Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University
7:58 AM on 08/31/2010
OPINION - But there is a deeper, more relevant question to be asked about the allegations against Eddie Johnson: Even if she broke the rules, is she clearly less ethical than other...
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action
I still remember when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans five years ago. I'd just attended the Essence Music Festival the year before, only to hear that the very same streets I'd visited were now flooded with water. It was also the week of my first confrontation with Sean Hannity on the air. Donald Rumsfeld had come on the show right before me, and Hannity and I were arguing about why it seemed that the government spent more time planning to shoot "looters" than actually saving the people in the flood. Rarely before Katrina had we witnessed such a gross dehumanization of our fellow American citizens.
President Obama sought to commemorate the anniversary of Katrina by speaking in New Orleans this weekend. He told the students at Xavier University that he plans to stand with the community when it comes to making sure they know the Federal Government is behind them in the on-going quest for full recovery.
"My administration is going to stand with you, and fight alongside you, until the job is done," Obama said.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
The Democrats must pass health care reform. If they pass the legislation, they are still going to get hammered in the mid-term elections. If they don't pass the bill, the hammering will only multiply in its intensity. Right now, our Congress finds itself in a terribly complex situation, with terms like "reconciliation" and "deem and pass" being thrown around like profanity against a growing backlash from a portion of the American public. If we could go back in time, President Obama would never have taken on this issue.
I watched President Obama's interview with Brett Baier on Fox News with intrigue. I wondered why Obama would want to appear on a network that has spent hundreds of millions of dollars undermining the White House. I then realized that Obama's appearance is likely in line with the White House strategy of taking on the Republicans face-to-face. Rather than appearing to be an elitist leader who hides from his adversaries (as George Bush might have done), Obama is walking into one lion's den after another, making his presidency even more interesting than it was when he arrived. Also unlike President Bush, Obama is savvy and intelligent enough to debate 100 Republicans in a single bound, the way Tiger Woods can dominate a golf course with scores of non-black competitors. Barack Obama is his own greatest asset.
Just when you thought black celebrities didn't care anymore, the "Bad Boy of Radio,"Michael Baisden announced today that he is going to give $5,000 to the legal defense fund of the family of Heather Ellis, a 24-year old black female college student who faces 15-years in prison after cutting in line at a Walmart.
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.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – MSNBC’s TheGrio.com
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, FILE)
Many of us once joked that Bill Clinton was the "first black president" (which he wasn't). We had it wrong. If such a title were to be given to any white man, that should have to be the late Senator Ted Kennedy. He was never president of the United States, but he was certainly one of the kings of his generation.
As a member of the Senate since 1962, Senator Kennedy had a long career fighting for those forced to live in the underbelly of a capitalist society. Over the last 47 years, he has done it better than nearly any politician in American history. African-Americans were among the many beneficiaries of his passionate life's work, and for that, we will always be appreciative.
In a multitude of areas including housing, income, civil liberties, and equality, Ted Kennedy has been on the front lines. His brother John introduced the Civil Rights Act of 1964, considered to be one of the most impactful pieces of legislation ever produced by our government. After John's death, Ted and his brother Robert were instrumental in seeing that the bill was passed.
Senator Ted Kennedy then went on to help pass one law after another to support the rights of the elderly, the sick, the poor and the incarcerated. He introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Civil Rights Act of 1991, The Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act, among others. He also helped to amend the Fair Housing Act, and has fought relentlessly for those who've never known the comfort of attending an Ivy League University.
Senator Kennedy's political compassion, as well as his complicated coping mechanisms, may be linked to the tragedy he experienced during his life. As a young child, he watched his sister Rosemary endure a failed lobotomy, saw his brother Joseph die in World War II and then witnessed his older sister Kathleen's death in a plane crash. This tragedy was compounded by the assassinations of his two brothers, Robert and John during the 1960s. This kind of pain doesn't heal easily, and few families endure such an amazing amount of personal tragedy. It is quite possible that the weight of his psychological pain gave Senator Kennedy the ability to empathize with the struggles of others, as well as the strength to fight through hurdles presented by his adversaries.
