Your Black News: March 2010

3:00 PM on 03/19/2010

OPINION - Marcelas Owens' story can bring realism and relevance to a debate that has been about posturing, bickering and mid-term elections...

Presidential disrespect goes prime-time in Obama's Fox interview

11:22 AM on 03/18/2010

OPINION - Republicans should realize that when they disrespect the presidency, they are disrespecting themselves...

Clarence Thomas' wife's Tea Party ties are supremely disturbing

9:20 AM on 03/16/2010

OPINION - When you sleep next to someone who openly states they want to undermine the president's "hard left agenda" you can hardly call yourself impartial...

Democrats' crack-cocaine compromise is still 'racist'

9:00 AM on 03/15/2010

OPINION - While some might call this political pragmatism, others might describe this outcome as the modern-day version of the Three-Fifths Compromise...

African American Social Commentary from TheGrio - 3/19/10

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

11-year-old caught in the middle of health reform mudslinging

3:00 PM on 03/19/2010

OPINION - Marcelas Owens' story can bring realism and relevance to a debate that has been about posturing, bickering and mid-term elections...

Rani G Whitfield

The Hip Hop Doctor

Colorectal cancer doesn't discriminate

8:14 AM on 03/19/2010

OPINION - African-Americans are less likely to receive CRC screenings, especially if they are uninsured...

Suzanne Rust

Book critic

An 'Immortal Life': How one woman's cells helped cure a generation

11:31 AM on 03/18/2010

REVIEW - The cells of a poor black woman from Clover, Virginia, a descendant of free slaves, led to major breakthroughs in everything from polio to Parkinson's...

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

Presidential disrespect goes prime-time in Obama's Fox interview

11:22 AM on 03/18/2010

OPINION - Republicans should realize that when they disrespect the presidency, they are disrespecting themselves...

Marcus Vanderberg

Sports and social commentator

Baller-in-chief: Obama's 'March Madness' bracket scores well

8:16 AM on 03/18/2010

OPINION - As much as I would have loved to see the president go out on a limb and pick the Baylor Bears to win it all, it's hard to argue against the Jayhawks...

Karen Finney

Political analyst

Conservatives use abortion issue to court African-Americans

8:09 AM on 03/18/2010

OPINION - Conservative shock and awe tactics from anti-choice groups are a desperate attempt to win over voters and obscure the harsh realities that black women face...

Rashod D. Ollison

Cultural Critic

Will Michael Jackson's new music be a thriller for fans?

9:00 AM on 03/17/2010

OPINION - Would he have done something different? Did he mean for that note to be there? Would he have approved this final mix?...

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton Discuss The Senate's Refusal to end the crack sentencing disparity on the Syndication One News-Talk radio Network

Thursday, March 18, 2010

President obama fights with Fox News

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President Obama sits down with Fox News' Bret Baier to discuss his healthcare reform bill. Obama describes their conversation as "a little frustrating."

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton Discuss The Senate's Refusal to end the crack sentencing disparity

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins on the Crack Sentencing Disparity

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

When I was a teenager, a police officer explained to me how the "War on Drugs" took place in his hometown. The officer candidly described how every policeman in the city knew what boats contained drugs and when those boats would arrive in the city's major port. But he also knew that officers were not expected to show up on these boats to make arrests, and that they were not to deter the progress of the product when it hit the port. Instead, they were instructed to allow the drugs to get to the inner city, where they were given authorization to make as many arrests as necessary. In other words, his job was to arrest the small fish, not the big ones.

The misleading, ill-conceived and terribly racist set of drug policies which defined the Reagan era has been absolutely devastating for the African-American community. The existence of gang warfare in South Central Los Angeles has left hundreds of thousands of youth with post-traumatic stress disorder, as the CIA was oblivious to the fact that drugs and guns were being openly delivered to a community that no one cares about. The Anti Drug Abuse Act of 1986 was the product of America's broad-stroke reaction to increased drug use of the 1980s. The law gave a sentence 100 times greater for possession of crack cocaine (more likely to be possessed by blacks) than the one given for powder cocaine (possessed in greater proportion by whites), creating a black incarceration rate of holocaust proportions.

