Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University
7:58 AM on 08/31/2010
OPINION – But there is a deeper, more relevant question to be asked about the allegations against Eddie Johnson: Even if she broke the rules, is she clearly less ethical than other…
by Dr. Boyce Watkins – Scholarship in Action
Jordan Miles is a black teenager in the city of Pittsburgh. Miles also attends one of the city’s most prestigious performing arts schools. On a cold winter night earlier this year, Miles claims he was assaulted by three plain clothes police officers. According to the lawsuit Miles’ attorneys have filed against the city, the officers assumed that Miles was a drug dealer and conspired to file false charges against him to create a story to cover up their actions.
Miles says that he was walking to his grandmother’s house when officers Michael Saldutte, David Sisak and Richard Ewing approached him. Miles claims that the officers proceeded to chase him, kick him and beat his face into the ground. The damage to Miles’ face was extensive, and the officers allegedly pulled one of his dreadlocks from his head.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I recently read a very interesting story about how so many black athletes are being hammered by the financial devastation of child support. Their paychecks are getting zapped to nothing, only to buy Coach purses and hair weaves for the women who’ve had their children. Perhaps the sex was good enough to justify the misery, but I’ve never had sex that good.
New York Jets running back Antonio Cromartie is one famous case of “I’m Bound to be Broke-itis.” Cromartie, who is 26-years old, has eight children with six women in five different states. In fact, the Jets had to front Cromartie $500,000 to settle his paternity situation before he even started playing for the team. There are quite a few other cases worth mentioning, but I won’t waste time laying out the issues.
What I will lay out is an added perspective that might help brothers realize the utter stupidity of putting themselves in situations that will keep their pockets empty, kill their ability to support a family down the road and possibly lead to incarceration. Getting caught under the neck of the merciless child support system is an absolutely horrible feeling. Children are a beautiful gift from God, and we can all appreciate a pretty woman, but if you let this stuff get the best of you, you’re begging for a life of misery.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action
I still remember when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans five years ago. I’d just attended the Essence Music Festival the year before, only to hear that the very same streets I’d visited were now flooded with water. It was also the week of my first confrontation with Sean Hannity on the air. Donald Rumsfeld had come on the show right before me, and Hannity and I were arguing about why it seemed that the government spent more time planning to shoot "looters" than actually saving the people in the flood. Rarely before Katrina had we witnessed such a gross dehumanization of our fellow American citizens.
President Obama sought to commemorate the anniversary of Katrina by speaking in New Orleans this weekend. He told the students at Xavier University that he plans to stand with the community when it comes to making sure they know the Federal Government is behind them in the on-going quest for full recovery.
"My administration is going to stand with you, and fight alongside you, until the job is done," Obama said.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University, Scholarship in Action
One of the most magnificent voices in all of music is owned by Fantasia Barrino, the singer out of North Carolina. Most of us know that Fantasia attempted suicide recently. Of course the suicide attempt led to instant national media attention, and she was all over the news telling her story. Her management team, understanding the value the incident could have for her brand, pushed out the Vh-1 special before you could say the words "publicity stunt."
Now, I’m not here to say that I know what happened to Fantasia or whether the suicide attempt was genuine. But one thing that remains fundamentally true is that she’d been highly upset over the decline of her career. Also, we know that the television specials and additional PR from the incident have put Fantasia in the limelight in a way that far exceeds what she had access to last month. The final thing we know is that Fantasia is working furiously in the studio to get an album out in order to profit from the re-establishment of her celebrity status. Unfortunately, her team may be looking to replicate the experience of Jennifer Hudson after her difficult experience last year.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is not making many friends this week. Her decision to join forces with Fox News host Glenn Beck during his bogus March on Washington is likely one of the most shocking and extraordinary political events in recent months. Alveda is being called a traitor for her actions and probably has old uncle Martin turning over in his grave.
But here’s the dirty little secret that most of us are not willing to accept: Alveda King actually represents millions of church-going African Americans. Also, her views are not nearly as outlandish as some would lead you to believe.
Alveda King is opposed to gay marriage, just like my mother. She doesn’t believe in abortion, just like many members of my own family. She believes strongly in old school family values, similar to Bill Cosby. She is clearly a product of the traditional black church and represents a section of black America that liberals don’t like to talk about. Many African Americans, whether we want to admit it or not, would agree with Alveda King on nearly every single issue.
by Lawrence Watkins – Great Black Speakers
When Justin Hudson gave his valedictorian speech at his Hunter College High School graduation, he made it one that people will remember for decades. In the speech, Hudson went beyond providing vague advice or encouragement for his classmates. Hudson instead chose to use his opportunity to push his high school school to end a flawed admissions policy that keeps Hunter College High School from developing adequate racial diversity.