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By Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.DrBoyceMoney.com
Let’s be clear: This recession has become President Barack Obama’s personal War on Terror. Like the War on Terror, the enemy is evasive, the challenge is global, international cooperation is necessary, and the battle is unlike any other in our nation’s history. Wars are good for political business: when people get scared, politicians get a blank check to fulfill their legislative agenda. After 9/11, President Bush used fear to get the entire nation to sign onto the Patriot Act, and years later, we are wondering if someone is going to tap our cell phones and illegally imprison us for not eating our Freedom Fries. Bad legislation is like an STD: you can pick it up with a snap decision, but you pay the price for the next 20 years.
As a man and an intellectual, President Obama is nothing like former President Bush. But they do have one thing in common: they are both politicians. Any good politician understands that when people get scared, they are more likely to give you what you want. So, Obama took a page out of the Bush/Rove/Cheney book (which was written by politicians before them) and used fear language to get public support for his stimulus package. He reminded us that if we don’t act now, consequences will be dire. He told us that the recession was going to get worse before it gets better. He even hinted that it might never end if we don’t give him our money. After every Obama speech on the economy, we were ready to hit the bottle and call the suicide hotline. We were scared, sad and worried.
America bought the package (literally – it was very expensive), and all the irresponsible government that came with it. Not to say that an economic stimulus was not necessary, but the tactics used to pass it were not. President Obama achieved one goal of lowering the expectations of his overcharged constituents, but he may have created a nasty boomerang effect on himself. In love, life and politics, one decision often affects another, and if you are too myopic, you can miss the big picture.
You see, economic growth is heavily dependent upon something called “Consumer confidence”. Consumer confidence, measured by an index at The University of Michigan (among other places) captures exactly what it appears to measure: How good consumers feel about the economy. A confident consumer is one who not only feels that her financial situation is positive, but that future prospects are strong as well. She feels that “life is headed up and everything is going to be OK”. Confident consumers spend money, which boosts economic growth. Confident businesses make investments and hire workers, which also stimulates the economy. Confident banks make loans so that consumers can get the money they need to buy cars, houses and big screen TVs. Since no one really knows what their personal economy is going to be like in the future, economic growth can be as much psychological as it is financial. In other words, it’s all about faith.
The problem for President Obama is that hearing fear language from our nation’s leaders does not create much confidence. It makes us say “Well, Obama is the Baby Jesus, which means that if he says the economy is going south, then that must surely be the case.” Fear language makes the media create entire television shows based around how fearful people are and why they should be even more frightened than they were before. The media tells you that if you are out there feeling good about life and expecting good things to happen, then you are clearly delusional. The economy became Barack Obama’s Willie Horton – the scary monster that everyone should fear because you might be his next victim. There is a reason that Franklin Delano Roosevelt said that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”, because too much fear can be a frightening thing.
So, at the end of the day, the president got his package. He scared us out of our underwear, but now we are all feeling a little naked. Given that Obama has achieved his goal of irrationally reducing personal and aggregate economic expectations, he must now cheer us up as a country. He has to convince 300 million Americans to feel good about life after being inundated by one TV show after another telling them that the entire financial system is near total collapse. Never have the words “hope” and “change” meant so much. President Obama got his package, but instead, he may have gotten his Pandora’s Box.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, “Black American Money”. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
Columbia University
Over the past week, the political world has been tuned into a highly unusual soap opera involving Republican Committee Chair Michael Steele and conservative radio jock Rush Limbaugh. After Limbaugh was publicly lambasted for stating that he wanted President Obama’s agenda to fail, Democratic leaders wisely used the moment as an opportunity to anoint the polarizing pundit as the de facto leader of the GOP. Steele, the actual leader of the party, dismissed Limbaugh as a mere “entertainer” whose show trades in “ugly” and “incendiary” remarks. Limbaugh soon fired back, telling Steele to do his job and to stop acting like a “talking head media star.”
