Tracy Morgan’s Ill-Timed and Embarrassing Remarks on TNT

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action

Turner Network Television took the interesting step of apologizing for lewd remarks on the network made by comedian/actor Tracy Morgan. During an interesting back and forth with Charles Barkley in which they were debating the “hotness” of Sarah Palin, Morgan said the following:

"Now let me tell you something about Sarah Palin man, she's good masturbation material. The glasses and all that? Great masturbation material."

Of course my own jaw dropped when I heard what Morgan said, and you could see the white guy on the scene, Ernie Johnson, rushing to get Morgan off-camera. Everyone was clearly nervous after Morgan’s remarks, for good reason. A lot of jobs were on the line as the words leaked out of his mouth.

In spite of my serious disdain for Sarah Palin, I found the comments to be sad and pathetic. Palin is a married mother of five children, so to force her kids to hear of their mother being referenced in this way was nothing short of despicable. I would be outraged if he’d said that about my mother.

I also thought about the nature of media in general. As Charles and Tracy were yucking it up on camera with another “Yea man, let me tell you!” I thought about how mainstream media is always interested in accommodating black men in media who are most willing to fulfill silly stereotypes.

If Morgan or Barkley were intelligent, conscientious and serious black men, there’d be no place for them on the airwaves. Turner Network Television is the same company that owns CNN, the place where no black person as of yet has been allowed to host a prime time news show. But they were, however, very quick to give comedian DL Hughley a show in which he fed an endless supply of embarrassing racial stereotypes to a predominantly white audience right before President Obama was elected as the first black president. Perhaps black men are far more interesting when we portray ourselves as irresponsible sexual deviants who make people laugh, but being educated is simply “not black enough.” That's why men like Flava Flav will always get more network opportunities than Dr. Cornel West.

You can’t blame Tracy Morgan for being ignorant, that’s just who he is. But you must confront mainstream corporate media for always giving ignorance a platform.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.

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?

Click to read more.

 

 

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Barack Obama's 30 Minute TV Spot: Take a Look

Dr. Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.com

For those who want to hear more of my take on the DL Hughley thing, I'll be speaking on it on the following shows over the next few days:

WDAS Philadelphia - Thursday at 1 pm EST

NPR ("Tell me more with Michele Martin" - National) - Friday morning at 9:15 EST

The Wendy Williams Experience (National) - Friday 4:10 pm EST

Hot 97 ("Street Soldiers" - New York) - Friday night at 9 pm EST

We also put a link which allows you to write the producers at CNN to tell them what you think.

I am going to meet with one of the major networks about a Financial show they have in development. As soon as I am given the green light to share what is going on, I will do that. I am honestly hesitant about dealing with the major networks however, since I enjoy making my own money and remaining independent. But if the terms are right and there's (in my friend Vigalantee's words) "no-jangling", I might consider doing such a show.


Barack Obama has my respect and I am going to vote for him. Here is a link to his 30 minute prime-time presentation for those of you who have not had a chance to take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtREqAmLsoA

Finally, I want to give a shout out to the students at my alma mater, The University of Kentucky. They were recently hit with a nasty racial incident, in which an effigy of Senator Barack Obama was found hanging from a tree.

I spoke on a few media outlets on this topic and called for the President of the university to realize that it is the lack of true commitment to cultural diversity which created the social incubator that allows these incidents to happen. Racial incidents occurred at The University of Kentucky when I was in college, and they continue to happen to this day. It will never stop until the university makes an honest commitment to creating real diversity by allowing progressive African Americans to become involved in the decision-making structure of that campus. Most progressive Black faculty (myself included) left the state of Kentucky due to racism, and some were forced out by academic departments that, quite frankly, don't respect or appreciate Black scholarship. Perhaps the president can show his commitment by asking some of them to come back. I encourage the students and faculty to also stand strong and demand the fairness that the university has been promising (and delaying) for the past 40 years. It is time to be strong so that the next generation doesn't have to come to school to find their cherished leaders hanging from a tree.

Don't forget: if you want to get your finances straight, please join our list for financial advice. Economic freedom is a critical component of our socio-political freedom. Only you can save and protect your family.

Be well,

Dr. Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.com

Dr. Boyce - Jesse Jackson Show Today

I am going to be on the Jesse Jackson Radio show this morning. I get the chance to appear on this show a lot, along with my good friend Marc Lamont Hill. I am glad to see Jesse back out there on the front lines of our conversations, we need him.

