Friday, July 30, 2010

Police Accused of Covering Up a Murder

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World 

Raymond Robair died nearly five years ago. It appeared for years that the officers who arrived on the scene tried to help him. Now, some are wondering if they made the entire story up.
Officers Melvin Williams and Matthew Dean Moore stated that while they were patrolling the streets, they saw a man who was "stumbling and holding his upper chest area." They then said that Robair collapsed and that they drove him to the hospital, where he died. A pair of broken ribs punctured his spleen and liver, and the officers were cleared by an internal police investigation, partially substantiated by the coroner's report.
The greater problem though is that there are several residents in the area who dispute the account of the police officers. Several witnesses say they saw the officers punch and kick Robair. Also, an independent autopsy requested by the family ruled the death a homicide.

 

Click to read.

13-Year Old Boy Murdered in Case of Mistaken Identity

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World

Theresa Lumpkin was, until yesterday, the mother of 13-year old Robert Freeman Jr. of Chicago. Her tenure as his parent ended with the young boy was shot and killed on the South Side of Chicago in what many believe to be a case of mistaken identity.
Witnesses say that the murder was deliberate, as the gunman shot the young boy multiple times.
"My baby was just lying there,'' said Lumpkin. "He tried to get up. He tried to fight for his mama. He tried to fight for his life.''
Neighbors who saw the incident did not want their names to be published.
"I was running out [of] the door to say, 'Stop shooting that baby,'" one neighbor said.
Robert had 22 bullet holes in his body, according to doctors. The people of the community say that he was apparently targeted because he had the same complexion, height and hairstyle of another boy who was the actual target. Police are investigating whether the shooting was due to a dispute over drugs or money.
This was the fourth teen shooting in the area this week.

 

Click to read.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Jesse Jackson Speaks on the Sean Bell Settlement

 

To hear what other black public figures had to say, please click here.

 

The family of Sean Bell has stood tall during this tragic and difficult ordeal and for that they should be commended.  Rev. Sharpton and the National Action Network should also be commended as well for their continuous pursuit to seek justice.  I continue to pray for the families of Sean Bell, Joseph Guzmen and Trent Benefield.

The pattern of police shooting unarmed innocent black men is becoming all too common.  However, it magnifies symptoms of a deeper problem of insensitivity and detachment within police departments across the country.   

Today it is clearer than ever that we need vigorous action by local and state authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce civil rights laws, EEOC, contract compliance and affirmative action. I hope the President and his administration will address these issues head-on to deal with issues surrounding equal protection under the law for all Americans.

Boyce Watkins and Charles Ogletree Appear on Al Sharpton's Hour of Power

Boyce Watkins and Charles Ogletree Appear on Al Sharpton's Hour of Power

Boyce Watkins and Al Sharpton Discuss Treatment of Shirley Sherrod, Affirmative Action, and Other Current Events

Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton Discuss The Treatment of Shirley Sherrod, Affirmative Action, and Other Current Events on Keeping It Real

Prominent Black Leaders Speak on the Sean Bell Settlement

From Dr. Boyce Watkins:  Most of you know what I think about the Sean Bell shooting and subsequent settlement.  But I reached out to a few of my friends to get their takes on the situations.  You can read their comments below:

 

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson:  I am glad that the City of New York will pay the family of Mr. Bell – and Mr. Guzman and Mr. Benefield – for the egregious injustice of Bell’s death and the shootings of Guzman and Benefield by undercover cops.  The Bell murder highlights the need for the end to racial profiling of minorities and police brutality against blacks.  While the condition of the settlement precludes admission of wrongdoing, we all know that vicious racist practices often have lethal consequences for minority citizens.  I pray this settlement helps the families and reminds us of the need for true justice.

 

Rev. Al Sharpton: National Action Network and I have said from the moment we were called the day Sean Bell was killed and Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield were wounded that we would stand by the family no matter what. Nicole Paultre Bell has to labor to raise two children with no father and to provide for them and Joseph Guzman still carries bullets in his body and may never be able to work a regular job. Trent Benefield carries scars for life.