Of course, partisan infighting is not uncommon in politics –though such public spats are typically the property of the Democrats. The difference, however, has been the party’s response. Instead of rallying around its newly appointed leader Steele, GOP honchos have either taken the side of Rush Limbaugh or remained conspicuously silent. Even Steele himself caved into Limbaugh, apologizing for his remarks and removing any lingering doubt about who the real don is.
By allowing Michael Steele to be publicly undressed by a party extremist, Republicans have tacitly confirmed what many of us already knew: they haven’t changed one bit. Despite their post-November promises to rise above bitter partisanship, the GOP decided to cosign Limbaugh’s antipatriotic machinations. Instead of living up to their promise to broaden their message and appeal, Republicans have instead opted to defer to the steward of its most vile, ignorant, and bigoted constituency. Most disturbingly, they have legitimized their antidemocratic enterprise by hiring a black man, but giving him no more political muscle than the queen of England.
To be clear, I am not trying to diss Michael Steele, who I know personally and like a great deal despite our political differences. My concern is that the seductive aroma of power and prestige have diverted his attention from the harsh realities of his circumstance.
Like many prominent African Americans, Steele has climbed the heights of white society under the false premise that he is being judged purely on merit rather than color. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While the Republican party is willing to use Steele’s black face to celebrate its ostensible progress, it is equally committed to reducing him to nothing more than a paper champion. Hopefully, Brother Steele will stop drinking the Kool-Aid long enough to recognize this and come back home.
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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.
Barack Obama’s voice booms high into the clouds as our nation’s president. But it is also a voice that is sometimes muted by policy, distorted by conflicting agendas and distracted by the complexities of the world in which we live. I find myself mildly disturbed by the excessive celebration within our community, as if winning this political popularity contest has somehow finally validated us as a people. It is scary when the measure of a Black person's success is captured by the degree of favor he has obtained with his historical oppressors. I will never believe that winning the White House is the greatest achievement in Black History, nor was it the greatest sacrifice. The greatest achievements were made by those who worked for us to be truly empowered and the sacrifice was made by those who died to clear President Obama’s path. Achieving prominence on the plantation is not nearly as meaningful as achieving independence.
Before we conclude that we live in a post-racial America, we must remember that many of the men and women who voted for Barack Obama would not be happy to see your Black sons dating their daughters. While we see that the White House has a Black face, we must remember that the majority of our nation’s most esteemed universities still only bring in Black people to dribble basketballs (if you went to college, count the number of Black Professors you had during your 4 years who were not in an African American studies Department). Most of the media outlets you watch on TV are controlled by people who are not Black, yet they consistently impact the self-perception of Black children by bombarding them with negative Black imagery (i.e. DL Hughley's new show on CNN). Most of our nation's wealth is controlled by the descendants of slave masters, with poverty being inherited by descendants of slaves. There is a lot of work to do, we can’t forget that.
So, while having a Black President is a wonderful thing, it’s not the most wonderful thing I can think of. I would GLADLY trade a Black President for any of the following:
Another Malcolm X – Malcolm is likely the most under-appreciated American in our nation’s history, since his legacy is not as amenable to the excessive commercialization and mainstream comfort of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King achieved political gains and Barack gave us the White House, both of which can be taken away in an instant. Malcolm gave us something far more permanent – our self-respect and desire for economic independence. Since America will never give Malcolm much respect, it is up to us to remember that he is every bit as significant as Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr. We should all memorize Malcolm's birthday right now.
10 Black Warren Buffets – my good friend and wildly successful money manager, Bill Thomason, brought up an undeniable point: if we as African Americans do not get ourselves together financially, we will never have true power. America is a capitalist democracy, and we cannot forget that money makes this world go round. Rather than teaching our children to get jobs, we need to teach them how to CREATE jobs. Rather than trying to wiggle our way up the corporate ladder, we should be creating the buildings that the ladders lean against. Wealth is more powerful than racism any day of the week.
