Thursday, December 30, 2010

Dr. Boyce: Why Tupac Wouldn’t Want to Be Alive Right Now

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

The recent spoof claiming that the late Tupac Shakur was killed by Suge Knight got my mind racing back to 1996, the year that Tupac was murdered. Some might say that Tupac was the greatest rapper in history. I don't agree, but then again, my pick for "the greatest" changes with my mood. I can say that I listened to Tupac every morning and found his energy to be contagious. He represented a type of fearlessness, creativity and (most of the time) intelligence that led him to sell 75 million albums worldwide (he makes more money as a dead man than most of us will ever make in life). I am not here to pretend that Tupac was perfect, for he was flawed in quite a few significant ways. But he was certainly a legend and well-ahead of his time.
As we approach 2011, the year that most of us thought would never arrive, I thought I would list some quick reasons that Tupac wouldn't necessarily enjoy being here with us. Sure he would probably rather be alive, but he might be a bit disappointed with what he saw. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

 

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The Scott Sisters are Released and required to share a kidney

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

 

 

Jamie and Gladys Scott have sat behind bars for nearly two decades over a robbery that netted just $11 dollars. The two women also dispute the fact that they even participated in the robbery, and many wondered if there were political motivations behind the magnitude of their original sentence. But the Scott sisters, who are 36 and 38 years old, were released this week when Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour suspended their sentences indefinitely.
The sisters were given two life sentences in 1994 when they allegedly ambushed a man, hitting him in the head with a shot gun and making off with $11 dollars. Nancy Lockhart, an activist, fought tirelessly for the women to be released, and there were rallies held in Mississippi on their behalf. She was finally successful when the governor made the decision to release them.
One interesting aspect of the release conditions for the Scott sisters is that they are actually required to share a kidney or will be asked to come back to prison. While bizarre as a request, this doesn't seem to be a problem, given that Gladys offered to share her kidney with her sister. Governor Barbour cited the high cost to the state of Jamie's kidney condition (she has complete kidney failure), and also noted that he doesn't feel that the sisters are a threat to public safety.

 

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Keith Olbermann Curses at Fox News

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann went out of his way to take the war with Fox News to an entirely different level the other day. On his Twitter account, Olbermann repeatedly tweeted the words "Fox News is 100% Bullsh*t." He also spent much of his time specifically aiming at Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, stating that "I don't have as much hate or as many lies in me as O'Reilly."
Olbermann's latest stunt surely pleased most of his fans, many of whom hate Fox News as much as he does. I personally appreciate the candor of Olbermann's comments, and it's hard to disagree with him. The truth is that Fox News disrespects the entire concept of journalistic integrity and represents a part of America that many thought had disappeared long ago.
I am especially appreciative toward Olbermann for defending me in the past when Bill O'Reilly spent an entire week on his show trying to get me fired from Syracuse University. Olbermann rightly pointed out that O'Reilly used lies to attack me, and provided the quote to prove it. Olbermann's efforts didn't really work, however, as many of my Syracuse colleagues were so spooked by O'Reilly's electronic terrorism that I spent the next two years dealing with underhanded shenanigans from scholars who share O'Reilly's disdain for African American scholarship.

 

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Several Ohio State Players Suspended for Selling Jerseys, Rings, etc.

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Terrelle Pryor, the star quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, is set to be suspended for four games next season as a result of receiving improper benefits. He wasn't the only Buckeye kicked out for 1/3 of next season: Four other players were also suspended: Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas are among the guilty and condemned.
Adams is being asked to repay $1,000 for selling his 2008 Big Ten Championship ring and Heron was busted for selling his jersey, pants and shoes for $1,000. Also among the list of offenses being investigated was that the players received free tattoos in exchange for autographs.
When I read this story, I thought, "Here we go again, the NCAA participating in their typical sanctimonious and hypocritical behavior."