The settlement must all provide for their families but this in no way mitigates or repairs the permanent damage done to them and the pain it has caused them forever nor does it diminish the outrage in the community. We will always pursue justice for the family of Sean Bell, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield."

 

 

 

Dr. Julianne Malveaux:  What is the price of a life?  The $7 million settlement in the Sean Bell case offers relief to an aggrieved family and rights a wrong.  It also raises issues about the ways that law enforcement personnel interact with the African American community.  Bell was at the cusp of an exciting life, on the eve of his wedding day. He should not have died, and the life in this settlement caution for each of us to take care of all of us and to be cautious and careful about the meaning of life.  Both bullets and assumptions killed Sean Bell. Neither assault is acceptable

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Black Farmers Still Wait for Compensation

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Scholarship in Action 

Black farmers across the United States have been the victims of systematic discrimination for several decades. This has been proven in court, and the United States Department of Agriculture has agreed to pay a $1.25 billion dollar settlement. What is saddest about the settlement, however, is that Congress has not yet approved the funds. This is another form of racism that the farmers must face, since their justice is being consistently denied by government officials who are insistent upon remaining stubborn.


The USDA came under increased scrutiny recently in the unjust firing of Shirley Sherrod. I am hopeful that the sloppy handling of the Sherrod incident is not indicative of the way the USDA does business. In fact, groups have been calling for the firing of the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. At the very least, the way Ms. Sherrod has been treated should be a lightning rod to bring the plight of black farmers to the surface of our collective conscience.

 

Click to read.

Scholarship in Action: Why This Athlete Faces Felonies

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 


Nigel Carr was expected to start for the Florida State Seminoles at linebacker this season. Those plans are probably going to be altered, now that Carr faces a slew of felonies related to burglaries he allegedly committed this week.
According to Tallahassee police, Carr burglarized a parked SUV, stealing the victim's book bag that contained her purse and other valuables. Carr allegedly dumped the items into a nearby trash can and police say they found the victim's credit card on the floor board of a vehicle being driven by Carr.
Surprisingly, Carr is also a suspect in another car burglary on campus and faces charges from alleged marijuana possession. His career is in serious jeopardy and may likely be coming to an end.
I am not sure what the reasoning might be behind this alleged incident, assuming that the police version of the facts are accurate. Nearly any crime involving a college athlete on the weekend or at night makes me wonder if alcohol or drugs were involved. Carr's charges for marijuana possession lead me to suspect that this is a strong possibility. For some reason, we've fed our young people a set of beliefs that create a culture of substance abuse as a fundamental part of college life. As my daughter prepares for college, I make it clear to her that she should be strong enough to not follow the crowd. I am not one to tell her to refrain from alcohol consumption, but I let her know that college can be a blast without risking rape, illness, incarceration or death, which occurs each year in alcohol-related incidents across the country. While we can't say that substance abuse played a role in the Carr case, this point should be made nonetheless.

Click to read.

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Latest from Dr. Boyce – 7/26/10


Brought to you by The Great Black Speakers Bureau, the #1 Black Speakers Bureau in the world.  To join the Your Black World Coalition, please visit YourBlackWorld.com.

Hey peeps,

if you'd like to contribute to the cost of sending Asha Castleberry, one of our representatives, on a humanitarian mission to Haiti, please click here.  Any support would be greatly appreciated, and I really want to see Asha make this trip.  The world has forgotten about the suffering of Haiti since they are no longer in the media, but be clear - the suffering continues.

Beyond that, I just went to get a passport and driver's permit for my daughter the other day.  I believe that all of our children need passports so they can see the world and broaden their horizons.  One of my kids just got back from France, and I can see how her perspective has changed already.  My little girl is starting college this fall, so we are both excited.  The primary lessons I gave to her are the following: 

1) Avoid the culture of rampant alcoholism and irresponsible sexual choices that exist on many campuses. Everything must be done in moderation (although I make it clear that she has a right to make her own decisions - I am not a helicopter parent).