An era of enlightened and educated professional and college athletes – The Black male athlete possesses many keys to the economic and social liberation of Black America. Many HBCUs can’t pay the light bill, but Black Athletes earn at least $2 Billion dollars per year for universities that don’t hire Black coaches or Black Professors (March Madness, for which athletes are not paid, earns more ad revenue than the Super Bowl and the World Series COMBINED). The powers that be know the potential influence and reach of an educated and empowered Black athlete, which is why they work overtime to keep them uneducated: when many athletes come to college, coaches pick their classes for them and some can’t even read at graduation. They keep them focused on the bling so they will take their eyes off the prize. These young men are taught like sheep to embrace intellectual mediocrity so their handlers can earn fortunes at their expense. They are granted the greatest power in our society as long as they prove that they are unwilling to use it. If these men were to ever wake up and fight for something bigger than themselves (as Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown once did), it would be absolutely earth shattering.
A Quality Public Education System – Rather than declaring a War on Terror, we should declare War on inferior inner city education. Instead of bailing out the rich guys on Wall Street, we should be bailing out our children who are stuck in the preschool to prison pipeline. Hundreds of thousands of potential Barack Obamas are being tossed in an educational landfill every year, as Black boys are 5 times more likely to be placed in Special Education as White kids (I was one of those boys). This is a damn shame.
Complete Overhaul of the Prison System – If you ever want to see slavery in the 21st century, one only need look as far as our nation’s prisons. There is little effort to rehabilitate, and the impact on the physical health and socio-economic stability of the Black family has been devastating. President Obama and others should confront the prison industrial complex immediately and stop the human rights abuses taking place in our nation's prisons.
Now that people are saying that President Obama’s success implies that there is no more racism, our job becomes much more difficult. President Obama and others must be consistently asked to pull their weight so that we can get a return on our investment in the Presidential popularity contest. But while we expect President Obama to lead us, we must also remember that it is important to lead him as well. The fight is just beginning.
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 www.BoyceWatkins.com. To join the Dr. Boyce Money list, please click here.
Worried about the high cost of college for your children? This concern is certainly legitimate. On average, the cost of a college education rises by twice the rate of inflation. However, the fear of a cost increase can be mitigated if parents and students are aware of the tools available to help them cover the expense.
The 529 prepaid tuition and savings plans are among the weapons parents and students can use to cover the cost of college tuition. The 529 plans, also known as “qualified tuition plans” are designed to encourage families to save for higher education. They provide incentives to save, and also allow for additional financial and tax benefits that can make the process easier for families who plan ahead. All 50 states sponsor at least one type of 529 plan, so there are options available for any citizen in any state.
Note that there is a difference between the 529 prepaid tuition plans and the 529 college savings plans. The 529 prepaid tuition plans allow parents and students to purchase credits for tuition at a chosen university and sometimes even room and board. The price of tuition, room and board is held fixed, with no inflationary changes for the duration of the investment (in other words, the cost of tuition doesn’t change for you like it does for everyone else). Most of the plans are sponsored by the state government and also have some kind of residency requirement. In exchange for meeting these requirements, the state government will provide a guarantee for the investment made in the 529 plan.
The 529 savings plans are similar to the prepaid tuition plans, with some mild variations. The plans allow an individual (usually the parent) to set up a plan for another individual (the student) with the goal of paying for the student’s educational expenses. The plans also allow plenty of flexibility in choosing the beneficiary, and you can even choose yourself as the beneficiary. The funds are not guaranteed by the state or federal government and you are given an array of investment options for the funds you’ve deposited into your account. In other words, the government lets you have more freedom of choice, but they take less responsibility in the event that your choice is incorrect.
The tax advantages of 529 plans are quite strong. While rules can vary by state, you are not typically required to pay state and federal taxes on earnings from either type of 529 plan. The only requirement is that any withdrawals from the plan are being used to pay qualified college expenses. Withdrawing the funds to pay for items not related to the cost of college attendance will lead to a 10% penalty in addition to any applicable federal and state income taxes.