I hate the idea that we can be so willing to exchange all black leadership for a black president. Barack Obama is great, but he can't replace black leadership in America.

On a side note, I saw the movie "Batman" again last night. Heath Ledger's performance was amazing, and it was one of the best movies I've seen all year. So no, I am not always meditating on racial inequality every second of the day. However, I do give the Batman films kudos for a diverse representation of African Americans. I don't mind seeing black inmates in a film, but I enjoy the fact that Batman movies show us black police commissioners, black judges, and black scientists. That's certainly more than I can say for the film "Hancock", which showed black men as drunks and prison inmates. What was that all about?

CNN’s Black in America: Exactly What it was Meant to Be

Dr. Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.net

When I received the email about CNN’s recent series “Black in America”, I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t sad: I was indifferent. I saw it for what it was: an attempt to use viral marketing to achieve a ratings hit against Fox News. But after seeing the same damn email forwarded to me over and over and over again, I knew one thing: many black people were excited….really excited, as if CNN were the Union Army and this were a modern-day Juneteenth. The email was forwarded as a “must see”, save-the-date, tell ya mama, grandmamma, baby’s mama event that was going to change the world. Finally, the predominantly white media was going to give us a fair shake and truly tell our story. They were going to help White America understand what we go through and why we are not the animals some think we are. They were going to present hurdles and solutions that will help us come together as a nation. Call me a skeptic, but if the media has never told our story accurately in the past, what in the hell made us think they were going to do it right this time?

Given that some label me a “haterologist” for daring to question the religious figure known as Barack Obama (I am cautiously, yet strongly supportive and protective of Barack, but I insist that anyone who gets my vote communicates an effective urban agenda) I chose to let the liquor keep flowing at the “We Shall Overcome via CNN” Happy Hour in Black America. In other words, I remained silent, since it’s not fun to bring bad news (academics are trained to be skeptical, even if we think something is good). All of us were ready to pull out the popcorn and kool-aid, to stare down the TV set like we were watching Beyonce give birth in outer space. The CNN event was truly the Black middle class version of the BET Video Music Awards, without all the gold teeth and stuff.

I watched the show the same way I normally watch CNN: between flights in random airports. I don’t even watch CNN when I appear on the network, since I stay pretty busy. I won’t say how I felt after the special; I’ll just let you read my facial expression through these words. Imagine a modest-looking, youngish-oldish, blackish/brownish bald man with a twisted frown-like scowl, a twitching, squinted left eye, a curled up bottom lip and gritted teeth, viewing a TV screen between his two middle fingers. Sort of like the face you make when watching an Olympic gymnast fall crotch-first onto the balance beam right before breaking his leg.

“Black in America” was the socio-political lovefest between CNN and Black people that just wasn’t going to materialize. It was the day when we in middle class Black America truly thought we were going to be vindicated, and the world would finally learn to love us. Black America became Jeremiah Wright at The National Press Club, thinking that the same media that destroyed his image was going to be the source of image repair. But like Jeremiah Wright (whom I respect tremendously), we marched away angrily, kicking the cracks in the sidewalk, shocked that we’d all been bamboozled. We were finally invited into the game, but only so they could use our ball and make us the mascot.

I don’t hate CNN, I’ve done a lot of work with them. I do, however, hate Fox News….well, just Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity (great job this week Nas – even though you should stop marketing yourself as a replacement for Jesse Jackson). I don’t question the motives of the producers, including Soledad O’Brien, a woman I truly believe to care about black people. I also felt that Paula Zahn (a former host) really wanted to dig to the root of racial inequality in an honest way. I did not, however, feel that CNN could pull off an honest conversation on race, and I don’t believe they wanted to. They were, to me, like American Generals thinking they could muscle their way to peace in Iraq. They felt that if they spent enough money, engaged in enough viral marketing and got enough black people excited, they could create a ratings monster.

CNN achieved its goal. What made me feel bad for black people is that many of us actually thought that their goals were the same as our own. Here are more quick thoughts:

1) Black people were not the target audience of this series. CNN was not talking TO black people, they were talking ABOUT black people. Understand, there is a difference between telling white America how horrible black people can be vs. telling White people things they may not want to hear. Sure, CNN was glad to have Black viewers, but they are designed to cater to the other 87% of the population, not the 13% who serve as stars of the show. Black people have always made good entertainment for the corporate news monster, which feeds itself from the number of eyeballs it gets on the screen.