2) Study 4 - 6 hours per day, just like a part-time job. I am not sending my child to college to be average, and neither should any of us.  If kids can work 8 hours a day at McDonald's, they can study four hours a day.

3) Visit your professors at least once a week.  They need to know your face, since this influences your grades and also makes a difference in the quality of letters they write for you later on.

4) Study in a quiet place with no distractions so you can get your work done.  Studying in a dorm room with the TV on means that you'll waste time and not be able to have any fun because you'll need twice as much work to get half as much done.

5) Have a blast - college is the most fun you'll have in your life.  College is about much more than just studying. But by having a proper balance, the fun can really begin once your educated and doing well financially.  I didn't really start having fun until I had a little money in my pocket and saw the benefits of a good educational foundation.

I explained to her that most college professors automatically give you a "B" for simply doing what you are told.  To get an "A," you just have to do a little bit more.  The key word that she and I remember is "consistency."  Students who cram and wait to the last minute always end up stressed out with a poor performance.  Those who study consistently typically dominate the rest of the class.  That was the only reason I was able to do so well in college, since I was nobody's Rhodes Scholar in high school!
I thought I would share some of the info I give to my daughter so you can share it with your kids.  After teaching at the college level for the past 17 years, I've concluded that it's just a hustle with a simple formula.  If George Bush can graduate from Harvard, then all of our kids can be outstanding scholars.  Push your kids to be the best, and to take the word "me" out of "mediocrity." If you want to read more, please feel free to get the discounted version of my book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College."

Sincerely,

Dr. Boyce

Click here to listen

The Latest from Dr. Boyce Watkins on AOL Black Voices

Post Image

Alabama Coach Calls Sports Agents "Pimps": No, He's the Real Pimp

Post Image

Former NBA Player Lorenzen Wright Has Gone Missing

Post Image

Dr. Boyce Video -- S. Tia Brown and I Talk Financial Lovemaking

Post Image

Undocumented Workers Leaving Arizona: Good for Black Folks?

Post Image

Obama's Approval Rating on Economy Drops: Why Is That?

Post Image

Reggie Bush USC Debacle is About NCAA Exploitation

Post Image

Dr. Boyce Video -- Madam Prezident - The Dopest Black Poet in America

Post Image

President Obama Says Vilsack Jumped the Gun on Shirley Sherrod

Post Image

Dr. Boyce Video -- Black Filmmakers Dorian Chandler and Keisha Dutes

Post Image

Dr. Boyce Video -- Black Female Athletes Excel in the Ivy Leagues

Post Image

Barack Obama Celebrates Victory on Financial Reform

Post Image

CBC Gets Involved With Shirley Sherrod Firing

Post Image

Black Candidate Puts 'Not the White Man's B*tch' on Ballot Description


Dr. Boyce on TheLoop21.com

"Boyce Watkins"



What Does It Mean to be a "Sellout"?


by Dr. Boyce Watkins

What does it mean to be a sellout?  Most of us grew up on this term, but I would be willing to bet that most of us don’t know what the word actually means.   Back in the 1980s, the term “sellout” applied to someone who was all too quick to give up his blackness in exchange for a seat at the white man’s table.  It could also relate to someone willing to do nearly anything to earn a buck.

Obviously, being a sellout means that you’ve sold something.  But that’s not an entirely accurate definition, since we all sell something at some point.  Most of us have been in situations where we wanted to take a stand on an issue, but simply decided to choose our battles in order to protect our opportunities.  That doesn’t necessarily make you weak, but there is a thin line between selling something and selling out completely.

So, perhaps the term “sellout” means selling something of tremendous value in exchange for greater opportunity or financial prosperity.  Can we agree on this definition?  Good, now lets’ get to the nitty-gritty.