 

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Madam Prezident Discusses the Lack of Women in Hip Hop

Dr. Boyce Watkins on AOL Black Voices: Hip Hop Women

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why there are no women in hip hop. I've asked this question of some of my friends in the game, but none of them seem to have a good answer. So, I figured that I would do the same thing I did with my mother when I was a child: Keep asking the question until the answer starts to make sense.
There is a plethora of talented artists in hip hop, but most of them are men. We know that women possess the talent to be successful, and we simply have to give them the opportunity. Well, this is the topic that I am going to discuss today with Madam Prezident, aka Shanelle Walker. She is an amazing spoken word and hip hop artist and represents one of the most talented artists in the world today.

 

Click to read

 

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Bishop Eddie Long Update: Accusers Broke Into His Office to Get Evidence

Bishop Eddie Long Accusers Say They Broke Into Office to Obtain Evidence

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 


The Bishop Eddie Long sex scandal
has been the peculiar incident in Atlanta that turned the black church upside down. A popular pastor given the responsibility of caring for scores of young men has been accused of coercing some of them in to sexual relationships.
Just when you thought the scandal couldn't get anymore scandalous, another piece of evidence emerges from the fray.
Several of Bishop Eddie Long's accusers now claim that the reason they broke in to his office earlier this year was to obtain evidence against Bishop Eddie Long for a pending lawsuit. This is in contrast to previous reports that the men broke in to Long's office for money.
"That man was hurt," said one of Long's accusers, Jamal Parris. "He wanted to get evidence to prove what was happening to him and to all of us."

Click to read.

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Dr. Boyce: Why We Should All Support the Georgia Prison Strike

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

You may have heard about the prison strike occurring in Georgia right now.  Inmates in four facilities have come together in an amazing show of solidarity to demand that they be treated like (gasp) human beings, not slaves or animals.  Rather than continuing to fall for the game of divide and conquer that has kept them apart for so long, the whites, blacks, Muslims, Mexicans, and other groups have mobilized forces to fight for something worthwhile.

The guards and wardens of these prisons are nervous.  For the longest time, they were able to convince the inmates to take their aggression out on each other.  Now that the intellectual and spiritual guns are pointed at their overseers, the inmates are gaining access to the liberation that has been denied to them for so very long.  The Georgia prison strike is not just a one-time event; it is a model for success in organizing that can be replicated around the country.

I stand with these men as they fight for what they deserve, while fully understanding that they must pay a debt to society.  They are not asking for anything dramatic, just the basics of what any human being might expect:  an escape from involuntary servitude, adequate healthcare, educational opportunities, the ability to see their families without exorbitant expense and just parole decisions.  They are not asking to be treated like royalty or to even be released without good cause.  They are simply demanding that they be allowed to repay their debt to America and simultaneously create sustainable paths toward contributing to the society in which they live.  These men and women are not garbage to be thrown out and destroyed, but are actually individuals with tremendous productive capacity that remains untapped in a system structured to ruin both good people and bad.

Click to read.

 

 

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Ryan Mack Discuss Black Men in Prison

Dr. Boyce Watkins on AOL Black Voices: State of the Black Male

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

One of the consistent themes of my work in black public scholarship is the state of the black male in America. We know that black men are on the bottom rung of our society in nearly every statistical category when it comes to measuring quality of life. The prison strike in Georgia is one example of cases in which black men are standing up and telling the world that we are powerful creatures. There are also uplifting things happening all across America in the fields of education and economic empowerment. Black men will not be denied access to the American dream for much longer. One person that I brought into the studio to discuss these matters is Ryan Mack, a bold and powerful activist from the New York area. Ryan is the CEO of Optimum Capital Management and author of the book, "Living in the Village."

 

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CBC Remains Silent about GA Prison Protest

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

In case you haven't seen it much in the media, history is being made in Georgia. Prison inmates in the state have come together for the largest prison strike in United States history. The event is significant, since the prison system is one of the last remnants of slavery in our nation. Among other things, the inmates are demanding access to education, decent heathcare, the ability to see their families, just parole decisions and an escape from cruel and unusual punishment. In other words, they are asking to be treated as human beings.


I've spoken to as many people as I could about what the inmates in Georgia are doing and I've also reported on the activities that I've begun in conjunction with the Your Black World Coalition. But as I was working with my team to figure out how we could help the inmates, one question came to mind: Where are the black folks in Washington?