2) Most of the content for a TV news show, guest selection, and everything else, comes from the mind of the producer(s). Most producers of cable news shows, and all of the hosts, are non-black. Their viewpoints, structured in a racist society, are going to manifest themselves in the content of the show. Our media school here at Syracuse is one of the top 3 in the world and we have a lot of students who go on to become producers at CNN, FOX, NBC, etc. During a highly racist show created on our campus news network a couple of years ago (it led to the studio being shut down and students being harshly and unfairly disciplined), I noted that it was not the fault of the students that they see the world the way they do. It’s the fault of their parents and educators who refuse to teach them what they need to understand about race. America must face the truth about racism in order to properly educate news producers to provide a more enlightened perspective. As I began working with international news organizations this year, the contrast became quite clear: I enjoy appearing on international networks like Al Jazeera much more than CNN, Fox and MSNBC. The difference is like comparing a gourmet meal of knowledge to crackers from a sound bite vending machine. That’s why I only watch cable news in airports.

3) The Black in America series was done for one reason: to take away Fox News’ Black viewers (Black people hate Fox, and I am glad they do) and to defeat O’Reilly at the ratings game. While Black in America did very well in the ratings, it was still second to The O’Reilly Factor. The idea that there are 2.5 million people in America who watch O’Reilly every night says something about where we stand in America as it pertains to race. If CNN is trying to steal these viewers, then an honest reflection on racism is not going to achieve that goal.

4) The way this show was done underscores the need to finance and secure more black-owned media (I shared this with Rev. Jackson this week, since I was disappointed that his mishap with the microphone occurred on Fox – whether you like Jesse or not, our most respected and cherished leaders should not have to lean toward racist venues like Fox News to get a message to their people). No one else will ever tell our story the way we would tell it. This underscores the importance of supporting black media outlets and even going to the Internet to get your news if necessary. This does not imply that CNN can’t be a valid source of news, but I encourage their network to get more black hosts and producers so they can tell the story right next time.

5) Personally, I was a bit offended by the “Black in America” series, primarily because it gave me exactly what I expected: a series of shallow statistics and vignettes, featuring the most dramatically negative aspects of our existence, all provided without context to an audience that sits back and says “What’s wrong with those people?” I can’t help but wonder if a show called “White in America” would be produced, showing many negative realities of the White community. What is most ironic is that such a series would never be acceptable.

Only Black people feel the pressure to answer for every little thing that happens in all corners of our community. We will even say that we are “embarrassed” by something we saw on TV. I’ve never seen a White man get embarrassed by the behavior of someone in a trailer park, so I don’t get embarrassed by Flavor Flav. It is the lack of image diversity in mainstream media that makes us angry at Flavor Flav for simply being who he is. The truth is that we should wonder why it is ONLY Flavor Flav on the network, and not another Black image to balance him out.

Self-reflection is necessary. But I don’t believe in self-hatred. To LIFT yourself, you must learn to LOVE yourself. CNN’s “Black in America” didn’t give us much to love. But looking for love externally doesn’t usually work anyway, so why were we trying so hard? The next time CNN offers us a media Juneteenth, this slave will already have left the plantation, I’ll be educating my God kids instead.

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.net.

Nas, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama: My thoughts

Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.net

Quick thoughts of the day:

1) I was sad to see that the rapper Nas joined the group of attackers on Rev. Jesse Jackson. Personally, I think that Nas may have been rightfully upset at the fact that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton denounced Nas' album "Nigger" before he changed the title. I think that as we criticize Jackson for his remarks, we should not forget the sacrifices he made for our country. I also think that Nas should remember that his comments about how Jesse needs to step aside are also being made about old-ass rappers like himself. We have to respect our elders, even when they say things that we don't agree with.

2) My good friend Marc Lamont Hill brought this thought to me during an earlier phone conversation (we were discussing why there are some black scholars afraid to associate with professors like myself....scholars tend to fear those who step out of the ivory tower, that's why most of your professors don't do the kinds of things I do) Why is it the case that when Barack Obama told all Americans that their kids need to learn a second language, he was called "elitist", but when he told black people that they need to be more responsible he was called "heroic"? Actually, most American kids are horribly deficient relative to the rest of the world in their language skills. I recall going to Germany and watching the guy who worked at Subway speak literally 3 different languages to customers from other countries. How many fast food workers do YOU know who speak 3 different languages?