Click to read.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Nick Saban Says Sports Agents are Pimps: No, My Friend, You’re the Real Pimp

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban has made a serious mistake in terminology. During a recent press conference, Saban was asked to respond to NCAA investigations involving one of his players, Marcell Dareus. Dareus allegedly attended a party that was sponsored by a sports agent, which would be an NCAA violation.
Saban then referred to sports agents as "pimps," complaining about how they are determined to undermine the sanctity of college sports by giving the athletes money or expensive gifts. In light of the fact that Saban felt the need to use such harsh language, I thought I might help him to assess what it truly means to be a pimp.
A pimp is someone who does the following:

 

Click to read.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Transcript: Dr Boyce Watkins on CNN

 

CHETRY: Thirty-eight minutes past the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning. The Shirley Sherrod controversy and the explosive mix of race, politics and the viral age of the internet. President Obama spoke with Shirley yesterday and expressed regret for the turmoil that she endured this week. A short time ago we asked her how she thinks the White House is handling race issues in general.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERROD: I'm assuming this administration feels, too, that, you know, if they highlight issues of black people, the country would perceive it as something negative. I know they probably have to struggle with that, but I think they're wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, joining us now from Baltimore, Sherrilyn Ifill. She's a law professor at the University of Maryland and a civil rights lawyer. Welcome.
SHERRILYN: Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: Sure. And also from Louisville, Kentucky, this morning, Boyce Watkins, a professor at Syracuse University and founder of yourblackworld.com. Good to see you as well, Boyce.
BOYCE WATKINS, FOUNDER OF YOURBLACKWORLD.COM: Yes, same here.
CHETRY: Sherrilyn, let me start with you because I know you're pretty fired up about all that's gone on with the Shirley Sherrod controversy and you say that the president has to do more on race. You're hearing a lot of anger from the African-American community. Some might say though he has so much on his plate, you got the oil spill, the struggling economy, two wars. What more do you think the president himself should be doing when it comes to the issue of race relations?
IFILL: Well, I think the president was hoping -- and I think it is understandable that what he does on race would be in his substantive policies, the revitalized civil rights division, what he's trying to do in extending unemployment benefits, what he's tried to do in stimulating the economy and so forth and even the real and sincere efforts of the USDA to deal with backlogged civil rights claims.
So I think the president was hoping that substantive policy would be enough. But the reality is, race happens. It happened last summer with the Gates incident. It's happened with Shirley Sherrod. The right has been -- the hard right in particular -- has been very careful to try and present the entire Obama administration and the project of this first black president as being an exercise in reverse racism.
And so race is also a matter of public discussion and consciousness and I don't think the Obama administration can avoid it. The ironic piece is that I think most Americans trusted President Obama to be the person to help kind of navigate us through these shoals.
After that race speech toward a more perfect union in Philadelphia --
CHETRY: Right.
IFILL: I think that really settled it for many Americans. And so I think the Obama administration actually should be more confident about having the president be able to speak explicitly to the issue of race.
CHETRY: Well, Boyce, so when you talk about confidence, and when Sherrilyn brings up confidence, I mean, the Henry Gates controversy was not -- I mean, you really can't blame the conservatives for that and the president said when asked at a news conference, "the Cambridge police acted stupidly."
And then he said before knowing the full story of what happened. In this situation you had the NAACP and some would argue the Department of Agriculture by extension the administration also being quick to rush to judgment turning out that they ended up doing more damage, regardless of where the tape originally came from, just about how the administration deals with race. Two for two, it's actually turned out to be much worse for the president.
WATKINS: Well, let's be clear. Race is a 400-year-old problem for our country and you're not going to have progress without struggle. The election of President Obama was a landmark achievement for our country. We deserve tremendous credit for the fact that many Americans, white and black and other ethnicities decided that the best man for the job, the best person for the job was an African- American and so that's a good thing.
But then at the same time Obama's election has brought out some of the ugliest dimensions of our nation when it comes to race, many of those unresolved issues that we failed to confront. And the issue here is that when you talk about the delicate surgery, the delicate social surgery that needs to occur in order for us to deal with race, you can't do that surgery with a rusty butter knife.
And to some extent that's what the president did last year when he addressed the Henry Louis Gates case without knowing all the facts, without being very careful about how he hit the issue. And the result was that it was a political disaster. He lost a lot of white support.