My thoughts on the issue? Prepaid tuition plans are the safest bet, as long as you are sure that you don’t want to leave the state to attend college. While you are allowed out of the deal in most cases, there is a penalty for doing so. The 529 Savings plans are better for those who want to have a bit more flexibility in attendance options, as well as the chance to possibly outrun the cost of college tuition.
One other important thing to remember is that investing in your child also includes things like paying for tutors and after school programs, thus making your child academically competitive. Getting your child ready for college in the 9th and 10th grades is far more effective than waiting for the 11th and 12th grades. All of these investments can give you a very nice return when you consider the fact that many top universities are offering free tuition to low-income students who make good grades. You don’t have to use traditional thinking when it comes to paying for your child to go to college. I encourage you to think outside the box.
Whatever choice you make, money should not be the hurdle that keeps you or your child from higher education. Also, EVERY child is college material, no matter what the guidance counselor has said.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University. He is also the author of “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College”, and “Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good”. He is also the founder of YourBlackWorld.com, one of the top black news and commentary sites in America. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.net.
I read an article in The New York Times asking if Senator Barack Obama was the “end of black politics”. I couldn’t help but stop for a second and say “huh”? The statement confused me, since I wasn’t sure what the guy was trying to say. Was he saying that older Civil Rights leaders are no longer relevant? Was he saying that promoting a Black agenda is no longer important? I wasn’t sure. I only knew that, like CNN’s modestly degrading “Black in America” series, people were talking about this article. So I took a second to read the damn thing.
I am not so fond of the idea that a non-black publication and non-black journalist are writing articles trying to possibly kill Black politics. Not that they can’t have an opinion, but it always seems that their opinions of Black people are more important than the opinions that Black people have of Black people (notice how excited everyone was about Black in America on CNN). I grow tired of non-Black media, corporations and media personalities heavily influencing the direction of Black leadership in America. This is yet another reminder that African Americans must work to secure and patronize our own media outlets. Our socio-political destiny should not be determined by the New York Times. That would be like Ebony Magazine explaining to Jews that Nazis weren’t as bad as they think and this whole holocaust remembrance thing is just a waste of time.
I went through the article and thought about it. Essentially, the author was highlighting the generational rift in Black leadership, the one in which young hotshots (I guess I am in that group) are pitted against the tried and true, “I marched with Dr. King so you don’t know anything” generation. I respect my elders, but sometimes they think that way.
Personally, I have been frustrated by this rift and I’ve grappled with it. At the same time, I am equally frustrated by the desire of some to throw 40 years of hard work under the bus because we have the chance to have a Black President. It is disturbing that in spite of what many Black leaders have achieved over the past 400 years, people think that having a Black President is the single most significant achievement of any African American in history. Sorry, but it’s not.