I fear black people spending our lives like Cinderella, hoping that if we just get pretty enough, just well-behaved enough, then the step sisters are going to love us. The truth is that Cinderella was always beautiful and she didn't know it. Criticism from politicians about broad ethnic groups is dangerous because it justifies continued racial discrimination. It says "the reason this company has not hired a black person in 20 years is because black people don't know how to act". The other thing you must realize is that even if you get 30 million people to change their behavior, the media WILL ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.

Bottom line: Learn to love yourself and stop falling for all this political bullcrap. If a politician only finds something to critique when he visits black people, there is something wrong with that.

Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Personal Responsibility

Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.net

My questions of the day:

I am in a commercial break during my interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson. I wanted to ask an important question that my good friend Dr. Marc Lamont Hill brought up during our discussion:

1) When Cosby challenged African Americans to be responsible, he was applauded. When Obama claimed that African American males are more irresponsible than other ethnic groups, he was applauded. But when individuals speak out to hold Barack Obama responsible, they are attacked. I wonder why that is?

2) One of our consistent bloggers (El Rancho) made this point: To say that we don't need Black leaders if we have a Black president, isn't that like saying that if John McCain is president, we don't need the AARP to represent Senior citizens?

3) Why is the language of personal responsibility only used when referring to African Americans? Do they use this language to discuss the alcoholics on college campuses, government fiscal irresponsibility with the War in Iraq or irresponsibility by lenders during the sub-prime lending crisis? I am a fan of personal responsibility (I have lived it for my entire life), but the notion that Black males have a monopoly on irresponsible behavior is kind of silly.

Jesse Jackson, Boyce Watkins on the Radio Tomorrow Morning

I'm set to appear on the Jesse Jackson Show tomorrow morning at 8 am, along with one of my esteemed colleagues, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. I am sure I don't have to tell you the topic of the discussion, since we all know that Rev. Jackson's unfortunate slip on Barack Obama has kept the world churning as of late.

I should make these quick points on the issue, so you can understand my perspective. This point of view came from personal reflections, extensive conversations with individuals in media, politics, and leadership and even a good conversation with my mama. I love my mama. What is most interesting is that she complains about Jesse Jackson more than she compliments him (the same for my father, a high ranking police official). But she made a good point that it's easy for us to attack people for what they are not doing when the truth is that most of us aren't doing anything. Remember that Jesse was #3 on the list of world leaders most likely to be assassinated (behind the President and the Pope). He has sacrificed for our community, and although I have critiqued him myself in the past, I consider him to be an elder worthy of respect. It was his landmark run for the White House that cleared the path for Senator Obama to do what he is doing today. I will never forget that.

Here are my thoughts:

1) I am not sure if we should be so quick to believe that a Black president can replace every Black leader in America. As I've asked before, who is going to show up for the next Hurricane Katrina or Sean Bell shooting? I will give you a hint, it may not be Barack Obama (his response to the Sean Bell shooting was quite weak, to be honest). This doesn't mean that Obama shouldn't get our vote, but you can't throw out your mama just because you have a new daddy. The fight for Black people should be multi-dimensional in nature.

2) Let's not forget that there is a difference between the hatred Rev. Jackson is receiving in the blogosphere and so-called mainstream media (almost none of which is owned by Black people) vs. what is happening in the street. When I put my ear to the street, there is a concern that Senator Obama is not prepared to truly represent the interests of rank and file, working Black folks. Not the hoity-toity of us who went to college and make enough money to (uncomfortably) afford the high price of gas. But rather, those who don't worry about the price of gas because they can't afford to buy a car. This reflects a clear division between the haves and have-nots, implying that we are as diverse as any other group of people. What is most challenging for me is that while I supported many of Senator Obama's positions on the BET shoot we did last weekend, I am concerned that other interest groups may move him toward anti-Black agendas in the White House. Jesse may have wanted to cut his n*tts off, but it appears that others may have his n*tts in a vice grip already (excuse my French, but I have to tell it like it is).

