Wesley Snipes Should Not Be Going to Prison

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

I've been sitting on the sidelines during the tax trial of actor Wesley Snipes, primarily because I didn't quite know what was going on. I wasn't sure if Snipes was guilty or innocent, since I've seen a lot of wealthy folks who've lived as if they were above the law. Part of me wants to believe that the justice system works if you're rich, so I figured that nature would simply take its course.
I took the time to watch Wesley appear on CNN to plead his case to the public. I was honestly skeptical, since I've rarely met a man on his way to prison who didn't try to convince me that he was innocent. In fact, I've received countless letters from prison inmates, many of whom want me to believe that they didn't do it. In most cases, I choose not to judge, but I know the game quite well.

 

Click to read.

Black News: Teenager Convicted of Killing 16-Yr Old Derrion Albert

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship 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.

 

Click to read.

Your Black Politics: The Democrats Get Angry at President Obama

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship 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.

 

Click to read.

Bishop Eddie Long Avoiding a Public Trial: Why Is That?

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

I was up working one night when someone reached out to me on Facebookmessenger.
The brother was asking me why Bishop Eddie Long chose mediation in his sexual coercion suit, rather than aiming for a public trial. In case you've been buried under a rock, Bishop Eddie Long has been in the media quite a bit these days, after being accused of using his authority to coerce four young men in to having sex with him.
Long has vowed to fight the charges, but he never really said much about whether he was guilty or innocent. Actually, he simply said that he is "not a perfect man." That could easily translate to Long admitting that there are a few things about his personal life that he wouldn't want to see on the 6 o'clock news.

Click to read.

James Mtume and Stanley Crouch Debate the Legacy of Miles Davis

Part 1

 

 

Part 2

Professors Mark Anthony Neal and Marc Lamont Hill Discuss Black Public Scholarship

 

Mark Anthony Neal of Duke University and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill discuss black public scholarship.

 

 

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Dr. Boyce Watkins and Al Sharpton: The Black Unemployment Situation– 12/7/10

 

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton discuss the black unemployment crisis in America.

 

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Dr. Wilmer Leon Speaks on Black Politics – 12/6/10

• 

  Why the case against Waters is crumbling

  By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

  11:18 AM on 11/29/2010

  OPINION - Questions also remain regarding the investigatory process and the racial make up of those being investigated...

  > read more

• 

  Can Obama reach common ground without selling out black base?

  By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

  8:53 AM on 11/04/2010

  OPINION - How does the president work with this new crop of conservatives whose ire has been focused as much on race and ethnicity as pubic policy?...

  > read more

• 

  New NAACP report puts the heat on Tea Party racism

  By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

  10:22 AM on 10/20/2010

  OPINION - If there are links between the Tea Party and racist hate groups as the report indicates, then it "should give all patriotic Americans pause."...

  > read more

• 

  How a foreclosure freeze could heat up our economy

  By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

  8:04 AM on 10/12/2010

  OPINION - In an economy that is still in recession, a rebounding housing market would go a long way towards providing much needed economic stimulus and stability...

  > read more

LOL Moment of the Day: Pastor Manning Says that Obama Has Helped to Castrate the White Man

Yes, this is the funniest video ever.  Perhaps this pastor needs to be admitted for psychiatric evaluation.

Juan Williams Insults the Poor….Again

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

Fox News commentator Juan Williams made news again this week by stating that extending unemployment benefits for America's jobless would weaken their value systems. In Williams' words:
"Because employers, potential employers, will look and see that gee, they've been out forever, it doesn't make sense. And I think that's partly playing in to this cycle. And at some point then it becomes a matter of you lose your work ethic, your values are impacted, you know, getting up, showing up, dressing well, all that good stuff. So I don't know that that's smart."
I would say that Williams' comments are shocking, but they are certainly to be expected from the man who publicly sold himself to the most racist television network in the history of our country. I'm not sure why Williams felt the need to jump in on this issue in such an insensitive way, but it appears that he's working hard to earn the two million that Fox is paying him.

 

Click to read.