It was the seminole moment when the tea party became much stronger than it was at that time. That was when Obama became identified as a radical black man which he certainly is not. And so ultimately the Henry Louis Gates case put the president in a cage where he literally became almost petrified to deal with the issue of race in public.
So when you saw more substantive issues occur like the shooting of Oscar Grant, the shooting of Sean Bell, the shooting of Ianna Jones, things that the president should have been involved with, he was afraid to touch those things. So I think that a conversation on race must occur in the United States but the president is not necessarily the person positioned to best lead that conversation.
In fact, Shirley Sherrod has impressed me so much that I think she should be involved in helping to lead that conversation because we have to have that conversation without a political agenda.
CHETRY: And that's interesting. So you believe that it is really not the president's place to take up this issue or lead the discussion. And I want to ask you about this, Sherrilyn. Because Shirley did talk to us this morning, gave her opinion that perhaps the administration feels that if it highlights issues of black people, that the country would perceive it as something negative. She thinks that's not necessarily the case but she's talking about perception. What do you make of that? Sherrilyn? IFILL: I think there are two pieces here. I think there are two pieces. Number one, the problem with what happened with the Henry Louis Gates matter and the beer summit last summer was that what was a symptom of a larger problem of race and encounters of African- Americans with the police was treated for political expediency as a personal misunderstanding between two individuals that the president then brought together for beer and nuts.
What was lost was the opportunity to talk about the larger picture. And that's what the president can speak to, including in this Shirley Sherrod matter. Which also is being personalized. I think Mrs. Sherrod has, to her credit, tried to draw attention to the larger issues.
This is a woman who knows quite a bit about rural land loss. She knows about black land loss and she clearly knows about white land loss. She's got a wealth of experience that I think she wants to give to the president about what it's like to be living in rural America in the south. And that to me is the critical place at which the president should be working and speaking and hearing from people like Shirley Sherrod.
So it is not about, you know, just leading an abstract conversation. It is about substantive policies that have to do with the president's authority and power to address the issue of race in this country.
CHETRY: And Boyce, there is a startling Quinnipiac University study that was out about this. It was the president's approval rating. And there was just a stark contrast between black and white. 91 percent of blacks approve of the president right now, whereas only 37 percent of whites do.
And then you dig a little deeper in those numbers, Boyce, and some younger Americans who were super energized about the election, Independents as well, seem to be finding themselves turning their backs on the president, support eroding in these two categories. And in this match-up that Quinnipiac did, especially among young people, they would vote for a generic Republican over the president come 2012. What happened?
WATKINS: Life happened. America happened.
The reality is that whites and blacks have always had divergent perceptions on almost every issue that relates to race. You go back to the O.J. Simpson trial and you polled whites and blacks, you -- you got two different results. If you look at any situation involving a black male athlete, say Michael Vick, you poll whites and blacks, you get divergent outcomes there as well.
The reality is that whites and blacks don't see the world as the same. The bigger problems in America are not so much racism, meaning I hate you because of the color of your skin. The bigger problem is -- are things like racial inequality, which is a byproduct of racism, where whites and blacks have different realities when it comes to access to education, access to economic opportunities, and -- and all these other things that go on in -- in our society, like mass incarceration where black men are actually arrested and incarcerated at a rate that's five times higher than the rate was in South Africa during the height of apartheid.
So the point is that America is a two-tiered society when it comes to race, and -- and if we don't deal with this issue directly and in an honest way, we're going to always have these problems.
I don't know if the president is necessarily the person who can really do that. I don't know if he's a person that wants to do that. I don't know what's in his heart and mind. But I know there are a lot of good Americans, white, black and otherwise, who want to address this issue, and -- and I call on those people to -- to attack it.
CHETRY: Well, we're scratching the surface, certainly, but I'm glad we got to get both of your opinions about it this morning.
Sherrilyn Ifill and Boyce Watkins, thank you.
WATKINS: Thank you.
IFILL: Thank you.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Dr. Boyce on TheLoop21 – 7/22/10

Hip Hop Ain’t Nothing but B*tches and Money

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

A lot of people make fun of the rapper Rick Ross. The sources of ridicule are numerous reports that Rick is not the drug dealer, king pin, or boss that he portrays in his music. In real life, he’s a regular, hard-working, law-abiding citizen. In fact, he was once a corrections officer.