3) Senator Obama (again, whom I support) is, in many ways, like most other politicians. The reason he felt comfortable stereotyping black men (whether you agree that his comments were off base or not) and no other ethnic group is because he knew there would be little negative political consequence for doing so, but tremendous benefit from those who already think Black males are immoral (note that Bill O'Reilly congratulated him on his speech). He would not, however, take the same tone with AIPAC (the pro-Israel lobby) no matter how questionable their policies (they could have a 100% fatherless rate and he wouldn't say a word). Why is that? Because they are mobilized, organized and well-funded. African Americans must become engaged and educated in the political process in order to become equally funded and equally mobilized to ensure that our interests are protected. Asking Barack Obama to help black folks is like borrowing money from a loving relative: charity will get you so far, but ultimately, you have to make it worth their while to keep supporting you. It would be selfish and silly to expect otherwise.

4) If you want to be nit-picky about Senator Obama's position on Black fathers, we cannot presume that he "can relate to the issue" because he was abandoned by an African American man. Obama's father was KENYAN. So, as a black man, it's hard enough to defend the silly stuff that happens here without being forced to account for what someone did across the sea. That is like holding white males accountable for what a man did in the Ukraine.

5) I would not presume that Rev. Jackson's challenge to Obama implies that he doesn't advocate for personal responsibility. Anyone who has heard Rev. Jackson speak knows that he is very conservative in his value systems. Actually, the only things that make him liberal are that he speaks for black people, stands up for the poor, and believes in stronger gun control. I don't defend his remarks against Obama, but my belief is that, again, we should think carefully before trading in 40 years of sacrifice for a few speeches on hope and change. I will vote for Obama, but I want to wait and see if he does the right thing for us, or allows other groups (some of whom dislike African Americans) to control his actions. What you believe is not as important as what you do.

Finally, let's love ourselves. I am not a fan of the idea of denouncing strong blackness just because the words make others uncomfortable (that doesn't include Rev. Jackson's comments this week, but rather, the words of Jeremiah Wright and others who speak out on racial inequality). Getting into the big white house on the hill is a good thing, but we must remember that the ultimate goal is to get off the plantation.

Ice T vs. Soulja Boy Need to Kill the Beef Right Now

Some might wonder why I have the desire to comment on the beef between Soulja Boy and Ice T. But I hope people remember that professors are also people, and I am not a Finance Professor who happens to be black, I am a black man who happens to be a Finance Professor. So, for those who don't like hearing me speak on hip hop, deal with it.

I get mixed up in some hip hop beefs every now and then, as I spent a lot of time providing perspective on the beef between Ice Cube, 50 Cent and Oprah Winfrey last year. I speak with a lot of artists when I go to Hot 97 and BET, and I enjoy talking to them about how to manage their money and get their finances straight within an industry that is quick to financially rape black men.

The beef between Soulja Boy and Ice T was interesting, as Ice T doesn't seem to feel that Soulja Boy is adding anything to hip hop. In his remarks, Ice T told Soulja Boy to "eat a ....." (no, it was not a cheeseburger). Soulja Boy came back hard, referring to Ice T as an "Old ass n*gga", among other things.

I can't disagree, Ice T is pretty old. I don't know too many rappers born in 1958. He's actually old enough to be Soulja Boy's grandfather. At the same time, elders must be respected, and few artists have this kind of staying power. Ice T printed game unlike any other before or after him, and that contribution must be respected. But respect must be earned, and I don't feel that Ice earned his respect with the way he came at Soulja Boy.

I wrote an article or two on the topic, but I won't go into that. But I can say that when I watched the commentary by Soulja Boy, I saw a confused kid. I saw a young man who was (in his words) "poor as hell" just a year earlier, trying to find a way to make a living for he and his family. He said that he had tremendous respect for Ice T, and I speculate that he would have wanted to hear an older person say "eat your vegetables", instead of "eat a .....".

I could tell that Soulja Boy was hurt by the criticism. But when a man comes that hard at you, you have to respond strongly like a man. I am sure that he would rather have seen Ice T reach out to him and (in his words) "give him some pointers". Instead, Ice T came with the attack first, rather than trying to communicate as a brother or father figure.

I respect Ice T and I know alot about him from my conversations with Wendy Williams at WBLS. He is an amazing talent and his wife Coco, beyond being a stripper, is actually the intellectual engine that makes his empire move. So, seeing such an astute, intelligent and talented man like Ice T come at a 17-year old kid in such a nasty way really shocked the hell out of me.

