated, exciting, scary and fulfilling. So, while we’re on this journey, we should make sure we turn on the GPS.
Happy Valentine’s Day and I hope this day inspires you to find the love that exists in your life. It’s all around you if you learn to look for it. Even in an economy like this one, the love in your life can make you a billionaire.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Could the Economic Downturn possibly be a GOOD thing?
By Dr. Boyce Watkins
I hate being the doctor who has to tell the patient he has cancer, but the truth usually sets you free (or so my mother told me): We are in the midst of an economic bloodbath. It’s tough to argue that an economy which shrinks by an annualized rate of 5% is still healthy. It’s hard to tell someone that 7.2% unemployment, with the most job losses since 1945, is a good thing. A 4,000 point drop in the Dow is nothing to sneeze at, even if you have plenty of tissue. Times are tough, we know that.
But if we focus hard enough, we might be able to find a few bright sides to all this. With hopes that no one chooses to kill the messenger, I am going to give it a shot.
1) It could always be much worse.
The United States has, according to some, the strongest economy in the world. Our economy could shrink like Rush Limbaugh’s body on drugs and still be disgustingly rich compared to the rest of the world. Don’t believe me? Consider the “fast-growing” Chinese economy, the one that everyone thinks is going to outpace the United States in the next few years. Our annual tax revenues are nearly 4 times greater than China’s ($2.5 Trillion vs. $670 Billion) and they have over 4 times more people than we do (300 million vs. 1.3 Billion). In other words, our per capita tax receipts are over 16 times greater than China’s. So, we’re far better off than most of the world, even when we’re broke.
2) If there were ever an argument for getting out of Iraq, this might be it.
It’s hard to declare war on random countries if you don’t have the money to do it. War is big business and attacking other countries is a huge financial investment. If you don’t think war is about money, then you may want to take a couple of Political Science and History classes. Perhaps these troubles at home will keep us from creating trouble abroad, since Americans have lost patience with irresponsible, arrogant war-mongering. The Obama stimulus plan is asking for over $800 Billion dollars to boost our economy. We’ve already spent nearly $600 Billion in Iraq. Rather than declaring War on Terror, President Obama has declared War on the Recession, which seems to be a far better investment.
3) If you want to buy cheap stocks or real estate, this is the time to do it.
When the market rises, everyone wants to buy stocks. People forget that you shouldn’t buy stocks when prices are high, you buy when the prices are low. Companies with plenty of cash are grabbing investment and real estate bargains that were hardly available a year ago. You should be doing the same if you can afford to do it. Investors who purchase stocks after major market declines tend to do much better than those who buy during booms. You hear me Warren Buffet?
4) Struggle makes us FOCUSED.
Although I tend to be a hardcore capitalist, a part of me misses the activism of the 1960s, when people cared about more than making a dollar. OK, I wasn’t around in the 1960s, but I’ve watched enough old movies. Going through tough times not only teaches one to pursue a higher purpose in life, it also leads individuals to more carefully scrutinize the state of affairs in our government. In fact, I dare to argue that the financial crisis was just what Barack Obama needed to secure his election over John McCain. Economic prosperity allows us the luxury of choosing our politicians based on silly issues, like gay marriage (as we did in 2004). When we are worried about putting food on the table, we look beyond the silliness and choose the most qualified and most intelligent person for the job (after ensuring that he knows Africa really is a continent). Finally, tough economic times make you more responsible in your own money management, as the threat of financial insecurity keeps us all on high alert.
Those are my points, so again, please don’t kill the messenger. I certainly do not celebrate a weak economy, but I am a firm believer that focusing too much on the door that shuts keeps us from appreciating the ones that just opened. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, and….well, you get the point. It’s the toughness of tough times that make the good times good. Keep hanging in there, it’ll be ok.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in ways that Feel Good.” For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
All of your questions answered - Where I truly stand
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Hey peeps!
Some of you may wonder why I do the things I do and say what I say. So, I thought I would make myself an open book so you can understand a bit more about where I come from, and the nature of my world view. In spite of conspiracy theories stating that I get paid to say certain things or have some evil plot to create a new world order, the truth is that I am just a simple brother trying to do something meaningful before I die. Life is shorter than we think, and we should give everything to get as much as we possibly can out of each and every single day.
Be well!
Boyce
http://www.boycewatkins.com/
Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Boyce Watkins
Q: What do you stand for?
A: I stand for fairness and doing what is right. I am not a Finance Professor who happens to be black, I am a black man who happens to be a Finance Professor. There is a great deal of inequality in America that runs along racial lines. This is due to the fact that our country has built a 400 year social, financial and educational infrastructure that promotes the advancement of one group over the other. It is my job as a public scholar to challenge this imbalance and work to find solutions to these problems. My primary tools of choice are education and economic empowerment. I work hard to teach youth, especially African Americans, the value of being highly educated and the additional value that comes from becoming Financially independent and empowered. Those were the choices that changed my life and gave me the freedom and strength to express myself honestly, creatively and (some think) intelligently.
