Why are Black Relationships Breaking Down?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

One consistent topic of conversation within the African American community is the state of our relationships. We see scores of people choosing to get together, but they don't always want to stay together. Many of our children don't have mothers and fathers, but are granted a pile of baby's mamas and baby daddies. Some of the men aren't paying child support, and some of the women aren't making good choices when deciding who to sleep with. What's the problem?

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Fisk University May Have $74M Art Collection Taken by the State – School May Close as Result

• 

• Valuable Fisk University Art May be Repossessed by the State

  1:24 PMSep 13

  Source: BV Black Spin

  This week, Tennessee state Attorney General Bob Cooper asked a judge to allow the state of Tennessee to take possession of a 101-piece art collection owned by Fisk University. The collection was donated to the university by the late Georgia O'Keefe ... Read More

• John Boyd, President of the National Black Farmers Association: Black Farmers Deserve Justice Now

  1:15 PMSep 13

  Source: BV Black Spin

  When John Boyd steps before a crowd and talks about the indignities and discrimination that black farmers have had to endure from the federal government, he's not just speaking from a script. Boyd, who raises beef cattle, corn, wheat and soybeans in ... Read More

• Nicki Minaj Has Lady Gaga Swag, Laurie Ann Gibson Says

  12:32 PMSep 13

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Could Nicki Minaj be the next Lady Gaga? Laurie Ann Gibson certainly thinks so. Choreographer extraordinaire Gibson worked with Gaga to create the dance chemistry in Gaga's MTV Video Music Award-winning "Bad Romance" video and also put together ... Read More

• 10 Ways the NFL Can Punish Reggie Bush Properly

  12:00 PMSep 13

  Source: theBVX.com

  New Orleans Saint Reggie Bush may be stripped of his Heisman Trophy soon for NCAA violations during the 2004 and 2005 seasons while attending University of Southern California. But, is that all? We can think of ten more ways the NFL can punish Bush ... Read More

• Dr. Boyce Video: Meet Bruce George, Creator of Def Poetry Jam

  11:48 AMSep 13

  Source: BV on Money

  PRODUCTION PLAYER! DO NOT DELETE. ... Read More

• Daily SMH: Jennifer Hudson's Brother-In-Law Exploits Tragedy

  11:00 AMSep 13

  Source: theBVX.com

  Some people will say anything to get their rap career off the ground. Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law and the father of her slain nephew is no exception to the rule. ... Read More

• MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet Rundown

  9:00 AMSep 13

  Source: BV on Style

  The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards -- one of the most anticipated awards show of the year -- has come and gone. However, many of the outfits from last nights show are still fresh in our minds. Fun, short and flirty dresses, high platform heels, and ... Read More

• Black Man's HIV Status Leads to Breakthrough in Research

  2:21 AMSep 13

  Source: BV Black Spin

  According to scientists, HIV research is undergoing a "renaissance." Recent developments can lead to a plethora of new drugs to fight a disease that has crippled the black community. The most interesting part of it all is that much of the progress ... Read More

Reggie Bush Should Give the Heisman Back

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Anyone even remotely familiar with the sports world is well aware of reports that former USC star Reggie Bush is at risk of having his Heisman Trophy taken away from him. The return of the Heisman would likely be related to NCAA violations that allegedly took place within the USC program during the time when Bush played for them. Bush didn't speak in detail on the issue when he was asked about it.
"At this point, it's kind of out of my hands," Bush said Wednesday after practice with the New Orleans Saints.
Bush would not confirm or deny whether he spoke with the Heisman Trophy Trust about losing the award. Executive Director Robert Whalen said that no decision has yet been made.

 

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Kodak Pays $21 M for discrimination

• Kodak Set to Pay $21.4 Million in Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

  6:40 PMSep 4

  Source: BV on Money

  I'm not sure if the company's executives would consider this to be a Kodak moment, but it's certainly a moment in racial history. Kodak, the large film company based out of Rochester, New York, just had a racial discrimination suit settled for the ... Read More

• Regina King to the Emmys: Racist as Ever

  6:00 AMSep 4

  Source: Blackvoices Main

  From The Huffington Post: Since the Emmy ceremony, I have been going back and forth about whether or not I should compose this letter. I try hard in my daily life not to engage in uncomfortable situations regarding race. But sometimes it's very ... Read More