"I feel guilt because I don’t deserve any of this and neither do any of you," Hudson said in his speech, as reported by Diverseeducation.com. "We received an outstanding education at no charge based solely on our performance on a test we took when we were 11-year-olds or 4-year-olds."
by Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President – Bennett College
Only one in four young black men graduates from high school in Detroit. The rest are lost and left out, swallowed by a city where urban blight, industrial desertion, and educational failure define daily life. Detroit is ground zero, exemplifying the absolute worst of urban life. It had a passionate champion in Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, who recently lost her bid for reelection. But as passionate as Cheeks Kilpatrick and Senator Debbie Stabenow have been about Detroit, this is a city that won’t bounce back without revolutionary intervention.
Short note from Dr. Boyce Watkins
Spelman College was chosen as the #1 HBCU in the country in a recent ranking by U.S. News and World Report. The title is well-deserved, since I don’t know of a single Spelman grad who isn’t doing quite well. But some complain that the self-confidence of Spelman grads can sometimes breed arrogance – you know, the woman who wants to be CEO of the company on the first day. In fact, I know employers who refuse to hire Spelman grads at all.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action
Mark Emmert, the new president of the NCAA, plans to endorse a system for collegiate athletics that disallows players to play one year and head to the NBA. Instead, Emmert wants a system in which the age limit is removed (which is what kept players like Carmelo Anthony from going pro right out of high school) with players being forced to decide whether they wish to declare for the NBA draft or go to college. If they choose to go to college, they are not allowed to play in the NBA for either three years or when they turn 21, whichever comes first. In the face of the new rule, players are pushed to make the decision sooner, and are locked into that decision for at least three years.
Bethlehem Schoals and Tom Ziller of Fanhouse.com write on the racial dimension of this issue in the following way:
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action
I just returned from Haiti, a country that continues to be devastated by the recent earthquakes that rumbled the soil in it’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Haitians lived under an umbrella of tragedy long before the earthquakes took place, and the suffering has only intensified since the media has left its shores. One thing that most of us believe, including myself, is that Wyclef Jean loves Haiti. His candidacy for president of Haiti was met with open arms by some, and folded arms by a few others. The evidence of disdain was presented to me personally when Wyclef had to cancel an appearance on my show due to the number of death threats he’d been receiving.
The mixed response to Jean’s announcement reflects the multitude of perceptions that various stakeholders have when it comes to the idea of Wyclef becoming president. I have spoken privately to friends in hip hop who’ve assured me that Wyclef has an infinite supply of love for his home country and wants to do what’s right. But I’ve also met with friends who feel that Wyclef is a beacon of self-promotion who cares far less for Haiti than for his own bank account.
Hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean said Friday that he accepts Haiti elections officials’ ruling that he is not eligible to run for president. "I respectfully accept the committee’s final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same," Jean said in a statement. FULL STORY
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Black Scholarship in Action, Syracuse University
The James E. Clyburn University Transportation Center at South Carolina State University has been spending money for the past 12 years, but no one seems to know exactly where that money went. State Senator Robert Ford has recently called for an investigation into the center to find out details on how funds have been managed. Even Rep. Clyburn has become a critic of the center’s management as of late.
The Post and Courier, a newspaper out of Charleston, SC has conducted its own investigation using an open records request. The newspaper has described the university’s records as "a convoluted system of record-keeping, with no central control and records on the same subject located in different offices or buildings."
There was a consultant’s report recently completed by the firm Elliott Davis which concluded that the university’s system of grant management not only makes it difficult to track the money, it also makes it tough to find out whether the objectives of the grant were accomplished.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Institute for Black Public Policy, Scholarship in Action
Yoseph Robinson was a good man and role model. He’d converted to Judaism after his fight with drugs and often reminded others of the importance of being morally strong. He upheld these values until his last moments when he died protecting his girlfriend from a robbery.
Lahava, a woman helping Yoseph write a book, was laughing and joking with a man when he suddenly demanded her money. Robinson told the man to leave her alone, and that’s when a struggle broke out. Yoseph was shot several times in the arm and chest and died on the scene. The robber got away on foot in the Brooklyn area.