The rapper 50 Cent has consistently taken Ross to task for allegedly defrauding the public by presenting an image that appears to be a figment of Ross’ powerful imagination. He often refers to Ross as “Officer Rick,” and seems set on ruining Ross’ highly successful career.

Ross has even been sued by the real “Freeway” Ricky Ross, a notorious drug dealer from the 1980s. Freeway Ricky has made what appears to be a plausible claim that the rapper stole his name and brand, using it to make millions. Had Freeway Ricky been born with a different name, Rick Ross the rapper may never have come into existence.

 

CClick to read.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins on Shirley Sherrod's Forced Resignation - CNN's Anderson Cooper 360

Dr. Boyce Watkins on Shirley Sherrod's Forced Resignation - CNN's Anderson Cooper 360

Dr Boyce on the Al Sharpten Show

Dr Boyce on the Al Sharpten Show

Monday, July 19, 2010

Where Did the Fugees Go Anyway?

Where Did the Fugees Go Anyway?

Black Love, Black Relationships and Facebook

Black Love, Black Relationships and Facebook

Dr Boyce on AOL – 7/19/10

Post Image

The Obama Deception Video Creates Claim Censorship

Post Image

Tea Party Express Spokesperson Expelled for Racist Remarks

Post Image

Mel Gibson: What You Probably Don't Know About His Money

Post Image

Dr. Boyce Video -- Sherri Shepherd Stops by for a Conversation

Post Image

Rush Limbaugh Insults Black People With 'Cracker' Remark

Post Image

Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton Downplay Tea Party Racism

Post Image

How to Financially Destroy Your Children Right Before You Die

Post Image

Major Legal Problems for AKAs

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Obama’s Declining Poll Numbers: Not His Fault

 

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

Recent polls are showing that 6 out of 10 Americans are losing faith in President Obama’s ability to run our nation.  This decline in the president’s numbers is in stark contrast to where the numbers were at the start of his presidency.  They are also reflective of the general fact that Americans are losing faith in government.  While 60% of Americans polled say they have little belief in President Obama, 68% said the same thing about Democrats, and 72% said the same about Republicans.

I don’t agree with these assessments, since President Obama has proven time and time again that he is the most qualified candidate for the job.  The broader challenge for the American people is that there are almost never enough good candidates available.  The elitism that leads our officials to only consider Harvard and Yale graduates for the White House or Supreme Court nominations is disturbing, and such a limited set of selections is what causes us to choose incompetent individuals like George W. Bush or Clarence Thomas to run our country.

Click to read.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Why Would an NFL Player Choose to Also Deal Drugs?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

A very popular rap song with the chorus "Sippin on some sizzurp" was written by the group, Three Six Mafia. I never liked the song, and I never liked the trend. The trend involves something in the south called "Drank," that involves a mix of codeine with 7up or pieces of Jolly Rancher candy. Well, speaking of Jolly, The Green Bay suspended Defensive End Johnny Jolly for the entire 2010 season for getting caught with codeine cough syrup outside a nightclub in Houston. In fact, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Jolly may have been more than a recreational user. The paper alleges that Jolly may have in fact, "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana."

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce's AOL Show -- Sherri Shepherd Stops by for a Conversation

Dr. Boyce's AOL Show -- Sherri Shepherd Stops by for a Conversation

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

New Black Panther Party Cautions The Tea Party Against Uprise

New Black Panther Party Cautions The Tea Party Against Uprise

Monday, July 12, 2010

Boyce Watkins and Bill Cosby On Al Sharpton's "Keeping It Real" Show

Boyce Watkins and Bill Cosby On Al Sharpton's "Keeping It Real" Show