Black Political News from TheGrio – 12/4/10

• 

  Finally! Obama issues first pardons of his presidency

  By theGrio

  4:15 PM on 12/03/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - No well-known people were on the list and most of the crimes seemed low-grade. Five involved drug or liquor offenses...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Benched? Justice Thomas' wife takes less public role

  By theGrio

  1:35 PM on 12/03/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - She attracted additional attention in October when she left a voicemail message for Anita Hill asking her to apologize for a 19-year-old sexual harassment accusation...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Unemployment unexpectedly rises, black joblessness up to 16 percent

  By theGrio

  11:03 AM on 12/03/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Employers added only 39,000 jobs last month, a sharp decline from the 172,000 created in October, the Labor Department reported Friday...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Why celebrate secession? Civil War revisionists sidestep slavery

  By David A. Love

  8:23 AM on 12/03/2010

  OPINION - What is troubling about this glorification of secession, and the efforts to preserve it, is its whitewashing of slavery, if not its total elimination from the equation...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Black Illinois state senator fights for gay civil unions

  By theGrio

  6:16 PM on 12/02/2010

  SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (AP) - "I hear adulterers and womanizers and folks cheating on their wives and down-low brothers saying they're going to vote against this bill. It turns my stomach," he said...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Congress sends child nutrition bill to Obama

  By theGrio

  5:48 PM on 12/02/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The first lady said in a statement after the vote that she was "thrilled" about House passage...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Rangel censured by Congress in landslide vote

  By theGrio

  5:33 PM on 12/02/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - "I brought it onto myself," Rangel told the House. But he also said politics was at work...

  > READ MORE

CBC Says Black Farmers Won’t Be Able to Get Money Because of Complicated Claims Process

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are complaining that legislation funding a settlement for discrimination against black farmers sets too high a bar for claimants.

The lawmakers argue language added by the Senate, which is meant to prevent fraud in the program, sets higher standards for proving a claim than were required for other groups trying to prove loan discrimination by the Department of Agriculture.

“There's no question. The bar is much higher,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), a CBC member and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

The legislation to be sent to the president would provide $4.55 billion to settle longstanding discrimination claims with the Department of Agriculture from black and Native American farmers.

The additional steps added to the claims process include an audit by an inspector general and oversight by the attorney general's office, as well as a review by the secretary of Agriculture, who must sign off on a farmer’s claim.

Attorneys involved in cases must swear in writing that the claims are legitimate, and a special federal “adjudicator” must also take an oath that the claim is legitimate and may request additional information and documentation. At the end of the process is another round of oversight and review from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice at the top levels.

Thompson argues the additional standards are unfair, and that black farmers are being treated differently from other groups.

“Even when black people are about to receive a settlement, just because they raised the issue they are being treated differently. There should be a uniform standard for everybody,” Thompson added.

Click to read.

Black Unemployment Doesn’t Seem to Go Down

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship 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.

 

Click to read.

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

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship 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."

 

Click to read.

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

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship 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.

Dr. Laura Not Punished for her Racist Remarks

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

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the esteemed radio host who made the wise decision to use the n-word on the air so many times that it would put a gangster rapper to shame. Sure, she had an explanation for using the word so many times, but she also had a dictionary full of words she could have used instead. As a consequence for her infamous tirade, Schlessinger is going to receive the most daunting punishment known to man: She is being sent over to Sirius/XM Satellite in order to take a new job. Yes, that really taught her a lesson.

The "venerable" Dr. Laura, the woman who has no problem insulting the black community at every possible turn, has now been given a multi-year gig on XM Satellite Radio. Terms were not disclosed, but she was able to land the gig faster than you could say, "I don't care what black people think." The treatment of Dr. Laura presents a very telling lesson for those of us who are attempting to understand the nature of white privilege. According to the rules of a post-racial society, the expression of hatred toward people of color not only goes without punishment, it is actually rewarded.

Let's be clear: If Dr. Laura were a black person spewing insults of this nature toward whites, she would find herself in the unemployment line, along with millions of other capable black people. This kind of double standard explains why black unemployment is nearly double that of white Americans, and why the National Association of Black Journalists is forced to constantly fight for the crumbs that people like Dr. Laura leave behind.

 

Click to read.

NY Daily News vs. Al Sharpton: Politics and Propaganda

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

It’s not easy fighting for civil rights and running organizations that stand up for the freedoms of the oppressed. If you’re good at what you do, your enemies will try anything to take you down. On top of that, many of the people you are fighting for, via self-hatred, may be skeptical of your efforts and willing to partner with oppressive forces to undermine your work. Even worse, your constituents may not have the means to help you face the massive financial responsibility that comes with serving your community. Freedom damn sure ain’t free, and most leaders have the receipts to prove it.

I don’t get as many calls for help as Rev. Al Sharpton, but I get my fair share. The most difficult thing about receiving these requests is that you want to help everyone, but are constantly struggling to find the resources to get the job done. If you ask for help to pay the cost of the trip, people think you’re somehow trying to swindle them or earn an unnecessary profit from the work you do. The truth is that everybody’s got bills to pay and the bigger your name, the more people think you’re made of money.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins Debates the idea of paying college athletes

 

Transcript for an interview with Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University about whether or not college athletes should be paid.