 

Click to read.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Dr. Boyce: Player Attacks Referee After a Foul Is Called On Him

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

 

A player from Desoto High School in Florida is in hot water after attacking a referee during a basketball game. Apparently, the player wasn't happy when the ref ejected him for hitting another player. It was then that the player hit the referee, eventually slamming him to the ground.
The game ended when the refs refused to continue officiating.
Obviously, this incident should lead to a serious punishment for the young man involved. Referees should not, in any way, feel that they are physically threatened when making unpopular calls during an athletic event. What I hope, however, is that we don't somehow conclude that the young man who made this mistake is some kind of irreparable social deviant. My interpretation is that there was plenty of testosterone flowing in the game and it simply got out of hand. Young people, often unable to handle hormonal changes, can sometimes do things that they regret. In fact, during college, I once threw another player to the ground in the heat of competition. After the incident, I immediately left the court and went home so I could cool off.

 

Click to read.

 

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

HBCUs Go Up for Accreditation Again: Fisk and Tenn State Have Trouble

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Ten Historically Black Colleges in the south had their accreditation renewed last week by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Two HBCUs, Fisk University and Tennessee State, were placed on "warning" status, with their accreditation pending their commitment to resolving some issues brought up by the evaluation committee. The warning status is one step away from probation, which can lead to the loss of accreditation.


The universities approved for accreditation included Alabama State, Bethune Cookman, Grambling, North Carolina A&T, Prairie View, South Carolina State, Southern University-Baton Rouge, Xavier of New Orleans, Virginia Union and Winston Salem State University in North Carolina.


Universities must seek out accreditation once every 10 years. There are over 80 different standards that campuses must meet to be reaffirmed. Accreditation is important for every university, with some HBCUs struggling to make the mark. The struggle can be linked directly to a lack of resources, leading to many HBCUs hiring professors from other countries to fulfill research requirements. In fact, in business and the sciences, many HBCUs don't have more than one or two African American professors, which seems to defeat the purpose of attending an HBCU in the first place.

 

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Saturday, December 11, 2010

Dr. Boyce: Auburn’s Cam Newton Wins Heisman In the Middle of Controversy

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton became the 76th winner of the Heisman Trophy, considered to be the most prestigious award in all of college football. Newton won the award this week, making him the third player in Auburn University history to win the trophy. His stellar play on the field led to Auburn having a 13-0 record and playing for the BCS Championship.

Quite simply, Newton is an absolute beast. He led the SEC in rushing with 1,409 yards. He was simultaneously the nation's top-rated passer with 2,589 yards passing and 28 touchdown tosses. He also scored another 21 touchdowns rushing.

Click to read.

Harvard Study Says Whites Don’t Identify Obama as One of Them

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action

A recent study out of Harvard University has concluded that the typical adult American sees mixed-race Americans like Barack Obama and Halle Berry as being more black than white. The study, conducted by Arnold K. Ho, a doctoral student of Psychology at Harvard, says that even when bi-racial people are equally mixed with both the white and black races, they are seen as being more black than white.
Ho conducted the study with James Sidanius, a Professor of Psychology and African American studies, also at Harvard.
The authors interpret their findings to relate to the "one-drop rule," based on a 1662 law in Virginia that connected mixed-race individuals to their lower social class. Even as recently as 1985, a Louisiana court ruled that a woman with a black great-great-great-great grandmother could not claim that she was white on her passport.
"One of the remarkable things about our research on hypodescent is what it tells us about the hierarchical nature of race relations in the United States," Sidanius said. "Hypodescent against blacks remains a relatively powerful force within American society."

 

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Friday, December 10, 2010

Famous Gynecologist Performed Experiments on Slaves with No Anesthesia

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

University of Illinois Professor Deborah McGregor has helped to shed an important piece of history to the American public. Dr. McGregor has noted that Dr. James Marion Sims, considered the father of modern gynecology, developed many of his techniques by operating on slaves, many of whom were not given anesthesia.
Professor McGregor, the author of 'From Midwives to Medicine: The Birth of American Gynecology," said "There is no doubt that he carried out experiments on women, and that he was only able to do so because they were slaves."


