Saturday, December 19, 2009

Auburn Coach Breaks Down College Football Racism

Terry Bowden, former head football coach at Auburn University, had this to say about the NCAA’s lack of black coaches in college football:

“Many presidents won't hire black coaches because they are worried about how alumni and donors will react.”

He also makes this clear and interesting point when it comes to the NCAA’s lack of regard for hiring minority coaches:

“There are 117 colleges participating in Division I-A football and there are only three black head coaches. You don't have to be too smart to know how stupid this looks.

Let me lay it out for you:

 Fifty percent black athletes leads to 25 percent black assistant coaches leads to 3 percent black head coaches.

 Fifty percent white athletes leads to 75 percent white assistant coaches leads to 97 percent white head coaches.”

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Government Spied on Farrakhan and the Nation

farrakhan460

WASHINGTON — Homeland security officials improperly gathered intelligence on the Nation of Islam, a black Muslim group, but government rules were “unintentionally and inadvertently violated” and only publicly available information was collected, according to documents made public Wednesday.
Internal correspondence shows the 2007 report – titled “Nation of Islam: Uncertain Leadership Succession Poses Risks” – was created by an intelligence group working within the Homeland Security Department.
Hours after the report was issued, officials recalled it, deciding the report violated intelligence rules against collecting or disseminating information on U.S. citizens for an extended period of time. It had been disseminated widely over the Internet to numerous federal agencies, state and local law enforcement, several congressional committees, intelligence agencies and parts of the private sector, a reviewing officer found.

Click to read.

50 Cent Challenges Tiger Woods in a Nasty Way

Watch 50 Cent hit hard on Tiger Woods on George Lopez's Show.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Dr. Boyce: What Grade Should Obama Get for his First Year in Office?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

The other night on the Oprah Winfrey Christmas special, President Barack Obama made an unwise move. When asked what grade he deserves as president, Obama gave himself a B+. Giving himself a grade was not necessarily the best decision, since there are over 300 million Americans who then realized that they should be giving him grades as well.
So, allow me to be the first to provide our president with a grade for his performance. I've been giving grades to college students for the last 16 years, and one thing my students will tell you is that I am fair. My other argument is that I never actually GIVE you a grade; I simply report the grade that you've earned.
1) Handling of the Economy (B-): President Obama is better than John McCain ever could have been when it comes to managing our economic downturn. The problem is that while the president has spiraled our deficit out of control, our nation has yet to see any concrete evidence that the economy's fundamental strength has returned. He has made an enemy out of Wall Street by grandstanding around executive pay issues, but he has lost the backing of Main Street because job losses continue to mount. That's the problem with always reaching across the isle: Sometimes, you don't have firm support on either side of it. The president's inability to translate massive spending into real jobs is going to cost him big time.
2) Management of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (B): On one hand, the president must face the stern reality that you can't just walk out of a war in the middle of it. We all know that Bush got us into these messes, and Obama must get us out. At the same time, Obama pledged to get us out of the wars faster than he is actually doing it, and it is incredibly awkward for a man to accept a Nobel Peace Prize while simultaneously escalating the troop presence in an occupied country. Sure Obama didn't give himself the Nobel Prize, but he still must be held accountable.

 

Click to read.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Eric Holder Was Wrong About Black Men

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Elliot Millner brought it to my attention that Attorney General Eric Holder has been apparently spending a lot of time with Bill Cosby these days. In a recent speech at a black church in Queens, NY, Holder took a page out of the Barack Obama Campaign Catalog and chose to win favors with the black middle class by recklessly bashing away at absentee fathers and returning to the whole "ya'll just need to grow up and be more responsible" argument that allows any politician to explain away a blatant disregard for meaningful public policy. Rather than talking about things that we can do as a society to take our collective foot off the necks of black men, he chose to say that black men are choosing to put the foot on their own necks.
Elliot Millner, who is also in the legal profession, intelligently said the things that I am sure Eric Holder wanted to say. But unlike Holder, Millner is not constrained by the political shackles that come with being an appointed leader in a society that makes a habit of oppressing, destroying and marginalizing black men.
In his speech, Holder said that, "It should simply be unacceptable for a man to have a child and then not play an integral part in the raising and nurturing of the child."
That quote is a nice way of reflecting on the obvious. It's sort of like saying, "It should be unacceptable for a black man to become the Attorney General of the United States and not play an integral part in helping other black men overcome the blatantly racist and destructive justice system over which you preside."