After sitting on the books for decades, the law was finally modified this year. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Jeff Sessions did black people the "favor" of agreeing to reduce the sentencing disparity from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1. So, instead of getting a prison sentence that is 100 times longer for the same crime, we only get one that is 18 times longer. Gee thanks. I'm supposed to be happy about that one, huh? So, we're not good enough to demand true equality, and are instead forced to accept dysfunctional compromises with Republicans from Alabama? While some might call this political pragmatism, others might describe this outcome as the modern-day version of the Three-Fifths Compromise.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Your Black News: Jay - Z Gets Push Back on His New Stadium

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I curiously watched the press conference held last week to celebrate the New Jersey Nets (well, not quite New Jersey anymore) stadium set to be built in Brooklyn. A group of investors, led by Bruce Ratner, were joined by many prominent New York public figures to celebrate the ground-breaking of one of the highest impact economic endeavors in the history of Brooklyn. Jay-Z is part of the group of investors who bought the Nets, so of course he attended the ceremony.

The excitement of bringing a professional sports team to a city is overwhelming. Teams can bring out a sense of community spirit and unity which ultimately helps provide a little meaning in a complex world. Cities compete to bring teams to their town because the fans want them. Cities give teams extensive tax subsidies and even offer to use eminent domain to take property away from residents who are not willing to sell their homes in order to have the stadium built. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? Well, sometimes it can be.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Your Black Bloggers on Newsone.com - 3/11/10

Rev. Al Sharpton

Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), Rev Sharpton is one of most-renowned civil rights leaders in the country. Pres Obama called him “the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden."

Dr. Boyce Watkins

The Bottom Line

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, "Black American Money." For more information, please visit www.YourBlackWorld.com.

RK Byers

Rich's Rant

Novelist, screenwriter and edtor RK Byers has spent a career speaking his mind on all topics from sports to news. His work has appeared in consumer publications including The Source and GIANT.

Elon James White

This Week In Blackness

"This Week in Blackness" is a satirical look at race, politics and pop-culture in a so-called “post-racial” America.

Warren Ballentine

Radio host Warren Ballentine, "The People's Attorney," will provide you with all the legal and financial advice you need to keep up in today’s fast-paced world. Visit his website at www.thetruthfighters.com.

Report: African Americans More Optimistic About the Future than Whites

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

According to a recent survey by Experian, African-American consumption grew by over 50 percent from the year 2000 to 2008 ($590 billion to $913 billion), and it is expected to grow to over $1.2 trillion dollars by the year 2013. The study also shows that blacks are more economically optimistic than whites, with 36 percent of us stating that we expect our financial future to improve, as opposed to 31 percent for all adults.

The Experian study says a couple of things: First, it says that black people love to consume and that we are getting better at it. In fact, black people have historically been very good at buying things and working hard to get them, but we are not very good at production, investment and saving our money. We grab our tax refunds and run to the mall. We become highly paid corporate lawyers in order to purchase the house and car we really can't afford. We are chubby kids in the economic candy store, accelerating our collective addiction to the monetary engines controlled by corporate greed.

Your Black News - 3/11/10

Foreclosure rates up by smallest amount in 4 years

By theGrio

10:40 AM on 03/11/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - The foreclosure crisis in the U.S. isn't over, but the pace of growth may finally be slowing down...

> MORE
Chicago woman maintains massive black history archive

By theGrio

4:46 PM on 03/10/2010

VIDEO - The carefully constructed, three-hour interviews open a window not only onto black America, but also onto the human condition...

> MORE
Wife of Rep. Conyers sentenced to 37 months in prison

By theGrio

4:15 PM on 03/10/2010

DETROIT (AP) - As guards cleared the packed courtroom, Monica Conyers yelled that she planned to appeal...

> MORE
Senate passes jobless aid, business tax breaks

By theGrio

3:54 PM on 03/10/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate voted Wednesday to extend a host of soon-to-expire elements of last year's economic stimulus measure...

> MORE
LA Angels' Hunter calls black Latino players 'imposters'

By theGrio

3:44 PM on 03/10/2010

PHOENIX (AP) - Torii Hunter has called black Latino baseball players "impostors" when it comes to the appearance of the number of African-Americans in the major leagues...

> MORE

Monday, March 8, 2010

Black News: Tom Delay, Former House Majority Leader, Says that People Don't want to be Employed

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

If I were President Barack Obama, I would be break dancing in the Oval Office. Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom Delay applauded the actions of his Republican colleague Jim Bunning, who chose to block the extension of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans. In his comments, Delay effectively argued that Americans want to be unemployed, because having unemployment benefits gives them no incentive to go out and look for a job.
Yes, I was stunned to hear these words. But then again, perhaps Delay has decided to officially marginalize himself and say all the things he wanted to say when he actually had a position of relevance within the federal government. Instead, he has allowed us to peek in to the minds of his colleagues, who are probably thinking the same way. Here are Delay's words based on his interview with Candy Crowley:

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins: U. Missouri Cotton Ball Racism Raises Questions

by Dr Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

One of my friends, Dr. Tommy Whittler, is a very talented and prominent Psychologist. Dr. Whittler once told me that when he was training rats in the lab, he would sometimes become frustrated with the fact that the rats would not do what he believed he’d trained them to do. His mentor would always correct him with a reminder that when the rats do things that deviate from his intended outcome, it was likely due to the fact that he may not have done his job properly. His mentor would say to him, “There is no such thing as a dumb rat. There are only dumb trainers.” Dr. Whittler went on to become an outstanding scholar because he learned how to properly critique his own behavior.

