Some believe that this brother was planted by the Republicans to switch the vote - what do you think? ;
Friday, June 11, 2010
Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks About Elena Kagans' Supreme Court Nomination on WPR
Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks About Elena Kagans' Supreme Court Nomination on Wisconsin Public Radio
Thursday, June 10, 2010
News: Oscar Grant Trial Has No African American Jurors
by Dr. Boyce Watkins
On New Year's day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, California. The shooter was a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer by the name of Johannes Mehserle. Grant was 22-years old at the time of his death, and the shooting was captured by cell phone cameras and disseminated throughout the Internet. Adding insult to injury, the Grant family just found that there will be no African American jurors in the trial of grant's shooter.
Jack Bryson, whose sons were with Grant the night he was killed, was angry about the jury selection.
"This is like a slap in the face," Bryson told The Associated Press. "This case came all the way to Los Angeles after the judge in Alameda County said they couldn't get a fair and impartial jury there.
"This is the best you can do, and you did this in two days. We could've stayed back in Oakland for this."
Black Scholars Kept From Getting Jobs at White Universities
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
Dr. M. Cookie Newsom
is the Director for Diversity Education and Assessment at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a trouble maker and an angry black woman, which is likely going to cause her serious problems with her colleagues (we talked yesterday about how being angry can get a black person into serious trouble). Dr. Newsom, however, has good reason to be angry. In a recent interview with Diverse issues in Higher Education, Dr. Newsom stated in plain language that most major universities are not serious about diversifying their faculty and that this hurts all students, especially students of color.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn’t really want a racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty diversity presentation at the American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) annual national conference in Washington, D.C. "It’s totally a myth."
Dr. Newson based her conclusions on statistics and data she collected which shows that most major universities are good at documenting plans to increase faculty diversity, but most of it’s nothing but lip service.
What Do We Make of Nelson Mandela and the World Cup? Quite a Bit
Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University
World Cup may be Mandela's last great goal for South Africa
8:03 AM on 06/10/2010
OPINION - To say that this event has significance to Mandela would be a tremendous understatement...
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Scholarship in Action at Syracuse University
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Wednesday, June 9, 2010
President Obama and the "Angry Black Man" Critique
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Obama's "Angry Black Man" Criticism: Isn't He Also Half White?
9:36 PMJun 9
Source: Blackvoices Main
In light of all of the interesting analysis that others have done regarding why President Barack Obama can only get so angry about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I was wondering if any of this analysis makes sense. In fact, most of the ... Read More
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BP Shares Get Hammered as Firm May Face Bankruptcy Due to Spill
7:46 PMJun 9
Source: BV Black Spin
Today, the shares of British Petroleum (BP), the company responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, plunged 16 percent in heavy trading. There were nine times more shares traded in the company today than the average daily volume. The added ... Read More
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Rev. Jesse Jackson Says Congress Ignoring Jobs Crisis
7:05 PMJun 9
Source: BV Black Spin
In a piece on The Huffington Post, the Rev. Jesse Jackson stated that he is concerned that Congress is ignoring the jobs crisis in America. Over 300,000 teachers are facing layoffs this year, and teen unemployment is the highest its been since 1948, ... Read More
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Black News in Black America - 6/9/10
22-Year Old Pretending to be HS Student Faces 6 Felonies
- Have you ever fantasized about going back to high school and doing all the things you wish you'd ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 12:59PM | Comments (0)
Eminem's 'Recovery' Proves More Than Celebrity Rehab
- During Eminem's personal journey to sobriety, his fans braced themselves for its effects on his ... Read More
- By Amanda Bassa on Jun 9th 2010 12:00PM | Comments (0)
Dee Dee Myers: Obama Can't Get Angry Because He's Black
- Dee Dee Myers, former Press Secretary for the Clinton Administration, was in hot water recently ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 11:38AM | Comments (2)
BLACK MUSIC MONTH: 7 Pop/Rap CDs You Must Revisit
- We continue to salute Black Music Month by recognizing seven CDs in the pop, rap and rock genres by ... Read More
- By Jawn Murray on Jun 9th 2010 11:30AM | Comments (1)
Rihanna's Hair Stylist Explains Her New 'Matador Red' 'Do
- Master chameleon Rihanna surprised everyone by showing up with a bright red bowl-cut at Madrid's ... Read More
- By Katie Hintz-Zambrano on Jun 9th 2010 11:00AM | Comments (0)
Rihanna Sparkles, Jada Shines, Revamps & The Ultimate Dress - Around the Web
- Rihanna glitters on the cover of Elle RiRi talks black women and fashion (StyleList) Jade shines, ... Read More