• Tom Joyner Helps HBCUs to Start Online Programs

  12:35 AMSep 4

  Source: BV on Money

  Radio show host Tom Joyner has decided to start making investments in the educational arena. Joyner has announced that he will help found a company designed to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in their quest to create ... Read More

• Sean Bell's Fiancee May Run for City Council

  8:26 PMSep 3

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Nicole Paultre-Bell, the young woman who lost her unarmed, would-be husband Sean Bell on the day before their nuptials nearly four years ago in an out-of-control hail of police bullets, is mulling over possibly running for the position of Queens City ... Read More

Tom Joyner Wants to Help HBCUs

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Radio show host Tom Joyner has decided to start making investments in the educational arena. Joyner has announced that he will help found a company designed to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in their quest to create online and distance learning programs.
Joyner's foundation has donated quite a bit of money to HBCUs. He is also a proud advocate for these campuses, which have struggled a great deal during the recent recession. Taping into additional revenue provided through online programs would provide a much needed boost for many black colleges and universities.

 

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Danny Granger of Team USA Says Europeans Smell Like D

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

If I were an old man responsible for managing Team USA's public image, I would be cursing Twitter every day of the week. Apparently, giving young, bold athletes instant access to media was a cruel joke orchestrated by both fate and Mother Nature. At any rate, the latest athlete to embarrass himself with his Twitter account was Danny Granger. Making reference to the fact that deodorant is not as popular in Europe as it is in the United States, Granger said that Europeans smell like "dead donkeys." Here are his exact words:
"i'm dying over here ..how come nobody in europe wears deodorant? guess they didn't get the memo – smellin like dead donkey..no joke"

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Black Males Dying in Detroit at Alarming Rates

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

African American males in Detroit between the ages of 15 and 24 are dying at a rate that is roughly seven times higher than the rest of the Detroit population. If they were dying at the same rate as everyone else, there would be one death every three weeks. Instead, there are two black men dying every single week.
This has set off alarm bells within the Detroit Police Department, which has taken heavy criticism for its policing of the black community. Their most recent embarrassment was the shooting of seven-year old Aiyana Jones during a police raid. But the Chief of Police, Ralph Godbee Jr., is concerned about black men killing one another.

 

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States Still Sentence Crack Far More Harshly than Powder

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Years ago when the federal government produced disparities in sentencing of crack vs. powder cocaine, many states followed suit. As a result, the black community was devastated with Draconian prison sentences, in which individuals with barely enough crack to weigh were given dozens of years in prison.
The federal government finally came to its senses and changed the law, making it marginally more equitable than it was before. The problem is that many states have not yet made the same change.
The arguments used to justify longer sentences are that the crack trade creates more crime and that the drug is more addictive than powder. Also, the tougher sentences were imposed in 1986, when basketball star Len Bias died from an overdose. It was originally reported that Bias had smoked crack, but a teammate later testified that Bias had snorted powder cocaine instead.

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Incarcerated Running Back Maurice Clarett Tries to Get His Life Back

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, The Coalition for Black Male Athletes, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action  

Maurice Clarrett, the embattled former superstar of the Ohio State Buckeyes, is getting another chance to play football. Clarett just signed a one-year deal to play for the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League. This is the first time Clarett has put on a football uniform since spending three and a half years in prison for having a hidden gun and holding up a couple outside a night club.
"I am humbled by the opportunity the Omaha Nighthawks have given me and will dedicate myself on and off the field to prove that I can be a valuable member of the team and the Omaha community," Clarett said. "I am committed to working hard to earn the right for a second chance in football and more importantly in life."
Clarett is now 6-feet tall, 220 pounds, which makes him 10 pounds lighter than he was when he played at Ohio State. The coaches were astonished at his physical shape, giving him credit for keeping himself prepared. He is allowed to be out of the state for 30 days at a time, but his attorneys are hoping that a judge will rule that Clarett can leave the state for the entire football season. He is now 26-years old, meaning that he is at his physical peak.

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How to Teach Your Kids About Money

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Given that our children are likely our greatest expense and greatest love, perhaps it might be helpful to discuss how we teach them about money.  If you raise your kids to be financially responsible, they can be assets to you during retirement.  If they are taught about money in the wrong way, they become horrible economic liabilities that leave you riddled with guilt.  So, although I don’t claim to know everything about child rearing, I thought I’d share some guidelines you might want to consider when it comes to teaching your kids about money.