 

- What, in your opinion, are the benefits of paying collegiate 
athletes, especially those from low-income backgrounds?

I don't necessarily care if college athletes are paid.  I just think they should have labor rights.  That means that they can negotiate a fair market salary, as well as make their own endorsement deals, rather than allowing universities to make deals for them and keep all the money.  The benefit is that the athletes in poverty would be able to use their prodigious human capital to make a living for their families.

- Would you be in support of paying all college athletes, or simply the 
ones from the major revenue sports like basketball and football?

I believe that any athlete in any sport that generates revenue should have access to the free market.  We are not a socialist country, so the idea of paying everyone the same doesn't make much sense.  So, if a tennis player is going to draw a crowd and can negotiate compensation, fundamental American labor rights say that he should be given the right to do so.

Click to read.

Study Finds that a Third of South African Men Admit to Committing Rape

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

A study commissioned by the Medical Research Foundation, a group funded by the South African government, has wielded some disturbing findings about violence against women. According to the study, more than 1-in-3 men of Johannesburg have committed rape at some point in their lives. Roughly seven percent of the men sampled admitted to participating in a gang rape.
The study also found that over 51 percent of the 511 women surveyed had been victims of violence from men. Also, 78 percent of men admitted to committing a violent act against a woman. One fourth of the women in the survey said that they'd been raped, but only about four percent of these rapes are reported to police.
These findings are similar to a 2008 study that found that 28 percent of the men in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces had committed rape against a woman or girl. Also, one-third of the men said they did not feel guilty for what they'd done. Two-thirds of the men claimed to have committed rape out of a sense of entitlement, and others raped out of boredom or a desire to punish women who'd rejected them.

Click to read.

President Obama Needs Stitches After Basketball Hit

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

It's hard to imagine the deep national security implications of being the man who elbowed President Barack Obama in the face on the basketball court. But that's what Ray Decerega will be talking about for the rest of his life. Decerega is the Director of Programs for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and also the man who issued a public statement after it was determined that he was the one who busted the president's mouth wide open.
"I learned today the president is both a tough competitor and a good sport. I enjoyed playing basketball with him this morning. I'm sure he'll be back out on the court again soon," Decerega said.
The men had gathered to play five games of five-on-five when the incident took place. The games reportedly included Obama's nephew Avery Robinson, his assistant Reggie Love and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had this to say:

 

Click to read.

The Michael Brea Murders: What To Do with the Criminally Insane

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

"Ugly Betty" actor Michael Brea did an interesting interview with the New York Daily News this week, after being sent to jail for allegedly murdering his mother with a samarai sword. The actor argues that he was "doing the work of God" when he continuously chopped at his mother's body. He also says that he believes there was a demon inside her.

"I was slashing my mom and I heard the police knocking on the door yelling, 'Michael, open up, Michael, open up,' but I knew they wouldn't open the door and stop me because the spirits were protecting me ... I just kept cutting her. No one could stop me. I was doing the work of God," he said.

Click to read.

Michelle Obama Gets Attacked by Sarah Palin

"Take her anti-obesity thing that she is on. She is on this kick, right. What she is telling us is she cannot trust parents to make decisions for their own children, for their own families in what we should eat.  And I know I'm going to be again criticized for bringing this up, but instead of a government thinking that they need to take over and make decisions for us according to some politician or politician's wife priorities, just leave us alone, get off our back and allow us as individuals to exercise our own God-given rights to make our own decisions and then our country gets back on the right track." – Sarah Palin, Huffington Post

Congressional Black Caucus Under Attack from Other Lawmakers: What Does That Mean?

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

Last week, I found myself speaking about Rep. Charlie Rangel more than ever before. In case you haven't noticed, the future of the seasoned lawmaker has come into question in light of investigations alleging him to be involved in a slew of ethical violations. Sunday, I had a conversation with Rev. Jesse Jackson on the air regarding exactly what's going on with Rangel and his political career. Then Monday, Rev. Al Sharpton and I talked about the broader scenario as it relates to black lawmakers. Just when I thought we were done speaking about investigations against black people in Congress, the conversation turned toward Maxine Waters and the slew of other CBC members currently being investigated.