Click to read.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Tiger Woods and Race: Are there any racial complexities here?

Dr. Boyce Watkins is on CNN with Don Lemon wondering if Tiger Woods will be "OJ Simpsonized" by the recent events in his personal life.

Dr Boyce Watkins: The “OJ Simpsonization” of Tiger Woods: Could it Possibly Happen?

Tiger Woods has slipped from Obama to OJ

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Tiger Woods is a black athlete. He isn't "Caublinasian," mixed or any other ethnicity. He is, officially, a black man - especially after being reduced to being an adulterer who sleeps with porn stars. At least that's what guests on the Joy Behar Show seem to think.

During a recent episode, a guest on the show, Karith Foster, was asked what she thought about Tiger's recent indiscretions. In response to the question, the comedian said (without cracking a smile) that Tiger is "acting like a black athlete now."

I was shocked to hear these words come out of the mouth of any person, let alone an African-American woman. Dr. Deborah Stroman of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first person to bring the comments to my attention. She and I both agreed that the statement was an outrageous, irresponsible choice of words, and the host should have challenged her immediately. But Foster's comments might be telling, given that she once relegated herself to being the token black sidekick of a man (Don Imus) famous for referring to black women as "nappy headed hoes." Foster was fired not too long after being hired, which reminds us of the complications that come from making deals with the devil just to keep a job in media.

Needless to say, I was disappointed with Ms. Foster's remarks. I also found it quite ironic that no one went out of their way to compare Woods with other black men when he was the clean cut soldier boy with the billion dollar smile. At that time, he was considered the exception to the rule, something that all of America could easily embrace. Some have decided to associate the "black male" side of Tiger with the seedy character who has emerged over the past two weeks. Such comparisons are insulting to good black men everywhere. At the same time, it should be acknowledged that not every American shares the opinion of Karith Foster.

Let's be clear, Tiger Woods is not seedy, nor is he perfect. In reality, he is simply human. The problem is that we were all led to believe that he was super human, so the Tiger we are seeing today appears sub-human. Tiger Woods was the original Barack Obama, a man who injected hope into the psyches of sports fans everywhere, as we were all inspired to see a man with a brown face whipping the greatest golfers in history. Even to this day, Tiger is usually the only man of color on the golf course, and he is almost always the most dominant.

It will be interesting to see how the world processes Tiger's recent mistakes. It is not inconceivable that Tiger could be "OJ Simpsonized" by this incident, especially if additional dirt is leaked to the public. If you recall, OJ was also an athlete who'd been given permission to spend a significant amount of time with white women before the murder took place. After his trial, however, he was considered to be the most morally depleted man in America.

 

Click to read.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Why are Black Couples Not Staying Married?

Are black men or black women the ones to blame in the decline in African American marriage?

Tiger Woods 911 Call

A neighbor calls 911 when Tiger Woods slams his car into a tree.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Barack Obama and Black Men: Has He Done His Job?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

I did a recent CNN appearance along with the actor Hill Harper and Dr. Alvin Poussaint at Harvard University. The series was a one-year anniversary segment featuring political issues within the African American community. for the entire week, the primary focus was on the impact that President Barack Obama has had onAfrican American men. Given that I've been a black man for quite a while now, I found this conversation topic particularly interesting, so getting to speak to Richelle Carey again wasn't the only perk of doing the job that day.


It must be made clear that the president should not be expected to save the entire world in one swoop. His job is difficult, and he can't give everyone what they want all the time. But to the extent that President Obama has been positioned to trump pre-existing black leadership (remember that some say we now live in a post-racial America), one can argue that President Obama's rantings in black churches come with some degree of accountability from the Oval Office. Obama has spoken at NAACP meetings, telling black men to take responsibility for our families (as if none of us do) and to engage in more personal responsibility (as if we don't do that already). Such tough talk should be backed by meaningful policy, since structural incentives play a dominant role in the ultimate choice of the individual. For example, when companies get tax incentives to invest in new projects, they almost always do.

Click to read.

Dr Boyce talks Financial Lipo on ABC News


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Dr. Boyce and Richelle Carey Discuss Heather on CNN


AARON HALL A DOG WHISPERER???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We knew Aaron had a special way with the ladies, but he's parlayed that talent into another industry.  He has tapped into his inner dog and has become a Dog Whisperer.