Part of the controversy regarding Sims centers around a statue placed near Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street in New York City. The statue is located next to the New York Academy of Medicine, in a neighborhood that is majority Black and Puerto-Rican. EastHarlemPreservation.org put a poll on it's website that asks: "Should the NYC Parks Department remove the statue of Dr. Marion Sims from its East Harlem location considering his experiments on female and infant slaves?"

 

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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Major Debt Keeps Michael Vick from Living It Up Just Yet

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action 

Oh what a tangled web we weave with our choices. A man with one of the most tangled financial webs in America is Mr. Michael Vick. Vick has re-positioned himself as one of the leading quarterbacks in the NFL, and I’m sure a massive financial offer is forthcoming at some point. But don’t expect Michael to be rolling pretty for quite a while, since I haven’t seen this many financial problems since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Where do we begin? Let’s start with Vick’s stellar salary with the Philadelphia Eagles. Michael brings home a cool $4.1 million, which might seem like a lot of money for a man who didn’t just file bankruptcy while serving time in prison. A condition of the bankruptcy is that Vick doesn’t get to spend nearly any of the money he earns for anything other than absolute necessities. So, that means no Cristal at the club, no ‘blingin, flossin', shinin' or stuntin’ allowed, which seems to be the mandatory calling for far too many African American athletes.

 

Click to read.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Teenager Convicted of Killing 16-Yr Old Derrion Albert

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

The jury didn't deliberate for more than half an hour, but in that time, a 15-year old boy was convicted in the beating death of 16-year old honor student Derrion Albert.The boy was convicted of first-degree murder when it was determined that he laid a punch to the face of Albert as he tried to stand up. The jury decided that the punch played a significant role in Albert's death.


"I am pleased. Justice was served," Norman Golliday, Albert's grandfather told the Associated Press. "The facts were there from the start, they stared you right in the face. The jury saw that."


The teen's lawyer, Richard Kloak, admitted that his client punched Albert, but said that the crime was not as serious as the conviction.

 

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Black Politics: The Democrats Get Angry at President Obama

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

President Barack Obama is at a unique point in his presidency. This is a place where no one thought he'd be, but then again, no presidency ever turns out the way we would expect. The president is finding that in addition to the burden of dealing with unrelenting Republicans, many of whom can't stand seeing a black man in power, he now has to deal with Democrats who are angry at him for compromising on the latest tax agreement.


I admit that I was shocked to see such strong Democratic opposition to Obama's tax deal with the Republicans. Effectively, the Republicans were holding the nation's unemployed hostage in exchange for having Bush tax cuts extended for the rich. This was a prime opportunity for the Democrats, given that the Republicans were revealing themselves to be working on behalf of the wealthy, at the expense of middle class Americans. Additionally, their push to give tax cuts to those who needed them the least was in stark contrast to their proclaimed objective of embracing fiscal discipline as it pertains to the federal debt.

 

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Derrell Johnson-Koulianos: Star Wide Receiver for U. Iowa Arrested for Selling Dope

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is the star wide receiver for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Well, he was the star receiver until this weekend. Iowa City police just arrested Johnson-Koulianos on a long list of drug charges, including: possession of a controlled substance, keeping a drug house and unlawful possession of prescription drugs. Police allegedly found cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs in his home, along with $3,000 in cash.
Johnson-Koulianos is currently in the Johnson County Jail in Iowa City, being held on $8,000 bail. His first court appearance was set to occur Wednesday morning. Clearly, the city and coaching staff are in shock over recent events.

Click to read.