- By Lucette Jefferson on Jun 9th 2010 10:55AM | Comments (0)
FBI Says Texas Man Called Al-Qaida His 'Brothers'
- It appears that one of the biggest threats to U.S. security in the coming years may be homegrown ... Read More
- By Jeff Mays on Jun 9th 2010 10:53AM | Comments (0)
Rampage Jackson, UFC Fighter, Justifies 'Gay' Comments
- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson recently lost his anticipated fight against Rashad Evans last month, but ... Read More
- By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Jun 9th 2010 10:33AM | Comments (0)
DA: No DNA Evidence Found on 7-Year-Old Who Was Gang Raped
- New Jersey prosecutors stated in court documents Tuesday that there was no DNA evidence of ... Read More
- By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Jun 9th 2010 10:13AM | Comments (3)
Marc Lamont Hill Responds to Slim Thug's Take on Black Women
- When I recently read the open letter to the rapper Slim Thug (pictured above), written by ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 8:57AM | Comments (8)
Peace, Confidence and Bliss
- Your Affirmative Prayer for Wednesday, June 9, 2010: My awareness of my unity with Spirit ... Read More
- By Barry Johnson on Jun 9th 2010 12:34AM | Comments (5)
BP Using Massive PR and Internet Strategies to Deal with Spill
- If you are like President Barack Obama, who says that he's looking for "whose ass to kick" over the ... Read More
- By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 8th 2010 10:55PM | Comments (2)
Eve: Lets Guard Down on VH1's 'Behind the Music'
- Eve Jihan Jeffers, who is most commonly known in the world of entertainment simply as Eve, isn't a ... Read More
- By Bridget Bland on Jun 8th 2010 7:26PM | Comments (0)
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African American Scholar Marc Lamont Hill Goes After Rapper Slim Thug
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
When I recently read the open letter to the rapper Slim Thug(pictured above), written by Columbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill (pictured below), I was concerned. I love "Slim Thugger" and his musical brilliance, but putting him in an intellectual toe-to-toe with one of the most brilliant young scholars in America is like puttingLennox Lewis in a boxing match with Beyonce. Marc is my boy, and incredibly sharp, and I would encourage him to pick on someone his own intellectual size. Simultaneously, I encourage Slim Thug to quietly walk away and shut up. He needs to stay in the booth and use his intellect for something other than ridiculous social commentary.
But Slim Thug asked for his public butt whooping, after engaging in one of the most feeble and misguided critiques of the African-American woman that I’ve heard in quite a while. Even for a rapper, he sounded as if he needed to be educated on what black women are all about. Here are Slim’s words, "straight out of the negro’s mouth":
Monday, June 7, 2010
African American Social Commentators Speak - 6/7/10
Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University
Rand Paul puts foot in mouth again with MLK comparison
2:56 PM on 06/07/2010
OPINION - I am not sure why Rand Paul keeps working to convince black people that he loves us...
Journalist, author and broadcaster.
Why BP keeps stonewalling Obama
12:32 PM on 06/07/2010
OPINION - BP's corporate arrogance is made out of cash. It can and has bought its way out of trouble repeatedly and when need be even bought governments...
Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University
Arizona isn't the only state with a racist agenda
9:18 AM on 06/07/2010
OPINION - The collective outrage expressed over the civil liberties issues in the Arizona immigration law has been hardly present during other more serious racial atrocities...
Author and VP for Economic Programs, NAACP
Blacks blocked from serving on Southern juries, study says
9:13 AM on 06/07/2010
OPINION - Knowing that this type of discrimination continues is the first step toward holding district attorney's offices accountable for fair treatment...
Sports and social commentator
Record-breaking Ray Allen saves NBA Finals
8:38 AM on 06/07/2010
OPINION - If Allen thinks of more things to do to be better, it could spell the end for the Los Angeles Lakers...
Weekly magazine for young contemporary women of color
What ladies can learn about men from the NBA playoffs
10:05 AM on 06/05/2010
OPINION - But besides the raw comedy, the league is also a great source of education for any woman who has wondered why guys act the way they do...
Co-director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights
Can the Gulf Coast still be saved?
1:08 PM on 06/04/2010
OPINION - President Obama should respond to the oil gushing from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico as he would to a foreign invading army...
Author of African American History For Dummies
Is 'blackface' always beyond the pale?
12:05 PM on 06/04/2010
OPINION - Blackface is not going anywhere anytime soon...
Journalist, author and broadcaster.
Why Democrats are the greatest danger to Obama's agenda
11:44 AM on 06/04/2010
OPINION - President Obama's deadliest enemy is not Sarah Palin, GOP congressional obstructionists, the Republican National Committee or even Fox News...
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Julianne Malveaux: Our Jobless Recovery
Our economy generated about 431,000 jobs last month. Good news? Only if you don't count the fact that more than 400,000 of the jobs were temporary jobs connected to collecting data for the Census. Those jobs won't last for long and when the dust clears the current 9.7 percent unemployment rate, down from 9.9 percent a month ago, is likely to rise again.