I also want to challenge the NCAA to rethink the way it treats college athletes. As a Finance Professor, I am not sure how we can justify earning millions for our coaches and administrators, while allowing the sources of labor (the athletes) and their families to live in poverty. This is wrong and unAmerican, for capitalism should give us the rights to freely negotiate our wages. When we engaged in our campaign on CNN, ESPN and CBS to challenge the actions of the NCAA, people thought I was trying to attack them. The truth is that I don't enjoy attacking anyone, I only want to fight for fairness. One thing that my students have always said about me (whether they love me or hate me) is that I am fair. I call it for what it is.
Q: Your work can be controversial, why do you do it?
A: I ask myself that question every single day! Personally, I believe that the role of the black scholar in America is to work hard to uplift our communities. Our intellect is needed, and in addition to engaging in scholarly research that lies in dusty academic journals, we should become active in our communities and throughout the world. I believe strongly in the concept of Scholarship in Action. The thing about Scholarship in Action is that it requires the combination of intellect, creativity, curiosity, commitment, passion and courage that stands at the root of all true genius. I do not consider myself a genius, but I wake up every day thinking "I am one day closer to my last day on this earth. How can I get the best return on my investment?" That is what keeps me going.
Some days are tougher than others, like when people confuse black love with white hatred. I learned from the lives of Martin Luther King and others that people will always confuse the two. For the past 20 years, most of my students and classmates have been white and I spent much of my childhood in a white neighborhood. So, to be honest, I know as much or more about white culture than I do about black culture. So, like Barack Obama, my mixed background helped me realize one thing: We are all human and we all make mistakes. The problem is that in America, the mistakes of black males are interpreted differently than the mistakes made by others. My work has, in part, been meant to point out this contradiction.
Q: Where are you from and what is your background?
A: I am originally from Louisville, KY. My father abandoned me when I was born, and my mother was 16 years old when she got pregnant with me. My mother met and married a man who became my "real father", when I was 3 years old. I struggled through school, getting far more Cs, Ds and Fs than As and Bs. I was not, according to my teachers, cut out for college and my teachers even recommended me for special education and medication for ADHD. What I didn't know at the time is that black boys are 5 times more likely to be placed in special education than kids of other ethnicities. At the age of 18, I discovered this amazing, secret invention called "sex", which led to me having my first child. We all make mistakes, and I have made my share. However, I truly believe that the mistakes you make, if studied properly, can become the tuition that you pay in the school of life. It is by paying this tuition that we gain wisdom and strength during the journey. The year I had my daughter was also the year that I changed my life. I found my way onto campus at The University of Kentucky, where I became a straight A student for the first time. I then continued going to school for another 12 years, earning a few masters degrees and bachelors degrees, along with my PhD. Falling on my face over and over again taught me that being perfect is not the requirement for being a victor. The key is learning how to keep getting back up. Also, my humble beginnings taught me not to look down on those who make mistakes. Instead, I seek to uplift those around me by saying "I am a great man when I do my best, and we can all be great if we try." I don't get much of a thrill from condemning, chastising, or pretending that I am better than anyone else.
Q: What inspires you?
A: Education changed my life. I never did well in school as a child because I did not know what education could do for me. I also did not believe that I could be very good at it. My experience, and what I discovered when I learned the power and freedom of education, is what inspired me to write my first book "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About College". The book was meant for those kids who don't think college is a reasonable choice for them. I am also inspired by the fact that life is short, and I don't want to waste all of that time trying to fit in, or just "get along". My goal is to do all I can to make the world a better place when I leave than it was when I arrived. That is my sole and primary objective, no political games and no B.S. included. Education, economic empowerment and having the chance to change the world keep me pumped up like the Energizer Bunny every single day.
Q: Who are your greatest heroes?
A: My father is #1 (the one who raised me). He is a strong man and although he thinks a lot like Bill Cosby (a man I don't always agree with), I learn from him. Even though he didn't spend a lot of time with me, I always respected the fact that a man who didn't give birth to me was willing to give me the best years of his life. By watching my dad (a police Major and Vietnam vet), I learned how to be strong and focused, and how to look right through the "haters" that we all must endure (sort of like Tiger Woods and his army dad). My father also makes me defensive whenever someone attempts to say that black men are collectively poor fathers and bad role models. Most people don't know what it's like to be a black male in America. Next, there's Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. These are my "adopted dads", who taught me how to manage the challenges of being a black man. When I run into a scenario where the rain is pouring a little harder than usual, I read about their lives and what they went through to find the strength to move on. My other respected colleagues are Michael Eric Dyson and Julianne Malveaux (the ones who inspired me to become a public scholar in the first place), Tiger Woods (for his awesome mental focus, not his politics), and even Kobe Bryant (I did not enjoy the negative allegations against him, for I think he made a lot of mistakes. But I respect any man who hits rock bottom and rises back to the top. Kobe saw his team drop to nothing, all of his endorsements go out the window, and he was hated by the public. However, through consistent play and focus, he rose back to become MVP, carrying his team to the championship again. This is a reminder to all of us that if you keep focused and remain consistent, you will obtain whatever rewards you seek).