Ice T, you're a man and a true playa. Now, swallow your pride, pick up the phone and mentor this young kid. Part of being a man means being man enough to admit that you were wrong. Soulja Boy's insults to you were really a reflection of his pain and disappointment. Young people don't need our disses, they need our guidance. Now get to transmittin game.

Don Imus, Black American Protest: Contact Information for Imus

Here is the contact information for the producers of Imus in the Morning. Here is a form letter you can use when you write them via email. Here is a link to an email you can use to forward this message to anyone else you feel might Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, BET, Hip Hop vs. America, rapperswant to fight this issue.

Mail:
[Same as street address]
Phone:Fax:
(212) 613-3800(212) 613-3866
Street:
2 Penn Plz17th FlNew York, NY 10121
Home Page:Email:
http://www.wabcradio.com/webmaster@wabcradio.com


Anderson, Bruce PM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 613-3800 (212) 613-3823 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Bartlett, Rob AM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 268-5730 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Bonk, Lisa Advertising Sales Manager (212) 613-3888 (212) 613-3866 lisa.bonk@citcomm.com

Borneman, Steve President & General Manager (212) 613-3801 (212) 613-3866 steve.borneman@citcomm.com

Boyce, Phil News Director (212) 613-3805 (212) 613-3866 phil.boyce@citcomm.com

Boyce, Phil Operations Manager (212) 613-3805 (212) 613-3866 phil.boyce@citcomm.com

Boyce, Phil Programming President (212) 613-3805 (212) 613-3866 phil.boyce@citcomm.com

Foster, Karith AM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 268-5730 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Gigante, Robert Late Night On Air Personality (212) 613-3800 (212) 613-3866 grant@wabcradio.com

Hannity, Sean PM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 301-3554 (212) 613-3866 hannity@foxnews.com

Imus, Don AM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 613-3800 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Levin, Mark Late Night On Air Personality (212) 268-5730 (212) 613-3866 mark.levin@citcomm.com

Maldonado, Jack Sports Director (212) 613-3863 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

McCord, Charles AM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 268-5730 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Powell, Tony AM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 268-5730 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Slender, Leslie Marketing Director (212) 613-3800 (212) 613-3866 leslie.slender@citcomm.com

Slender, Leslie Promotion Director (212) 613-3800 (212) 613-3866 leslie.slender@citcomm.com

Sliwa, Curtis Mid-Day On Air Personality (212) 613-3872 (212) 613-3866 webmaster@wabcradio.com

Winek, Linda Web Site Contact (212) 613-3802 (212) 613-3866 linda.winek@citcomm.com

Wolf, Warner AM Drive-Time On Air Personality (212) 613-3800 (212) 613-3866 warner.wolf@citcomm.com

Barack Obama and Black Fathers, Why Black Men are Still Fuming

I received a lot of email from both men and women about my comments on Barack Obama's Father's Day speech. I watched the speech, hoping that I could find some way that I was wrong about Barack. Perhaps his speech writers, surely the best in the business, slid in a line or two conditionalizing his statements to remind us that Father's Day is a day to celebrate good fathers, not to spend all our time mulling over the bad ones.

I looked and looked for that one line of salvation and never found it. That makes me sad, since many of the emails I received were from black fathers who came right out of the Bill Cosby book of parenthood (even though Cosby has made some dirty mistakes of his own as a dad). These men, some of whom were conservatives or in the military, did not understand why little time was spent giving them the same respect we give women on Mother's Day. Instead, they were fed the same old stereotypes of black male irresponsibility. These were the same stereotypes that allowed their ex-wives or mothers of their children to feel completely vindicated for any poor treatment bestowed upon them as they worked hard to stay in their childrens' lives. They were the same stereotypes that keep the 50% of divorced white males of America comfortable that their broken homes are not as bad as the broken homes of black men. After all, the presidential candidates conveniently forget to critique White America in the same way they critique the black male. I thought Obama was 50% white? Doesn't that mean that he is as much a part of White America (thus entitled to critique) as he is Black America? Or is he just the Black Candidate?

To spend father's day obsessing over what black fathers are doing wrong is like going to someone's birthday party with a list of all the things you hate about them. Even if I'd been born with a terrible mother, I would not spend Mother's Day saying "Mom, there are far too many days when you are not there for me the way you should be." It would be even worse if I then went on to tell my father that the breakup of our family was all my mother's fault and that he is completely relieved of any guilt whatsoever.