 

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Was Eddie Johnson Really Breaking the Law?

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

Eddie Johnson's actions are par for course in today's politics

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...

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Jordan Miles: Honor Student Beaten by Police Because They Thought He was a Drug Dealer

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.

 

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Should Ebonics Be Taught in School?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

I wrote recently about how the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is now seeking to hire Ebonics translators to help them to apprehend drug dealers. The group seems to believe that by learning the underpinnings of urban language, it can find a way to bring down "Pookie nem" on the corner. The website Newsy.com covered the article that I wrote, with a few other scholars providing their own insights into how and why this decision might be implemented. While I am certainly listening to the discussion, I am not sure what it would mean to establish Ebonics as it's own language or to try to teach it in school.

Does the teaching of Ebonics mean that we treat urban dialect as a class? If the kids and teachers acknowledge the language structure of Ebonics, do we continue to reinforce the use of what some might consider broken English? If the language is acknowledged in school, does that mean Employers and universities will accept graduates who speak and write in Ebonics? If not, is there any sense in solidifying a student's desire to speak in a way that doesn't match the rest of us? I'm not so sure.

 

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Glenn Beck and Al Sharpton Both Hold Rallies: Which One is Legit?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Glenn Beck and Al Sharpton Hold Rallies on the Same Day?

• I was all set to go to Washington DC this weekend to participate in the rally to commemorate the ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Aug 28th 2010 10:06PM | Comments (0)

Black Student Helps Invent Electric Car that Goes 400 Miles Per Gallon

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

 

Kansas City, Missouri is one of my favorite places in the world. I have friends there that I respect, and I've grown an appreciation for the African American community in that city. One of the things I noticed about Kansas City is that there are both reasons for despair, and rays of light that provide tremendous promise. One of those lights is a student by the name of Kelvin Duley.
Duley was part of a team at De LaSalle High School, which invented an electric car that can travel 300 miles per gallon. Last month, Dooley said he wanted to grow up to be a professional basketball player. Now, he says he wants to become an engineer. This experience has changed him for life.

 

CClick to read.

Technology Now Used to Predict Criminal Intent

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Scholarship in Action 

It is being reported that law enforcement officials in Washington DC plan to use a new computer program that claims to be able to predict which citizens are most likely to commit crime. The concept conjures up images of the Tom Cruise film, "Minority Report," in which agents were able to predict "pre-crime": Crime that hasn't happened yet, and is set to occur. But far from science fiction, this program is based on reality.
The program was developed by Richard Berk, a professor at The University of Pennsylvania. The first version of the program was used to predict future murders among parolees, but it is being argued that the software can be used for all kinds of crime.
"When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an officer. The question that officer has to answer is 'what level of supervision do you provide?'" Berk told ABC News.
The program could have real implications, including determining the amount of a person's bail or how long they are to remain in a halfway house upon their release from prison. The program works by using a large database of crimes and other factors, including geographic location, age, prior offenses and the criminal record of the person being considered.

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Julianne Malveaux: Detroit is America’s Ground Zero

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.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins on TheLoop21.com – 8/20/10

• 

• Obama needs magic to create jobs out of thin air

• Fri, 08/20/2010 - 00:00

  He's got low approval ratings, but our pro-business, anti-union economy makes it virtually impossible to create jobs ...

  Read More

• Having a side hustle can keep you afloat

  Wed, 08/18/2010 - 00:03

  How to achieve financial security in the current economy ...

  Read More

• The three money mistakes we make when we're in love

  Mon, 08/16/2010 - 21:00

  Mixing love and money can become a dangerous thing. It's even more dangerous not to talk about your finances with the one you love. ...

  Read More

• How to end black unemployment forever

  Tue, 08/10/2010 - 00:00

  Most of us wonder why black unemployment is so high. We wonder why black people are so broke. We need to be entrepreneurs. ...

  Read More

• Be like Buffett: What blacks can learn from this billionaire

  Sun, 08/08/2010 - 20:15

  The wealthiest in black America should emulate his investment and humanity ...

  Read More

  MORE STORIES

James Clyburn Center Under Investigation for Funds Mismanagement

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.

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Is Eric Holder Ignoring the Issue of Prison Rape?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Black Scholarship in Action 

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.

Click to read.