Showing posts with label african american politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african american politics. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Technology Now Used to Predict Criminal Intent

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Scholarship in Action 

It is being reported that law enforcement officials in Washington DC plan to use a new computer program that claims to be able to predict which citizens are most likely to commit crime. The concept conjures up images of the Tom Cruise film, "Minority Report," in which agents were able to predict "pre-crime": Crime that hasn't happened yet, and is set to occur. But far from science fiction, this program is based on reality.
The program was developed by Richard Berk, a professor at The University of Pennsylvania. The first version of the program was used to predict future murders among parolees, but it is being argued that the software can be used for all kinds of crime.
"When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an officer. The question that officer has to answer is 'what level of supervision do you provide?'" Berk told ABC News.
The program could have real implications, including determining the amount of a person's bail or how long they are to remain in a halfway house upon their release from prison. The program works by using a large database of crimes and other factors, including geographic location, age, prior offenses and the criminal record of the person being considered.

Click to read.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Jesse Jackson Speaks on the Sean Bell Settlement

 

To hear what other black public figures had to say, please click here.

 

The family of Sean Bell has stood tall during this tragic and difficult ordeal and for that they should be commended.  Rev. Sharpton and the National Action Network should also be commended as well for their continuous pursuit to seek justice.  I continue to pray for the families of Sean Bell, Joseph Guzmen and Trent Benefield.

The pattern of police shooting unarmed innocent black men is becoming all too common.  However, it magnifies symptoms of a deeper problem of insensitivity and detachment within police departments across the country.   

Today it is clearer than ever that we need vigorous action by local and state authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce civil rights laws, EEOC, contract compliance and affirmative action. I hope the President and his administration will address these issues head-on to deal with issues surrounding equal protection under the law for all Americans.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Dr. Boyce on TheLoop21 – 7/22/10

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Obama’s Declining Poll Numbers: Not His Fault

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, July 16, 2010

Why Would an NFL Player Choose to Also Deal Drugs?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

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

Click to read.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Black Female Unemployment Drops Big Time

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Black Women Get Good News about Unemployment Again

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

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

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Rick Ross Responds to Lawsuit Filed by Drug Dealer Ricky Ross

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




Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Latest from Dr. Boyce - 6/26/10

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Obama and Fatherhood: "No Excuses Applies to You Too"

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Mariah Carey Sued for $30,000 in Vet Bills

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Teen Kicked Out of Jury Duty for Wearing Kanye West T-Shirt

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Government Accuses Twitter of Giving Away Your Personal Information

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Congressman Contrasts 'Minorities' With 'Good American People'

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Nas Can't Afford Kelis' Home: Plans to Sell Soon




Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Rick Ross Sued by the Real Ricky Ross

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I never bought into the hype that Rick Ross was a fraud. Everyone seemed to feel that because he was found to have been a corrections officer in a previous life, that he somehow violated the oath which says that rappers have to be criminals in order to sell records. I don't know how true or false the rumors happen to be, but the fact is that I never cared.


However, when I found out that there is reason to believe that the rapper Rick Ross took his name from the notorious drug dealer "Freeway" Ricky Ross, I thought to myself, "This is just stupid. Why can't the brother just be himself?"

 

Click to read




Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Suge Knight, Single Mothers, Rev. Al, Obama and More - 6/22/10

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Suge Knight, Kanye West: Lawsuit, Guns and Money

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How Love and Money Mix and How You Can Do it the Right Way

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Black Single Mothers and Dating: What's It Really Like?

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Should Facebook Be Held Accountable for Murders by Members?

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Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Boyce Discuss the Plight of the Black Male

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Obama's Fatherhood.gov Commercial: Too Feminine for Black Men?

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BP Chooses a Black Man to Head its Claims Process

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Son of Dallas Police Chief Suspected in Killing a Cop




Sunday, June 20, 2010

What Black Fathers Must Do Right Now

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

 

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


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

 

Click to read




Saturday, June 19, 2010

The NCAA is In Need of Serious Reform

Dr. Boyce Watkins - The Institute of Black Public Policy

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

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

Click to read




Tuesday, June 15, 2010

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


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

Hey peeps,

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

Dr. Boyce

 

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

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Former NBA Star Antoine Walker Faces 12 Years in Prison

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

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

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

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

South African Horns Criticized During World Cup

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

Posted by Staffat 9:32 PM0 comments

Anita Baker Accused of Butchering the National Anthem

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What do you think? ;

Posted by Staffat 9:23 PM0 comments

Rapper Vigalantee Raps about Black Women

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

Posted by Staffat 9:15 PM0 comments

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

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Slim Thug Attempts to Defend His Comments about Black Women

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NFL Player Reggie Wayne Sues Mistress for Charging Up Credit Card

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

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

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

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

Click to read.

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

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

What does Barack Obama Have in Common with 50 Cent?

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

Posted by Staffat 12:38 PM0 comments

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010

Paterson NJ Cop Videotaped While Macing a Black Man

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


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

Lil Wayne disrespects women because he's allowed to.

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

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

Click to read.

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