That is what Obama did when he patted black women on the back and essentially said "That's ok. We know how all those black men are treating you. They're just bad and you're good. Let's spend Father's Day talking about you and how disappointed we are in them." He was preaching to the choir, since I am willing to bet that many of the men in that church were loyal and dedicated fathers, either sitting confused that they were being chastised on their special day or nodding their heads in agreement that black men are collectively a pack of screw ups. "Some do the right thing, but doing the wrong thing is the norm". Does anyone wonder how deformed your existence becomes when you consider the most pathetic segment of American society to be people who look like yourself?

This strikes a chord with me because I have seen it up close. I have seen black women who swear up and down that the reason every man they meet doesn't want to be with them implies that there is something wrong with all men. I see black men who refuse to date black women because they feel that black women are all angry, bitter and nasty. In both scenarios, I correct the individual and encourage him/her to look in the mirror. If all of your relationships are falling apart, you are the only variable that is consistently present in every relationship you've ever had. Either you are consistently choosing the wrong person to procreate with, or you are consistently mistreating the right people who come your way. Women who choose good men and treat them well remain happily married. That's just a fundamental fact and I, as a man, know this because I have chosen the wrong woman at times, and there have been times when I've not given a woman the respect she deserved. In either case, I ended up disappointed.

What is true is that both men and women play a role in the survival of our families. When a divorce or breakup occurs, the children are usually given to the woman. Also, most divorces are not always the sole fault of one party or the other. So, if we are going to define the term "deadbeat dads", we cannot generalize that term to include any man who does not live with his kids. Senator Obama DID NOT, to my knowledge, make that distinction.

What is most interesting is Obama's claim that "far too many men are not in the home....they've chosen to be boys instead of men". This implies that if you get a divorce and the kids live with the woman, then you are effectively behaving as a little boy. This further signals that if Michelle Obama were to divorce Barack and keep the kids, he would effectively become a deadbeat. I am sure that Senator Obama, who would likely spend plenty of time with his children and pay plenty of child support, would become agitated to hear someone speaking about him and other black men as a pack of dead beats, especially on Father's Day. Perhaps he could be consoled with the words "No, we weren't talking about you. We just avoided celebrating you on Father's Day because we wanted to place all the blame on the deadbeats, which includes most black men."

That is where black men are coming from. On Mother's Day, I am not going to spend one second talking about how "there are too many bad baby's mamas keep their child's father from seeing his kids", that "angry black women are divorcing their husbands and taking their children and money from them", or that "black women treat men like crap and then get mad when the man leaves the relationship." I would say none of these things, even though I can name several instances in which this has happened. Instead, I am going to spend Mother's Day celebrating the successes of black women and the wonderful impact they had on me.

As I said before, it takes two to Tango, black men aren't doing the family break up dance by themselves. Also, the dance of child-rearing is not just being done by the black mothers. Black women are certainly the backbone of the community, but black men aren't just freeloading.

African American Health: The Consequences of Stress

Submitted by Corina Campbell, Special reporter for Fierce411.com

Have you ever considered how stress, anxiety and even depression affect your attitude towards violence? How about how men and woman are affected by stress, anxiety and depression differently? No? This topic was surly on the mind of Dr. Sung Joon Jang, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Baylor University. He recently revealed some interesting new facts in the September edition of Justice Quarterly about how strain and its emotional consequences, such as anxiety and depression, affect African Americans and how gender plays a significant role in coping with strain.

Jang’s study focused on testing Robert Agnew’s general strain theory. Agnews’s theory asserts strain generates negative emotions that provide motivation for deviant acts, including crime, as a coping strategy. Jang’s study, which he titled “Gender Differences in Strain, Negative Emotions and Coping Behaviors: A General Strain Theory Approach,” analyzed this approach by studying African American men and women.

Jang worked independently to critically analyze the interviewed responses he obtained from the Inter-University Consortium for Political Social Research (ICPSR). ICPSR describes its mission as an organization “of member institutions working together to acquire and preserve social science data, provide open and equitable access to these data and promote effective data use.” The initial study consisted of the responses from African Americans between the years of 1976 to 1992, and was based on the national distribution of African Americas indicated in the 1970 Census. The study participants were surveyed repeatedly four times. The individuals were initially interviewed in 1976 and then followed up with three additional surveys taken in 1988 and 1992. Jang explained that the 1970 Census was the most recent U.S. when the first study was conducted. During the initial 1976 interview, participants were interviewed face to face and then followed up with phone interviews. The 1976 interview brought about the largest number of participants and was the primary focus of Jang’s study. “While the most recent survey was in 1992 there were limited responses. So, I decided to analyze the wave of data collected from the largest number of survey participants,” Jang explained.