Before his untimely and unfortunate death, Yoseph Robinson served as a role model for neighborhood children. Everyone loved him, and he was writing a book on his transformation out of drugs and into a more productive life. As he died, he told his girlfriend to tell his daughter how much he loved her.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Black Scholarship in Action – Syracuse University
Community advocates recently accused Attorney General Eric Holder of "dragging his feet" on the issue of prison rape. The AG has been asked to set national standards to keep inmates from being subject to sexual abuse during their time in prison.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, roughly 4.5 percent of all prison inmates report being victims of sexual assault during their time in prison. It is also reported to happen to roughly one out of every eight juveniles who are incarcerated.
Pat Nolan, Vice President of Prison Fellowship, argues that setting standards would be a good way to reduce the problem of prison rape. He mentions that increasing the lighting in the prisons, screening staffers and having independent supervision of facilities can make a tremendous difference.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – The Institute for Black Public Policy
I’ve made it clear in the past that I support the notion of Scholarship in Action. While some know the Syracuse University interpretation of this concept, I have found that in some cases, African American scholarship is left in the margins of academic work. Therefore, I felt the need to expand on this concept with what I call “Black Scholarship in Action,” which is based on the idea of black scholars becoming engaged with the world and doing what is right for our communities.
Here are some thoughts on what Scholarship in Action means to me as an African American Professor:
1) Re-connecting with our communities and using our expertise for the greater good. We have too much brain power and too many problems to allow our greatest intellectual resources to be locked away writing research papers that hardly anyone is ever going to read.
2) Being courageous enough to honestly share our insights with the world, even if they are not popular. Capability without courage makes you socially impotent.
3) Following up our rhetoric with assertive action. There is nothing more to say about that. Talking about something is not the same as actually doing something. We have to make sure we know the difference.
4) Confronting consistent discrimination within academia. Too many universities consistently deny hiring and tenure to African American scholars, and this has to stop. Universities must be held accountable to their data, and if a campus has any department that has not tenured an African American in more than a decade, they should be sued for racial discrimination, especially if it can be proven that African Americans with strong credentials are applying for positions in that department.
Again, these are the Dr. Boyce Watkins perspectives on what it means to be a high action scholar, so your views might differ from my own. But it is my firm belief that The Age of the Black Scholar has arrived, especially if we decide that it’s going to arrive right now. No one can stop us, but us…..so let’s define our own destiny.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Black Scholars United
Serious charges of racial discrimination have been laid out against a Chicago couple for refusing to sell their home to a black comedian and his family. Apparently, the family’s real estate agent informed government officials that the couple chose not to sell their home to the comedian because he is black.
George Wilborn is not only the victim of the couple’s discrimination, he is also a co-host of The Michael Baisden Show. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced on August 10 that they will charge Daniel and Adrienne Sabbia, as well as their real estate agent Jeffrey Lowe with violation of fair housing laws.
According to HUD, the family and their agent stalled negotiations with Wilborn and even took the home off the market in order to avoid selling it to him. Wilborn and his wife Peytyn offered $1.7 million for the house, which was the highest offer the couple had received in two years. Lowe, the real estate agent, admitted that the couple did not want to sell the home to the Wilborn family because they are black.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
Dr. Cornel West apparently has a bone to pick with President Barack Obama. Over time, the good Dr. West has become increasingly vocal in his critique of Obama, and even went as far as to say that Obama treated him "like a cub scout," when refusing to address his concerns about the administration’s behavior.
"Well, I’ll tell you, I had not talked to my dear brother since the Martin Luther King gathering in South Carolina, and very briefly Super Tuesday. But he did come and make a beeline to me after his speech on I think it was Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. I hadn’t seen him for two and a half weeks, and he made a beeline to me, though, brother, and he was deeply upset. He talked to me like I was a Cub Scout, and he was a pack master, you know what I mean?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, TheLoop21.com
It seems that the world has grown irritated with Essence Magazine for hiring a new white fashion editor. Michaela Angela Davis, a former employee, has blasted the organization for effectively betraying its constituents with the non-traditional hire. She cites mass discrimination that has historically occurred within the fashion industry and seems disappointed that “our space” no longer belongs to us.
I certainly empathize with Davis’ point. Davis is a strong and direct black woman (I had her on my show), one who has very little tolerance for those who deviate from what she perceives as righteous ideology regarding women and minorities. Her passion for the issues that affect us seems to come from a genuine place, like a black woman who has seen enough and refuses to allow herself or anyone like her to be victimized by a clearly racist and sexist society.
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