Defending (or not defending) one black lawmaker after another led me to a moment of pause, where I asked the question that's been asked before, but perhaps not vocally enough: Why are so many black lawmakers being targeted for investigations anyway? According to the late Ron Walters, the most respected black political scientist in the country, "it is curious ... that in over 30 of the probes the new Office of Congressional Ethics was considering, the only active investigations were on black Congresspersons."

 

Click to read.

Sarah Palin Says that North Korea is Our Ally

That's the question being debated afterSarah Palin said in an interview withGlenn Beck Wednesday that North Koreawas a U.S. ally.

When asked by Beck how she would handle a situation like the one that was developing in North Korea, Palin responded: "This is stemming from, I think, a greater problem when we're all sitting around asking, 'Oh no, what are we going to do,' and we're not having a lot of faith that the White House is going to come out with a strong enough policy to sanction what it is that North Korea is going to do."

It is unclear whether Palin is talking about sanctions against North Korea, or U.S. sanctioning -- i.e. approving or supporting -- its actions.

Palin continued: "Obviously, we gotta stand with our North Korean allies," when Beck interrupted and corrected her to say "South Korea."

Click to read.

 

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Julianne Malveaux Talks About Her New Book, “Surviving and Thriving”

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

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is second-to-none. One of the most respected and prolific scholars in the history of black America, she is truly an intellectual soldier. With a PhD in Economics from MIT, Dr. Malveaux has produced scholarly work that serves as nothing less than a guide book for overcoming the prodigious number of problems being faced by black America today. She is also a champion for women's rights and issues that uniquely impact African American women.
AOL Black Voices had the chance to catch up with Dr. Malveaux to discuss the release of her new book, "Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History," and she had this to say:

1) What is your name and what do you do?
I am Dr. Julianne Malveaux, an economist, author and President of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina.
2) What motivated you to write your book, and what can people learn from it?
When people think of the economy, they rarely think of African American people as important contributors, as thivers instead of simply survivors. There is such inspiration in our economic history and I was passionate about lifting it up.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce: President Obama Has Granted Zero Pardons Since His Election

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

This week, the president made me laugh. That was saying a lot at the time, given that I was exhausted from traveling across the country for Thanksgiving. The source of my entertainment was the president's annual turkey pardon, in which he pardoned four turkeys, thus saving them from the fate that typically befalls turkeys at this time of the year. Being endangered and running from extinction, I figured that this is one thing that turkeys and black men have in common.

One of the things that got my attention was a very telling statistic about our president. After being in office for 22 months, the president has not granted or denied a single pardon. The only other president in recent history to have granted such a small number of pardons this deep into his presidency was Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush.

Click to read.

CBC Picks Up Power After the Mid-terms: What will they do with it?

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

While the mid-term elections were a blood bath for the Democrats, one group that came out surprisingly unscathed was the Congressional Black Caucus. Members of the CBC and the Hispanic Caucus will hold roughly one-third of all Democratic seats in Congress (61 out of 190), increasing their power within government. They also plan to use this influence to focus on job creation.
The Democrats who took the greatest drubbing during mid-terms tended to be the centrists of the party. The Black and Hispanic caucuses, however, only lost four out of 60 bids for re-election. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, a member of the Hispanic caucus is now the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, and Maxine Waters will be the second leading Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. Their increases in power came largely because of the defeats of other Democrats.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Al Sharpton Discuss Charlie Rangel, Feminism and More

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton Discuss Black Women and Feminism

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses the Bush Tax Cuts on CNBC

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses the Bush Tax Cuts on CNBC

Dr. Boyce Video: Terrie Williams, Depression and the Black Community

Dr. Boyce Watkins: It’s Time to Confront Deadbeat Parents….All of Us

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

My entire life, I've seen the costs and consequences of parents who don't want to pay to take care of their own kids. My father abandoned me when I was child, and to my knowledge, paid zero or close to no child support. Over the years, I had two relationships with women who had children with men who'd had forgotten that their kids existed. That led to me paying child support for my own child, in addition to the children of other people who were ignoring their responsibility. In fact, to this day, most of my "adopted children" need money from me every other week to pay for things that their parents should be paying for. I admit that sometimes, it's draining.
I'm not the only one who goes through the challenge of paying for deadbeat parents. All across America, quite a few people have either been abandoned by deadbeat parents, paid the price for deadbeat parents or become a deadbeat parent themselves (you know who you are). It occurs in every community, so we cannot pretend that black people are the only ones who do this. But for some reason, there is a code of silence when this kind of behavior occurs in the black community, especially when the father is the perpetrator of this heinous crime. I say it's time for this to stop.

 

Click to read.