Still, those who are desperate for good news are clinging to the fact that there are more jobs out there. What they don't understand is that people are looking for something more than a few months of work here and there. Nearly seven million Americans have been out of work for more than half a year. What has this done to their finances?
Of course the situation is worse for African Americans, even though black unemployment dropped from 16.5 to 15.5 percent last month. The 15.5 percent is a modest estimate of what is really happening. The U6 number in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation report includes discouraged workers, those working part time that really want full time work and others peripherally connected to the labor market. That number dropped last month from 17.1 to 16.6 percent for the overall population. While the BLS does not report the number for African Americans, using the same relationships, the African American U6 number is at least 25.6 percent. That means that one in four African Americans is jobless!
This jobless recovery means that some economists are willing and able to have conversations about the way the economy is turning around, even as only a few people feel the impact of the turnaround? Some of the numbers do look good, but the numbers that matter - the unemployment rate numbers, are stuck. How can the economy recover without generating jobs and what does this mean in the long run? We should all be apprehensive about public policy that does not embrace job creation, because at the basis of economic viability is an individual's ability to earn and spend. Without jobs, that just won't happen.
As an economist, my focus on the labor market is usually about work and pay. Several experiences in the last few months have forced me to focus, also, on the human consequences of high unemployment, including the mental health consequences of being jobless in a culture that says that what you do is who you are. I met a woman who had been downsized from her job at 61. She told me, despondently, that she would probably never work again because of her age. Her aura was one of someone battered and lifeless. She asked me, a stranger, why her company could have done that to her. Part of me wanted to ask if she ever read the headlines. Part of me wanted to give her a hug.
A young white man who is a 2009 graduate of a prestigious college delivered my room service, just a few days ago. Personable and positive, he shared, as we talked, that he worked about 20 hours a week at the hotel. His major is communications, but after sending out more than 100 resumes and tapes, he has no jobs offers. So he is waiting tables, delivering room service, keeping his chin up, and quietly dying. He said he could hardly bear to look at his dad, a man who had invested in his education. "I'm still living at home," he told me. "I should be out doing things."
This crisis knows no race or gender, but African americans are being hit harder than most. Public policy has to address this. It is unconsciounable that we should talk economic recovery while people are not working, while people are suffering. And we have to consider the many ways our society pains because of joblessness. There is a malaise that has infected our society because of this high unemployment. Our mental and emotional health has been affected by this unemployment. And we are all to quiet about it because we don't know what to do next. Here is what we must do - we must push our legislators to address high unemployment. And we must protect the long term unemployed by extending their long-term benefits. A jobless recovery is no recovery, but instead it is a joke.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and commentator, and the Founder & Thought Leader of Last Word Productions, Inc., a multimedia production company.
Last Word Productions, Inc. is a multimedia production company that serves as a vehicle for the work and products of Dr. Julianne Malveaux. For the last 10 years the company has centered its efforts on Dr. Malveaux's public speaking appearances, her work as a broadcast and print journalist, and also as an author. Currently, Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College For Women in Greensboro, North Carolina.
To find more of Dr. Julianne Malveaux's columns, work and appearances please visit:
www.juliannemalveaux.com
Dr. Boyce Watkins: No More Arizona News for a While, Please
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
Forgive me for saying this, but part me of is getting sick of hearing about Arizona. Most states only get a few days in the news cycle, but since the politicians in Arizona were crazy enough to pass a law to stifle illegal immigration in their state, our news has been seemingly flooded with one story after another about Arizona: A politician in Arizona has links to the KKK, Arizona changes its textbooks to downplay people of color, brown faces are lightened up on a mural in Arizona. It never seems to stop.
OK, I think I get the point: Arizona is a state with racist policies, at least more racist than most. Can we try to move onto something else now?
This isn't to say that there is not a level of seriousness to the illegal immigration situation in Arizona. We've figured that out. The federal government has long refused to properly enforce immigration laws, and the residents of Arizona came up with their own response, one that threatens to undermine the civil rights of every black and brown person in the state. Got it.
To some extent, the national attack on the state of Arizona smells a bit like political narcissism. The collective outrage that some have expressed over the civil liberties issues in the Arizona immigration law has been hardly present during other more serious racial atrocities that have occurred over the past 20 years.
The sense of urgency that President Obama had about the passage of the state's new immigration law has never been matched when confronting the fact that the United States incarcerates over five times more black men than South Africa did during the height of apartheid. Attorney General Eric Holder's investigation into the legality of Arizona's political decisions was never preceded by a similar investigation into the civil rights abuses of unequal funding for inner city public schools. It seems that when civil liberties of a broad Latino base were attacked, the whole country went up in arms. But when black folks have been getting abused, our needs have been put at the bottom of the to-do list.