     This side of him is totally foreign to all of his adoring fans who are probably completely confused by his choice of profession.  Groups like Guy are a classic and have earned their place in R&B history.

read more click here

CHRIS BROWN IS IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE JUDGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Brown was praised for being on his best behavior since being sentenced to probation in his assault case.

Judge Patricia M. Schnegg acknowledged that Brown has completed more than 100 hours of community labor so far, and seven domestic violence counseling sessions, according to the Associated Press.

"We have a progress report and it's extremely favorable," Judge Schnegg said from the bench. "That's excellent."

read more click here

Monday, November 23, 2009

Dr. Wilmer Leon: A Social Agenda for All Americans

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

Early on the campaign trail, presidential candidate Barack Obama said, "This country is ready for a transformative politics of the sort that John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt represented." Socially, President Obama is beginning to move in such a positive transformative direction.

After 12 years of languishing in Congress, on Wednesday, October 28, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard / James Byrd Hate Crimes Bill. By signing this bill, the president expands the federal definition of hate crimes to include those motivated by gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. It also allows federal authorities to pursue hate-crimes cases when local authorities are either unable or unwilling to do so. This law was named after Matthew Shepard, a gay man murdered in Wyoming in 1998, and James Byrd, the African-American man dragged to his death behind a pickup truck in Texas that same year.

Click to read.

DID PLIES SHOOT SOMEONE???

 

Five Gainesville residents are suing a Florida rapper, his record label and a local club after they were shot during a 2006 concert.

Billy Dee Williams, Michael Lamar Daymon, Edwin Devasco Faircloth, Steve Ruben Jean-Jacques and Dorian Shannel Johnson are suing rapper Plies, whose real name is Algernod Lanier Washington. They are also suing night club 238 West and Washington's record label, Slip-N-Slide Records Inc., for compensatory damages.

Washington is best known for his 2007 single "Shawty" featuring T-Pain.

read more click here

JOHN MAYER HAS KANYE’S BACK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Mayer says it's time for the media and public to pipe down on the Kanye West hatred and move on.      

The rocker has teamed up on a new track with Taylor Swift, the victim of West's onstage protest at the "MTV Video Music Awards," but he's not about to join those publicly hating the rap star.

read more click here

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Heather Ellis Finally Speaks: Listen to her Side of the Story

Here is an interview that Heather Ellis did for AOL Black Voices - it appears that her side of the story is very different from the prosecution and she may have reason to sue the police department.

CNN Video on the Heather Ellis Plea Deal

Here is more CNN coverage, including final statements from Heather Ellis.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Heather's Attorney is Ripping Witnesses Apart

It appears that Heather's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, actually knows what he's doing - the trial is getting interesting.

Heather Ellis Walmart Video Released on CNN

Does anyone see a smoking gun in this video?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Dr. Boyce: Anderson Cooper 360 Weighs in on the Heather Ellis Case

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Heather Ellis is facing 15-years in prison for allegedly cutting line at a Wal-Mart store in Missouri.

Heather Ellis is facing 15-years in prison for allegedly cutting line at a Wal-Mart store in Missouri.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World  
Special to AC360°

Heather Ellis is in trouble. The 24-year old preacher’s daughter has spent most of her life doing the right things: Going to college, getting ready for medical school and staying out of trouble. What Heather didn’t realize is that even when you do the right things, your margin of error as a person of color in America is virtually non-existent.

When I wrote my book, “What if George Bush were a Black Man?” the key point was that America’s justice system has a difficult time understanding that punishments must match the magnitude of the crime that has allegedly been committed. The actions that a “frat boy” can get away with 20 times during college can send an African American to prison for the next 20-years. America is a country that has, without question, consistently over-charged, over-searched, over-incarcerated and over-sentenced African Americans for the past 400 years of its existence.

Given its ugly past, the criminal justice system has very little credibility, and even police reports are subject to being questioned – especially in a town like Kennett, MO. My father’s a cop, so I know how all this works. Even when black men were lynched 100 years ago, there were always “witnesses” and police reports to say that he was a bad person. Fortunately, lynching does not occur anymore (although a black boy – Walter Currie Jr. – was burned alive by his white classmate in the same area as Heather), but the noose has been replaced with the long prison sentence as the most typical and most devastating form of punishment. As a result, black men and women are filling up America’s penitentiaries at an alarming rate, and it is destroying the core of the black family.

Click to read.