Now at this point you may be wondering why the response of African Americans in the 1970’s concerning strain are relevant today. While the thirty year period may seen long, Jang believes no drastic change has occurred in the way strain affects the lives of African Americans since the survey was conducted. Jang admits that there must have been some changes since the survey was conducted, but he does not believe the old data set has no relevance to the present time. “The relevant questions is whether the fundamentals changed between 1976 and 2007,” said Jang, “I doubt new data, if collected this year, would result in totally different findings. I’m sure there would be some differences, but overall I doubt there would be a drastic difference in the new data as long as scientific sampling design were used like the survey data I analyzed.” he continued.

The far bigger issue in this case is the unique information that Jang was able to generate from analyzing this sampling. Jang’s focus on studying these individuals was to apply the general strain theory and its concept of why some people commit crime and deviance as a result of experiencing bad things. The strain theory proposes that strain causes individuals to experience negative emotions such as anger, depression and anxiety. “The stain theory suggests these negative emotions cause people to engage in crime and deviance to cope with not only strain but also foster negative emotions,” explained Jang.

The male and female perspectives to strain are quite different, particularly in the case of African Americans. While African American women were more likely to report strains related to physical health, interpersonal relations, gender roles in the family, they are less likely to mention work-related, racial as well as job strain than African American men. Jang also found that African American women were less likely than African American men to turn to deviant coping strategies when they experience strain. Jang hypothesized that this may be attributed to the fact that African American women are more likely to experience self-directed emotions, such as depression and anxiety, which in turn were less likely to lead to deviant coping behaviors than other-directed, angry emotion.

This hypothesis is consistent with national statistics that report that while men engage in higher rates of violence and crime, woman report higher level of negative emotions. “The fact that studies tend to report that woman experience higher levels of anger, depression and anxiety than men but men are more violent, creates a paradox,” Jang said. He became interested in studying the inconsistency and came up with an explanation for why woman experience higher levels of strain and negative emotions, but men, not women, have higher rates of crime and deviance, including violence.

Jang proposed “African American women are less likely than African American men to turn to deviant coping strategies, whether other-directed (i.e., fighting and arguing with other people) or self-directed (i.e., drinking alcohol or getting high in other ways), when they experienced strain partly because their strains were more likely to generate self-directed emotions (i.e., depression and anxiety), which in turn were less likely to lead to deviant coping behaviors than other-directed, angry emotion,” Jang explained. Jang’s interpretation of this data is that the differences in coping with strain exist because of the differences in the nature of negative emotions experienced by the two genders. “African American women tend to internalize their strain and negative emotions, whereas African American men externalize them.”
When asked why Jang felt that this particular study was worth pursuit, the response came quite easy. “The study was worth pursuing not only because it is an interesting paradox, but also because the study findings have practical implications. For example, I see religious involvement as another explanation to this paradox. Specifically, I found religious involvement as a helping tool to cope with strain and negative emotions in a conventional, instrumental, or, at least, non-deviant manner. In this study, I found African American women tend to be more religious than men, and my findings indicate that this partly explains why woman are less likely to be deviant than men,” he said.

Thus this study has various practical applications for everyday life. “No one is immune from life’s strain, no matter who you are, now and then you feel angry and anxiety,” Jang said. He points that the difference is in how you choose to respond. “There are ways to manage negative emotions instead of pouring out negative emotions onto others. Religious involvement has shown to have positive social influence in dealing with negative emotions,” Jang proposed. Jang would like to further this line of research with a follow up study on how bad things may cause some people to do good things. I think we will all be anxious to hear the findings from this future study.

Hello World!

First post on my new blog. I figured that this would be an easier way for me to keep in touch with the people who have been kind enough to suppport me. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to those who've stood behind me, watched me raise hell on TV or stood by me as I had my issues with my university. I work hard to be a good scholar, and I honestly must confess that I am tired of black people being told that we are not good enough. It's time for universities to hire more black professors, give them tenure and stop the BS. It's just wrong and flat out unAmerican.

Here is an episode of "Boiling Hot with Boyce Watkins". To see more, feel free to visit our Youtube Channel at this link.