Black Girl Kicked Out of Class for Having "Stinky" Black Hair Products
A black girl is kicked out of her class for having hair that makes her teacher sick. ;
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Obama Needs to Lead on the Oil Spill
by Professor Ron Daniels
Clearly British Petroleum Oil Company (BP) is responsible for the most disastrous oil spill in U.S. history and must be held fully accountable for its negligent behavior. Beyond overseeing the crisis and ensuring that BP is deploying the necessary resources to stop the flow of oil and clean-up the damaged beaches and marshlands, there is precious little President Obama can do to clean up the mess. However, I agree with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and other commentators that the crisis presents the President with an opportunity to offer bold and visionary leadership in terms of the future direction of the U.S. economy.
Ever the pragmatist and craving “bi-partisan” support for his massive energy bill, prior to the horrific oil spill, Obama caved in to the McCain/Palin “drill baby drill” crowd and ordered more areas opened for off shore drilling. Earlier he threw another plum the Republicans way by placing priority on building new nuclear power plants. I strongly disagree with these decisions but chalk it up to Obama being Obama. It’s his inside the beltway method of trying to drag defiant Republicans to the legislative table at a time when they are out to create a “waterloo” moment by whatever means necessary to defeat him and advance their conservative agenda. However, the oil spill has potentially created a new political calculus.
Now is the time for Obama to lead on several fronts. First he must understand that perception is reality. It doesn’t matter that BP is responsible for this catastrophe. Because of the enormity of the crisis, the American people want to see their President in charge. Hence, as some commentators have suggested, it would be helpful if Obama delivered a nationally televised address to describe the magnitude of the crisis and lay out a clear command structure for how the federal government will be managing BP’s efforts. State and local officials and the affected residents need to know who’s in charge of what, how to communicate their concerns and where to get correct information and/or a decision. Second, Obama needs to be much more engaged with the people when he visits the Gulf region. Dropping in for three hours, walking along a beach to pick up a few oil blobs and then meeting with elected officials just won’t get it. He needs to show more empathy with the common folk, and that means getting into a boat owned by one of the locals to personally view spoiled wetlands; spending time with some of the fishermen, small business owners; and, touching some of the workers whose lives are being ruined by this debacle. The nation needs to see their President touching and interacting with the affected people.
Equally important, President Obama should view the gigantic oil spill as a teachable moment to educate the American people about his vision for a more energy efficient and sustainable economy, a green economy with alternatives to fossil fuels that can generate millions of new jobs. And, as Thomas Friedman has argued for years, such a vision and approach would dramatically lessen U.S. dependence on foreign sources for oil. That education must begin with an expose of the reckless behavior of a corporation and industry that consistently places profits over the interests and security of workers and the nation. The debacle in the Gulf demonstrates that it only takes one spill to wreak havoc on an entire region in terms of the devastating effects on fish, wildlife, ecosystems and the livelihood of people. Frankly, I was shocked to learn that there are thousands of off shore oil rigs in the Gulf, any one of which could potentially spring a leak at any time -- particularly given the lax regulation of the energy industry under Bush-Cheney. BP had more than 700 hundred violations and its own internal memoranda indicate concerns about the safety of the rig that ultimately exploded.
The problem is that the giant oil companies, like the giant banks and financial institutions, loathe regulation. They want free rein to maximize profits by minimizing cost including having to comply with regulations. Accordingly, they spend big bucks to enlist the services of lobbyists and buy-up politicians to promote and protect their interests. BP’s criminal behavior offers Obama and the Democrats (those who are not already bought and paid for by the oil companies) an opportunity to drive this point home as a basis for building momentum for a new energy policy.
Finally, the dangers of off shore drilling have been made crystal clear. So, Obama need not fear the “drill baby drill” proponents any longer. One of his great gifts during the campaign (which he has rarely shown during his tenure in office) was the capacity to use his oratorical skills to inspire people to envision a greater good for themselves, their families and the nation. There is no greater challenge facing the nation and the planet in the 21st century than making the decisive shift to a green economy. It is far more important than JFK’s challenge to the American people after the Soviet Union forged ahead in the race in space with the launching of Sputnik. It would certainly be wonderful to hear this President both educate and challenge the American people to be at the forefront of the ‘new frontier” of creating a green economy. But, this will require confronting the oil industry head-on, admonishing the American people to envision life beyond addiction to fossil fuels and the audacity to mount a national mobilization to create a new way of life in this country, a green America. Once again President Obama has been presented with an opportunity to have his leadership match his vision and rhetoric. The question is will he seize the moment.
Dr. Ron Daniels is President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. His articles and essays also appear on the IBW website www.ibw21.org and www.northstarnews.com . To send a message, arrange media interviews or speaking engagements, Dr. Daniels can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org .
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Friday, June 4, 2010
Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks College Enrollment Rates for African American Males on CNN's HLN
Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks College Enrollment Rates for African American Males on CNN's HLN
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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