More Video Footage from Our Rally in Kennett

Watch video of our rally that was held for Heather in Kennett, MO.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Katt Williams Has Alot to Say about His Charges

Watch Katt Williams talk about the charges that have been filed against him.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Listen to Dr. Boyce, Roland Martin and Tom Joyner Discuss Heather Ellis

Given that Tom Joyner's Show is sponsored by Walmart, this leads to a relatively awkward conversation!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

The Rapper Vigalantee Talks with Dr. Boyce about the Jay Z- Beanie Sigal Conflict

 

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Consider it a strange dream, but I had some thoughts about the Jay-Z beef with the rapper Beanie Sigal. No, I'm not here to talk about keeping street cred. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Half of the artists in the hip hop industry are not nearly as hard or as real as they claim to be. They're too smart for that. The guys who are really as hard as most rappers claim to be are either in a jail cell or a casket. That's the truth.
What got my attention was when Charlamagne Tha God was fired from 100.3, "The Beat" in Philadelphia. I've known Charlamagne for years from our work on The Wendy Williams Show, so this made me a little upset. What was even sadder is the allegation that Jay Z may have played a role in getting Charlamagne fired, in large part because Charlamagne conducted an interview with Jay-Z's new rival, Beanie Sigal. This incident represents more than the standard thuggery that some might see on the surface. Instead, it brings forth a plethora of issues that relate to business, entertainment, money and corporate power. Here are some quick thoughts:

 

Click to read more.

Rapper Vigalantee Weighs in on Jay Z's Beef with Beanie Sigal

The Kansas City Rapper Vigalantee weighs in on the beef between Jay Z and Beanie Sigal - Did Jay Z get him fired?

Sirius/XM Satellite Host Dr. Wilmer Leon Talks about Heather's Case

Listen as Dr. Wilmer Leon speaks with Elliot Millner and Pastor Nathaniel Ellis about Heather's trial.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Media Coverage on the Heather Ellis Trial Continues

CNN is going to interview Dr. Boyce Watkins on Friday, and Fox 5 has jumped on the case.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Christopher Metzler Spars with Bill O'Reilly

Dr. Christopher Metzler at Georgetown University spars with Bill O'Reilly over President Obama's position on race relations.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Anderson Cooper 360 Discusses the Heather Ellis Case

Heather Ellis' case was debated on Anderson Cooper 360

Do Black Women Have any Say in the haircare industry?

Black women spend billions on hair but don't own the companies that make it.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

LEBRON JAMES PLAYING THE MENTORING ROLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*NBA superstar LeBron James has taken on the role of mentor to Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, hoping to school him on the ups and downs of being a celebrity athlete.      

"(I'm) trying to mentor him and get him through 'life in the spotlight,' which I've been through," the Cleveland Cavaliers player said after a preseason game in Columbus on Wednesday night.      

read more click here

Saturday, October 31, 2009

ISIAH HURT BY MAGIC JOHNSON

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MIAMI (AP) — Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA finals.

Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close.

Thomas told SI.com earlier this week that he is "really hurt" over criticisms levied by Johnson in a new book chronicling the careers of Johnson and Larry Bird. According to Thursday's SI.com report, Johnson said Thomas questioned his sexuality after the Los Angeles Lakers star retired in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV.

read more click here

Thursday, October 29, 2009

KANYE SAYS “I’M ALIVE”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kanye West did not die in a car accident yesterday, as was tweeted all across Twitter and the Internet late Tuesday and early Wednesday.       

According to MTV.com, computer security blog Sophos.com tracked the bogus story to hackers who used the rumor to push the false reports to the top of Internet search engine results. By Wednesday morning (Oct. 21), "Kanye West died" (and variations of the phrase) had become one of the most-searched topics on Google Trends.       

read more click here

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Charlamagne Tha God: "Lil Wayne got what he deserved"

Charlamagne says that Lil Wayne got exactly what he deserves.

Shocking: Have You EVER Seen a Little Boy Like This?

Yes, this is the little boy from hell - you have GOT to see this video!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses the Heather Ellis Case

Dr Boyce Watkins discusses the Heather Ellis Case, the rally and plans to find justice for Heather and her family.

Dr Boyce: Why Spike Lee Might Be Wrong About Tyler Perry

tyler-perry_spike-lee

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Black Planet, Your Black World 

I woke up this morning to see that Tyler Perry is being forced to defend himself against nasty allegations coming from Spike Lee.  Spike has made it clear that he doesn’t appreciate what he perceives to be “coonery” in Tyler Perry films and TV shows. When I saw Perry flat out say that the accusations “pissed him off,” I thought, “Wow, now that’s an honest brother!”