Yes, getting enough votes to have a President with a Black face is important, but not the most important thing any Black man or woman has accomplished. Those who fought against slavery made the greatest sacrifices. Those who died during the Civil Rights movement made a grave sacrifice. Those of us who’ve climbed the ladder at predominantly White institutions have allowed the money and power of these institutions to blind us into believing that we’ve achieved more than we actually have. We are like the newly-signed NFL player who rolls through the hood with a beautiful woman and a new Mercedes (not even paid for), looking down on the hard working father who owns a grocery store to get his kids through school. For some reason, the wealth and validation of predominantly White institutions feeds into our own internal commitment to White supremacy by making us feel that we are more important than those who truly serve and support the masses of Black people. This is the same reason that Black professors choose to teach at Harvard over Howard, or why an athlete or entertainer feels that getting signed to a corporate endorsement makes him better than other entertainers who have lost favor with corporate America. If the American public gives you a carrot, that usually makes you a bunny who has to hop for it. Being POPULAR is not the same as being POWERFUL. What’s worse is that, for many of us, the carrot doesn’t even belong to us. So, many members of the Black middle and upper class, because they have no true ownership in the institutions with which they boast affiliation, are not much more than highly paid sharecroppers. But like an abused housewife, we avoid punishment by seeking validation from our historical abusers (no one wants to be the “bad negro” in the office) and it’s hard to maintain a commitment to Blackness when Blackness is not politically and economically convenient. In fact, Blackness gets you into trouble! (You should have seen the scowls I got after Bill O’Reilly’s last two attacks)
The author in the Times piece stated that Barack Obama’s success may cause “Black politics to disappear into America politics”. In other words, Blackness would become as coincidental as having red hair, or shopping at Best Buy. The premise is that a politician with a Black agenda can’t possibly expect to amount to anything in American society, since they would never be able to defeat a White opponent with broad White support. A businessman serving the Black community would not be able to possibly earn as much money as the man across the street catering his Business to the cultural norms of White America. A Black manager will never climb the corporate ladder if he doesn’t properly assimilate and denounce dimensions of his Blackness that make others nervous. I can’t disagree with this, since Blackness is not the easiest way to get power in a Capitalist Democracy (where money and political power are the rarest and most cherished commodities).
In spite of our temptations to let go of Blackness, the reduction of Blackness into a coincidental attribute is something that should concern us all. While I am fond of the idea of people respecting all dimensions of my humanity (i.e. CNN tends to only call me when they want to talk about “black stuff” – which makes me want to work with international networks), I choose to maintain a strong racial identity. One of the limitations of integration is that by being dependent upon predominantly White institutions to feed our children and pay our bills, we will remain subject to cultural domination. At my current position at Syracuse, no one hates me for having Black skin, they hate me for associating with “those people” (meaning Black males in prison, Black male athletes and African Americans from lower economic backgrounds).
The ultimate questions for us (which should be answered within ourselves and our community, not in the New York Times) should be the following:
1) What does it mean to be Black (to you)? I can’t tell you the answer to that question, but you should definitely answer it. Ultimately, we should be challenged to think beyond our prior limitations, those that say graduating from Harvard or Yale (with little connection to our community) automatically implies that we are a high Black achiever. The same is true for getting elected to office, getting a job promotion or having a high income. Not that these things are insignificant, but you also have a right to make your Blackness as meaningful as a Muslim’s commitment to Islam, or an American’s commitment to patriotism. Drawing these clear lines helps clarify tough choices you’ll have to make later, when someone tells you that “letting go of all that black stuff can help you make more money.” Your Blackness is like your religious or sexual virtue: If you never draw firm lines, then people will always convince you to sacrifice just a little bit more.
2) Does a Black President automatically become a Black leader, or does he become an American leader who happens to be Black? Barack Obama’s successful candidacy would imply that he is going to be an American leader, with a direct responsibility to the American people. This argues that we are still in need of Black leaders to directly promote and maintain a Black agenda without the biases that come from pandering to a fundamentally racist society. Someone has to be ready to hit the streets during the next Hurricane Katrina, Sean Bell shooting or Jena Six incident. Dumping Black leadership without finding empowered and independent replacements is a very dangerous move. You don’t kill your mother because you found a new daddy.
3) If we have a need for Black leaders, where do we get them? Not usually from mainstream American politics. American institutions are still too sick with the disease of racism to allow an individual to be both an effective Black leader and a powerful mainstream political leader, at least right now (Remember: “The O’Reilly Factor” is still the number one cable news show, which says something about our country’s mindset). Political leaders, by virtue of the fact that they are forced to “play the political middle”, apologetically pander and even demean African Americans in order to get more votes from a culturally self-centered constituency (note Barack’s 10 million apologies and denunciations), are not typically empowered enough to truly promote a Black agenda. You see, true power is not based on ACCESS to power. It is based on the ABILITY and the DESIRE to use that power for the greater good. A Black President could certainly do a great deal to help Black people and could even wipe out starvation in Ethiopia. The problem is that political constraints would not give that individual the desire or ability to do so.
