Billy Hawkins: NCAA is Actually a Plantation for Black Male Athletes

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

Professor Billy Hawkins of The University of Georgia has released a controversial new book that describes the experiences of NCAA athletes by comparing them to slaves on a plantation. According to the research of professor Hawkins, black athletes are exploited by the NCAA physically, financially and intellectually.

Hawkins cites the massive revenue earned by the NCAA via March Madness, which includes a 14-year, $10.8 billion contract with CBS sports. In spite of seemingly unlimited revenues to encourage athletes to stay focused academically, Hawkins notes that nearly one-fifth of the 64 teams participating in the NCAA tournament had graduation rates of less than 40 percent. Across the 36 sports monitored by the NCAA, men’s basketball has the lowest graduation rates, where less than two-thirds of the players earn degrees.

The dismal graduation numbers for the NCAA support Dr. Hawkins’ research, in which he argues and shows that black athletes at predominantly white institutions are being exploited while being neglected academically. In his book, "The New Plantation," the well-respected Professor of Sport Management and Policy uses a plantation model to present the black male athletic experience as part of a broader historical context.

 

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Dr. Julianne Malveaux Speaks on the BP Crisis

William Butler Yeats did a good job of capturing a harrowing pandemonium in his poem, The Second Coming. He wrote, in 1919

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

I was twice introduced to the poem in college, first in a class that required the study of English poets, then in a class that examined African literature, including the powerful novel of Nigerian colonization by Chinua Achebe, ironically titled, Things Fall Apart. The poem is so emblazoned on my brain that from time to time it comes to mind, most recently when I contemplate the BP oil spill, its damages, its consequences, and its handling.

I am writing from the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Conference, 55 days after the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 people and started an oil leak that apparently continues. While BP says that the leak was only 5000 barrels of oil a day, scientists estimate that between 20,000 and 40,000 barrels of oil leaked each day between April 22 until June 3. If you use the midpoint of 30,000 barrels and a period of 42 days (assuming all leaking stopped when a dome to catch some of the leak was installed on June 3), we are talking at least 1.2 million barrels of an oil leak.

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Study Says Gates Was Probably Not Profiled

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

A recent report to be published Thursday in the Boston Globe is set to show that the Cambridge Police Department does not use racial profiling, as it was accused of doing during the controversial case last summer involving Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates. The report, compiled by the New England Center of Investigative Reporting, analyzed 392 disorderly conduct arrests between 2004 and 2009. During that time, 57 percent of those arrested were white, and 34 percent were black. These numbers almost directly mirror the percentages in the community in which the arrests were made.

I did a great deal of CNN commentary on the Henry Louis Gates case, and to the ire of some of my fellow black scholars at Harvard, I firmly held the position that the Gates case was not about racial profiling. Not to say that the officer didn’t violate procedure, but the truth is that there was almost nothing about that case that made me believe that Professor Gates was arrested because he was black.

 

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Rapper Tries to Back Pedal off Comments about Black Women

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

Many of you may already know about the "interesting" comments made by the rapperSlim Thug, and his frustration about the lack of loyalty among black women. His comments were met with resistance by myself and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill from Columbia University, who gave him the stable advice to keep his mouth shut. I say that "Slim Thugga" needs to be quiet, not because he’s wrong, but because this is a battle he can’t win and still sell records. Getting every black woman in America to hate you is simply not good for business. Even Talib Kweli, a fellow hip hop artist, had something to say about Slim Thug’s remarks.

On his twitter page, Slim Thug went out of his way to try to protect his image in the face of all the backlash:

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What Hip Hop Needs to Do Now

The age of the Hoochie Mama is over

by Dr. Boyce Watkins | TheLoop21 in Culture & Society

It’s time for hip hop, and its audience, to grow up.

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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."

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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.

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What Do We Make of Nelson Mandela and the World Cup? Quite a Bit

Dr. Boyce Watkins

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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President Obama and the "Angry Black Man" Critique

• 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

• 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

• 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":

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The Latest in Black Politics – 6/8/10

• 
  

  Obama defends health care reform bill to seniors

  By theGrio

  1:38 PM on 06/08/2010

  WHEATON, Md. (AP) – Obama’s overall message: "What you need to know is the guaranteed Medicare benefits you’ve earned will not change…your guaranteed benefits will not change."…

  > READ MORE

• 
  

  Aspire to host your own talk show? Oprah wants you

  By theGrio

  11:16 AM on 06/08/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) – Oprah Winfrey wants to give an undiscovered talent a chance to follow in her footsteps on her new cable network…

  > READ MORE

• 
  

  Prison populations shrink but growing problems remain

  By Robert Rooks

  9:25 AM on 06/08/2010

  OPINION – Unless we support ongoing efforts to downscale prisons and jails, our country will literally go broke and funds for other public sector ventures will dry up…

  > READ MORE

• 
  

  Thurgood Marshall’s legacy takes center stage

  By theGrio

  9:23 AM on 06/08/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) – Elena Kagan has spoken often of her admiration for the justice, calling him "the most important — and probably the greatest — lawyer of the 20th century."…

  > READ MORE

• 
  

  Obama: I would have fired BP chief by now

  By theGrio

  8:08 AM on 06/08/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) – President Obama says his talks with Gulf fishermen and oil spill experts are not an academic exercise. They’re "so I know whose a** to kick."…

  > READ MORE

African American Social Commentators Speak – 6/7/10

Dr. Boyce Watkins

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…

> MORE

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

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…

> MORE

Dr. Boyce Watkins

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…

> MORE

Monique W. Morris

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…

> MORE

Marcus Vanderberg

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…

> MORE

Clutch Magazine

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…

> MORE

Monique Harden

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…

> MORE

Ronda Racha Penrice

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…

> MORE

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

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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Dr. Boyce: Was NWA Political Genius or Rebellious Teenagers?

Read more about Dr. Boyce: Was NWA Political Genius or Rebellious Teenagers?

TAGS: black scholars, hip hop, rap, rappers

Julianne Malveaux on the Jobless Recovery

by Dr Julianne Malveaux

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!

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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.

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