RELATED: Tyler Perry Responds To Spike Lee’s “Coonery” Criticism

I grew up on Spike Lee and I’ll always love him.  I am also certain that images of black people singing, dancing and eating chicken certainly won Perry instant favor with the not-so-in-touch executives in Hollywood.  But here are three reasons that Spike Lee might be wrong about Tyler Perry:

1)    Tyler Perry is not all about Madea: I went onto BET a few times to talk about Hip Hop.  My hoity-toity friends in academia (many of whom pride themselves on writing research papers for journals that nobody ever reads) criticized me for being “unscholarly” by talking to rappers.  But my response was that hip hop culture has a dramatic influence on the young minds that I am trying to reach with education.  You don’t get a baby to eat healthy by only forcing vegetables down his throat; you sprinkle sugar on the food to get the child’s attention.  It’s not always a matter of forcing people to consume what they NEED – you should also be willing to let them have some of what they WANT.  Every positive black movie doesn’t have to be a PBS special.

 

Click to read.

Tyler Perry vs. Spike Lee

Watch Tyler Perry defend himself against Spike Lee's accusations of buffoonery on 60 minutes

BRIAM MCKNIGHT NEW RELEASE OCT.27.2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E1 Music announces the Oct. 27 release of "Evolution of a Man," the new studio album by R&B singer and talk show host Brian McKnight. [Scroll down for tracklist.]     

The set includes first single "What I've Been Waiting For," already a Top 10 hit at Urban A/C radio. [Scroll down to listen.]      

Meanwhile, the singer's syndicated radio program "The Brian McKnight Show" is currently available in 47 markets. He also hosts "The Brian McKnight Morning Show" on LA's KTWV, The Wave Smooth Jazz radio

read more click here

Monday, October 26, 2009

ACCUSED MURDER OF KANDI FIANCE AJ: RELEASED FROM JAIL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Frederick Richardson, the man accused in the beating death of A.J. Jewell, the ex fiancé of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kandi Burruss, was released from Atlanta's Fulton County Jail early Tuesday after posting $10,000 bond.      

Magistrate Judge Karen Woodson said his release was fitting with the crime, according to E! Online, especially after an initial coroner's report suggested the blood disorder sickle-cell anemia may have been a factor in Jewell's death.

read more click here

CHRIS BROWN GIVES TO CHARITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the same day Rihanna unleashed her new single and album release date, former boyfriend Chris Brown announced he will donate partial proceeds of his upcoming "Fan Appreciation" tour to a domestic violence intervention program.

On June 22, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault for beating Rihanna and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years' formal probation and domestic violence counseling.

read more click here

JUDGE RULE IN CHRIS ROCKS FAVOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chris Rock documentary "Good Hair" has been cleared for U.S. theaters this weekend after a judge on Monday ruled against a filmmaker who accused the comedian of jacking her idea for the film.

According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer said in court that she watched both "Good Hair" and Regina Kimbell's 2006 documentary "My Nappy Roots" before making her decision. 

read more click here     

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Walter Currie Lives Near Heather Ellis - Set on Fire by a White Kid

To give you a picture of the location in which Heather Ellis fights for her freedom, meet Walter Currie, a 15-year old in nearby Poplar Bluff, who was set on fire by his classmates with the attacker allegedly yelling the words "Burn nigger burn" while he did it - visit SaveHeatherEllis.com.

Updates on The Heather Ellis Case

Heather Ellis is a college student facing15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart - visit www.SaveHeatherEllis.com for more details on the national protest to be held in Kennett, MO on November 14.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Dr Boyce Web Chat: Megan Williams is Definitely a Liar

No matter what, Megan Williams is definitely a liar - the question is what did she lie about?

Lil Wayne's Cars: This is What He Had at the Age of 19!

Yes, it appears that Lil Wayne has made some money - we only hope he's been saving it.

Friday, October 23, 2009

THE 1ST FAMILY PHOTO RELEASED

Official Obama family portrait

This week the White House released the much-anticipated official Obama family photo on its Flickr page. The portrait was taken in the Green Room of the White House on September 1 by famed Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz, notable for her decades of work capturing the images of rock stars and Hollywood's elite

as well as for her multimillion-dollar fortune's recent collapse. The seated and beaming first family looks happy and relaxed, with Sasha and Malia Obama each draping an arm over mom and dad.

read more click here