- For the same reasons I mentioned above, we would also not get Black leadership from high ranking officials in media or corporate America. I am a Finance Professor and I can tell you that the incentives of American capitalism are not typically aligned with those of Black people, particularly the urban poor. Praying to the God of American money means you carry around a lot of demons.
- A reader made a great comment on my blog last month. They said “The smartest negro on the plantation was not the house negro or the field negro. The smartest negro on the plantation was the slave who ran away.” The problem is that, while the runaway slave was, in hindsight, the greatest visionary on the plantation, she was also the most disdained. She was the one who never had a chance to work in the “Big House”, and she was the one that all the other slaves chose not to associate with. When it comes to power in America, one of the great consequences of integration is that it leads to “dis-integration” of your cultural norms, Black identity and Black culture. The only solution to this problem is to use the spirit of the runaway slave to actively engage in the building of political and economic institutions in the Black community, those that are free from the cultural sacrifices we all make by trying to climb the White American corporate or governmental ladder. At that point, new relationships with White America can be established, interactions based on mutual respect and cooperation. I can say, for example, that I became truly liberated as a Black man when I learned to validate myself, educate myself and own my own business (I know that my university will never give me awards, promotions or validation for what I do in the Black community, because my work runs counter to the incentives created by the racially exclusive foundation of most American universities – in other words, there is an eternal price to pay when you go 130 years without hiring any Black professors). But building our own institutions requires patience, courage and a square ability to let go of our need for others to tell us that we are good or important. You are still significant, even if you don’t get that promotion.
To make a long story short, I don’t agree with the New York Times writer that Barack Obama will be the end of Black politics (the author is an admitted outsider to Black America). I am even offended that the New York Times feels that they have the ability to try to tell me that Black Politics is dead. Black people decide if Black politics lives or dies, and we are the ones who choose our destiny.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “What if George Bush were a Black Man?” For more information, visit www.BoyceWatkins.net.
www.BoyceWatkins.net Quick Notes: I was on Jesse Jackson’s radio show again yesterday. Here is a link to Rev. Jackson’s first public speech since the Barack Obama incident. I also want to say congratulations to my attorney, Nicole Taylor, in Louisville, KY who just started her own legal practice. Nicole (one of the sharpest people I know) had a child at the age of 15, and then went on to graduate at the top of her class for her BA, MBA and JD degrees. She shows that we should never give up on our kids, especially young mothers.
The topic of Rev. Jackson's show was continuing the legacy of Dr. King. Most of us know how watered down Dr. King's dream has become and we sometimes forget the significant link between Dr. King's dream and the quest for economic equality. Here is a link to a study that you might find interesting. It shows that racism is still rampant in our country and that many people know it. This doesn't surprise me, since the United Nations Human Rights Watch has criticized our country heavily as a result of our nation’s commitment to maintaining a two-tiered society. In the report, they mentioned the following: 1) The disproportionate number of black men in the prison system (Note: this links directly to the high number of AIDS cases in our community, since the government does very little to stop prison rape). 2) Black men getting longer sentences for the same crimes. 3) Black men are far more likely to go to prison for the same crimes and less likely to receive adequate counsel (This links to the impact that Jim Crow and Slavery have had on the disproportionate allocation of wealth in our society - therefore, black men are statistically less capable of paying for expensive attorneys) 4) Black children are less likely to receive an adequate education (We know that many inner city schools are horrible. Also, the legacy of racial inequality creates lower wealth levels in the inner city and thus a lower tax base to support public schools). Senator Obama expects your vote, so I hope you also ask for his vote. The fight today is not so much against racism: it is against racial inequality. Racial inequality is what you get when you’ve built the foundation of your society on racially destructive habits, norms and activities that advance one ethnic group over another. Even when racism leaves the room, racial inequality remains long afterward. In light of the recent apology for slavery and Jim Crow by our Congress, we might want to consider the following: 1) Since the Federal Government (our largest and most powerful institution) has apologized for slavery, oppression and Jim Crow, does that also imply that many