Q: Do you ever want to go into politics?
A: No, because I enjoy being honest. Politicians have to lie to pander to a constituency. If you know me long enough, you will eventually disagree with something I say. I am not a liberal, and I am not a conservative. Some of the liberal ideas in America don't make much sense to me. I am also not a fan of many conservative ideals, which sometimes border on the same racist, sexist, classist foundations on which our country was founded. I would say that I enjoy being "the people's scholar" because I want to give a voice to those who don't have one.
Q: You're a Finance Professor - Do you Love Money?
A: As a Finance Professor, I understand money quite well. I also respect and appreciate the power of money. The truth is that we live in a capitalist democracy, and the capitalist part is sometimes stronger than the democratic part. I also understand money well enough to know that it can either be a tool for building or a weapon for destruction. I've seen people sell their souls, their happiness and their integrity for money. That is what led to my book "Financial Lovemaking 101". I've seen the impact of "capitalism gone wild", in which wealth gaps between the rich and the poor serve to destroy the security of a society. I personally feel that one way I can contribute to the advancement of Dr. King's vision is to find ways that Democracy, Capitalism and human compassion can work together to make our country better.
Q: Do you love America?
A: Yes, I do. I feel that America has the potential to be the greatest country in the world. In fact, when we put our best foot forward, we are the greatest country in the world. I also know that there are some things I can say in this country that I could not say anywhere else. Finally, I feel that it is my duty as an American to use my freedoms to speak out if necessary, to help our country heal, improve and overcome the crutches of the past. I've learned that many of the most significant figures in African American history, those who've endured opposition for their efforts, were also the most patriotic Americans. The role of the scholar, in my opinion, is to use academic freedom to engage in intellectual leadership. Leadership doesn't imply that you follow the crowd. Rather, it implies that you lead people where they might not want to go. You must truly love a country if you are willing to suffer to make it better. I want our country to be great.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" For more information, please visit http://www.boycewatkins.com/.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Obama's New Yorker Cover: What it Tells Us
Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.net
www.YourBlackWorld.com
Not sure if you guys have seen this cover of Barack and Michelle Obama on The New Yorker today, but here it is.
Those of you who know me know what I am thinking:
1) Black people should never purchase another copy of The New Yorker again, unless there is a retraction and full apology. Even then, they should be held accountable regarding how many African American writers and editors they have on staff.
2) This cover says at least two things: Being too black is a bad thing, and being a Muslim is just as bad. I don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim, but it is shameful that being a Muslim has become a crime in this country. It appears that black skin is acceptable, but black people receive acceptance into the establishment typically if they are docile and weak (hence, the whole "militant black woman" label you see on the cover). Many of you experience this kind of cultural dominance every day on the job. This, in my opinion, is the new racism of America. People don't hate you for having black skin. They hate you for having black cultural attributes that they do not understand (Remember when the boxer Joe Louis was given the list of appropriate Negro behavior when he became a pro? America loved him because he followed the list).
3) This re-emphasizes the need for more black-owned media. This election has been distorted because there are no black voices to counter those of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. Hence, our voices are either muted or distorted, and we end up having to "shoosh" one another to ensure that the media doesn't find out that black people really have something to be angry about. That kind of sickens me.
4) Someone asked me to explain why I am voting for Obama. Here is the answer: 1) He is electable. 2) He is intelligent. 3) He is better than McCain (anyone is). 4) I respect strong, intelligent brothers. 5) The rest of the world hates our guts and he can help fix that problem. 6) Michelle Obama is one of the most intellectually beautiful people I've ever seen, and I am hopeful that she can keep Barack honest. My frustrations with Barack are similar to my frustrations with some hip hop artists: They both end up doing silly things in response to pressure from the racists they are trying to appease. If they were behaving according to free will, they would likely be doing something entirely different. Racism makes all of us do things that are humiliating to our people and ultimately divisive, and as long as we are chasing corporate, political and financial carrots, we will always be a slave to this tap dance. I am no exception, but I strive each day to break out of that pattern.
5) Congrats to another beautiful black woman, Cynthia McKinney, who just secured the Green Party nomination. Her platform is quite compelling, and she deserves an honest look from all of us. I suggest that when it comes to all candidates, we look at a list of the issues and make decisions based on whether the candidate appears to be willing to support the agenda that works best for our community (whatever that means to you). We should also remember that when it comes to politicians, if we ask for nothing, we will get nothing. So, don't be afraid to ask for political accountability (even if you think that Barack is the Black Baby Jesus).
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