While human beings are certainly not lab rats, a similar analogy can be applied to college professors working with their students. Sometimes, college students do things that disappoint us: Some choose to drink till they puke every weekend and become lifelong alcoholics. They might commit violent acts against each other, sometimes as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Some choose to engage in irresponsible sexual choices and end up with venereal diseases and unplanned pregnancies. Also, they sometimes say or do things that are terribly ignorant, racist and insensitive.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Do You Really Have Financial Security?

by Dr Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

I'd like to ask you a quick question that I ask my students here at Syracuse University. It is also a question I had to honestly ask myself when I thought I was on top of the world after spending 12 years going through college and graduate school to earn a PhD in Finance (which was unbelievably difficult). The question is this: Do you have financial security? If you don't have financial security, do you at least have job security? If you believe your job is secure, then how many jobs do you have?
If you are like most Americans, you probably have just one job. I am not here to tell you that this is wrong. But, I am here to tell you that you might want to rethink what it means to be economically secure.
At worst, economic security is not provided by just having a high income. In fact, in some ways, having a high income can make you less secure, since you are more likely to have higher monthly expenses. To some extent, having a high income from just one job can fool you into believing that you are financially secure, when the truth is that you might be one paycheck away from economic disaster.

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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins Critiques the NCAA

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I was invited this week to speak to the Stanford University NAACP about whether or not college athletes should be paid. When I am asked whether I think college athletes should be compensated for their labor, I simply respond to the question with another question: “Why shouldn’t they get paid? Did they not earn the money? Is someone else earning money from their labor? Is the labor of the athlete essential to the revenue-generating process?” Answers to these questions help us to understand how insane it is that athletes earn billions of dollars for coaches, but aren’t entitled to any of that money for themselves. I’ve seen race horses get better deals than that.

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Your Black News: OJ Simpson Back in the Limelight

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

Remember the suit that OJ Simpson wore when he was acquitted of murder in 1995? I'm sure you do. The images of OJ breathing a sigh of relief after his acquittal were viewed all around the world. You probably remember exactly what you were doing at that precise moment, similar to the 911 attacks. Well, the Smithsonian Institute has announced that they do not want OJ's suit, claiming that it is "inappropriate for their collection."

The announcement came after a 13-year legal fight over what to do with the suit. Since that time, it has been in the possession of Simpson's former sports agent, Mike Gilbert. Fred Goldman, father of one of the men Simpson was accused of killing, has been fighting for the suit since the 1990s. Simpson told authorities that the suit was stolen from him.

The suit was also part of the reason that Simpson is in prison right now. OJ was arrested and convicted for an incident in which he robbed men in Las Vegas in order to reclaim memorabilia that he believed to be stolen. He'd been told that the suit was among the list of things being offered for sale.

The Smithsonian used these words on its website:

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins: Rhode Island School Firing: Was it Justified?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

You don't have to go to college to know that America's educational system is as embarrassing as our bloated, expensive health care system. Such wide-scale dysfunction inevitably undermines the integrity of America's competitive future. The only thing more frightening than what we see today is the realization that the products of this system will eventually control the wealthiest, most powerful country on earth.

Some would argue that only radical change will improve the problems in our schools. Apparently, Frances Gallo, Superintendent of the Central Falls Rhode Island Public School System, got the memo. In a shocking move that has received national attention, Gallo instantly fired 93 teachers and other staff from Central Falls High school, a failing school with a 48 percent graduation rate.

The move was cheered by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who said that school administrators are "showing courage and doing the right thing for kids." The decision also got the militant attention of teachers unions everywhere, who some believe to be standing in the way of education reform. As expected, many union leaders thought the move was outrageous, insensitive and hurtful to the student body.

Superintendent Gallo didn't have to use the "nuclear option" on Central Falls High School. She actually had four options provided to her by the Obama administration. She could have closed the school down completely or had it taken over by a charter school. She also could have "transformed" the school, with longer days and other demands placed on faculty and staff. Instead, she went with the "turnaround" option, giving her the authority to boot teachers out at her discretion.