Black News - Trial Begins for Derrion Albert, 16-Yr Old Honor Student Who was Killed

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

The trial is about to begin for a 14-year old boy who was one of five suspects accused of beating Derrion Albert, a 16-year old honor student, to death last year. The beating occurred in September 2009 as Albert was on his way home from school. It was captured on cell phone video and seen around the world.
The teen on trial isn't being identified because he is a juvenile. But there are four other suspects awaiting trial as adults. The prosecutor portrays the young men as part of a mob who attacked Albert and eventually killed him. The video shows the men kicking and punching Albert and eventually slamming a board onto his head. He died from the injuries to his skull.
The defense attorney for the boy claims that the suspect was caught up in a fight that he didn't initiate. He did acknowledge that the boy hit Albert when he stood up, but says that his client didn't cause Albert's death.

Click to read.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

James Mtume and Stanley Crouch Debate the Legacy of Miles Davis

Part 1

 

 

Part 2

Cholera Outbreak in Haiti Leads to Witch Hunt Murders

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Since the start of a cholera outbreak in Haiti, there are reports of witch hunts taking place to stop those accused of using "black magic" to infect other people. So far, up to 12 people have been killed by mobs, according to police.
The outbreak has led to widespread destabilization in a country that was already struggling. So far, over 1,900 Haitians have died from cholera, and another 84,000 have been infected. Rumors started to spread about the outbreak in the Grand Anse region that vodou practitioners had created a black magic powder to spread the disease. Since then, mobs with machetes have sought to kill those believed to be connected with the outbreak.

 

Click to read.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Alienation of Affection: Former NBA Player Sued for Taking Another Man’s Fiancee

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Former NBA star Antoine Walker is being sued for $5 million dollars by a man who claims that Walker stole his fiancee. Kevin Jenkins says that he caught Walker and his fiancee in an "intimate moment," and confronted Walker about it. He said that Walker laughed in his face to deliberately cause him emotional distress.
Jenkins then says that he became so emotionally distressed that he thought about killing himself.
To date, I haven't heard of anyone being sued for cheating with another person's fiancee. However, I do know that in some states, you can be sued for cheating with someone else's spouse. These "alienation of affection" lawsuits are legal in several states: Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.

Click to read. 

 

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Black Unemployment Numbers Don’t Look Good for November

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Today's release of November unemployment data is not good news for President Obama. Unemployment rose nationally to 9.8 percent, after holding steady at 9.6 percent for the previous three months. The jobless rate jumped for nearly every racial/gender demographic. White women still have the lowest unemployment rate of both genders, when comparing African Americans and whites. Black males have the highest.

Black unemployment rose again from 15.7 percent to 16 percent. This number is slightly lower than the high of 16.3 percent experienced back in August. When scaled with the white unemployment rate of 8.9 percent, the black unemployment rate is 79.8 percent higher than that of white Americans.

 

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Dr. Boyce Watkins: Black Coach Insulted Before Being Hired by Colorado

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Jon Embree is a former tight end for The University of Colorado. He is currently an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins. The rumor mill has it that Embree may soon take the next step of becoming head coach at his alma mater.
Typically, such a bold move by a university to give an African American coach a chance might be applauded. In this case, heads are turning because of confusing remarks made by former Colorado coach Bill McCartney.
McCartney, who was one of three finalists for the job as of Wednesday night, shut down speculation by stating that the university had informally offered the job to Embree. He also went as far as stating that Embree was offered the job because he is African American.
"It was never about me doing it again," McCartney told the Denver Post. "It was about setting the table for a black man to come in (as head coach). And he (athletic director Mike Bohn) hired one. Now, give him a chance."

 

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Tynielle Silvera: Killed by Drunk Driver – The High Cost of Alcohol in America

tynielle

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse UniversityScholarship in Action 

Tynielle Silvera was the kind of person we all want our children to be. She was making good grades, on her way to college and even tutoring other kids in the neighborhood. She was planning on becoming an attorney, and had become her mother's pride and joy.
Silvera's dreams for the future came to a screeching halt this week, as she was run down by a drunk driver as she was crossing the street.
The perpetrator of the crime, Kenneth Serwan, is a 46-year old married father of three who'd been convicted of drunk driving in the past. He is being held on $100,000 bail. At the time of her death, Tynielle was crossing the highway to take the train back home after heading to Bedford-Stuyvesant, where she'd been tutoring 13-year old Leanora Genus.

 

Click to read.