of the smaller institutions in America (universities, corporations and media outlets over 100 years old) should apologize as well? For example, my institution, Syracuse University, spent over 100 years excluding African Americans from opportunity, thus leading to an incredibly skewed distribution of decision-making authority on our campus today. This leads to a lower quality of education for students of color and fewer opportunities for black faculty to have leadership positions. This is not just true here, but EVERYWHERE. The first step toward fixing a problem is to acknowledge it. It is also important to realize that the past does not live in a vacuum: it lives all around us. Most people, places, objects and concepts are here today because of something that someone did in the past - so addressing the present is a way to address the past. 2) Given that Congress has apologized for slavery and Jim Crow, what should our government do next? If I do something to harm another person, the first step toward healing is to acknowledge and apologize. I applaud Congress for issuing an apology. The next step, once I have decided to apologize, is to ask “How do I make it right?” If we are truly on the path toward racial reconciliation in our country, we must be responsible enough to ensure that we actually correct the damage that has been done. That means affirmative action programs are not seen as discriminatory, but rather, necessary in order to take affirmative steps to correct the firm commitment toward inequality that has crippled our nation for the past 400 years. Affirmative Action programs for White males and privileged Americans have been built for several hundred years and exist in American institutions today. Only additional Affirmative Action programs can help us achieve equality. In a racist, sexist society, you don’t get equality by accident. You have to take affirmative steps to work for it. 3) In a recent news story, I was asked (as a Finance Professor) about the feasibility of reparations. I would like to hear your ideas on how reparations should occur, given that reparations is the only logical way to correct the damage of the past. My thoughts on reparations are that sending everyone a check would be expensive, counter-productive and infeasible. Personally, I would like to see Senator Obama or McCain work toward a commitment to the following: - Creating a path to ensure equal funding for inner city schools. When I speak at these schools, I notice a dramatic difference in quality from the schools I see in the suburbs. I don't want to see that anymore. - A commitment to maintaining Affirmative Action programs to ensure that African Americans have opportunities to obtain jobs and college admission – we can’t assume people are going to hire us within decision-making hierarchies designed to advance the ambitions and cultural norms of White males: if a company has never hired a black manager before, there is no reason to assume they are going to do it now. We are less likely to be part of the "good old boy" networks that lead companies to hire and promote those who are politically connected. Many of you work for corporations that don’t hire Black managers and live in cities with depression-era unemployment rates for Black people. THIS IS WRONG AND UNACCEPTABLE. - An assessment by a group of independent scholars and consultants to determine the institutional, social and economic damage of slavery, Jim Crow and a 400 year commitment to racial exclusion. For example, many universities have no tenured Black faculty as a result of racial exclusion, many corporations have no Black managers, White family wealth is 7 times higher than that for Black families and many media outlets have no Black hosts and little African American programming. All of this should be considered and put into proper context. - Programs and plans to support the development of Black Businesses: Personally, I believe that every Black child in America should learn entrepreneurship (whether you teach them or someone else). Even highly paid Black professionals who have not learned the importance of economic responsibility and independence can become high-paid sharecroppers with no latitude for political or moral courage. Financial liberation is the key to social and political liberation, since you will always be a slave to the person who feeds your children. - An increased commitment to head start and early education programs for children of color: Even the most hardened criminal started as an innocent child. It was our careless world that made him/her brutal. - An evaluation of the educational system to ensure that the public is properly educated on Black history and the impact of past racial exclusion on modern day America: Part of the reason Bill O’Reilly has a show is because our country is so horribly uneducated about the impact of racism. That’s why silly people like John McCain and Ward Connerly can convince others that getting rid of Affirmative Action is the same as fighting against racism. Any educated person knows the difference. Please state your own opinions by visiting our blog if you have something to say. My apologies for not being able to reply to every email. Either way, you know you have my love and support, and I appreciate your support as well. Sincerely, Dr. Boyce Watkins
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