Black Scholar News: Schomburg Center Chooses Elijah Muhammad’s Great Grandson to Lead

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

Khalil Gibran Muhammad appears to be a great choice to head the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. A 38-year old assistant professor of African American History at Indiana University, Dr. Muhammad has already achieved a great deal in the world of black scholarship. His book, "The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America," has done quite well, and he is respected by quite a few black scholars across the nation.
Muhammad also has pedigree: He is the great grandson of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, legendary leader of the Nation of Islam. Therefore, his scholarly work with a predominantly white institution (Indiana University, which is no stranger to racial problems, I went to graduate school there) is supplemented by his connection and deep commitment to issues that affect real people in his community.

 

Click to read.

Why Would He Accuse Obama of Having Only One Testicle?

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

Political analyst James Carville, known for being a man who doesn't hold back on his words, made a comment about President Barack Obama that was heard around the world (well, at least they heard it on CNN). At a breakfast event recently, Carville said, "If Hillary (Clinton) gave up one of her balls and gave it to Obama, he'd have two."
Of course Carville was asked if he would apologize for his remarks, which he may or may not have expected to end up on national news. Instead, he refused, saying that his comment was a joke and that there was no need for further analysis. He didn't seem willing to elaborate on what he meant when disrespecting the president's manhood, but his decision not to back off sends a signal that he's not always happy with the president's policies.
Carville, an Obama supporter (well sort of), is a highly progressive and well-respected political consultant. He has helped to anchor the success of campaigns in all areas of politics, going back to the 1986 gubernatorial win of Roberty Casey. He achieved national prominence after helping Bill Clinton become President of the United States in 1992.

 

Click to read.

Study: College Basketball Players Have Lower Graduation Rates than other Students

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

A new study by The College Sport Research Institute at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill has revealed disturbing information about the academic hurdles of college basketball players. According to the study, the graduation rates for NCAA Division I men's basketball players is 20 percentage points less than the average for full-time male students.
The study goes on to show that the gap grows even further in top-ranking conferences. The authors present evidence that there is a 30.8 percent graduation gap when leading conferences are considered separately.
Women are better off than men in the study. Female basketball players find that their graduation rates are still worse than their peers, but the gap is not as great as it is for the men. For women, there is a 6.2 percent differential overall and a 14.6 percentage point differential in top conferences.

Click to read.

Jack Johnson, DC County Exec and Wife Arrested for Corruption: What Can We Learn from This?

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

I was saddened to hear about the recent arrest of Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife Leslie. Both Jack and his wife are well-respected in the DC area. Both have served their communities for decades, and both of them represent the essence of Prince George's County, the most affluent county in the United States with an African-American majority population.
Johnson was once an important ethical and legal protector of the county, serving as its lead Prosecutor. His wife has served the community for over 30 years in numerous capacities. He was also the first African American to become County Executive in the DC area. So, why are Johnson and his wife facing up to 20 years in prison for evidence tampering and destruction of evidence, among other charges? In fact, the story is quite bizarre, with reports of the FBI allegedly recording Johnson telling his wife to put nearly $80,000 in her underwear.

 

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins: Does Obama Have Bragging Rights with GM IPO?

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

President Barack Obama gained some bragging rights this week. The emergence of General Motors by way of a$20.1 billion dollar initial public offering (IPO) was a shot heard around the world. The IPO is the largest in American history, and largely unexpected by most of the financial community.

Just a year ago, General Motors found itself suffocating under the stigma of receiving a government bailout, and the Obama administration was heavily criticized for providing $36 billion in taxpayer funds to keep the company afloat. The argument by Obama was that allowing GM to fail would cause the loss of hundreds of thousands of American jobs, something that the president wasn't willing to tolerate. In an uncomfortable spurt of patriotism, the president's camp took the bold step of bailing out the company that many thought should be allowed to fail.

President Obama certainly has both the right and need to brag about the rise of GM. In the same way Republicans were quick to blame him for allegedly worsening the economic downturn, they must also allow him to soak up the credit when good things happen. Whether we are faced with good or bad economic times, the president is usually given more responsibility than he deserves. Such is the nature of politics.

Click to read.

Dead NFL player Leaves Family Financial Turmoil

‘

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

A judge in Pennsylvania recently ruled that former NFL running back Tom Sullivan's death benefits should not go to the wife he was allegedly married to after his death. Instead, the benefits should go to a woman he married years earlier, but never divorced.
Tom Sullivan's ex-wife Barbara Sullivan has two daughters with the player from their 16-year marriage. Since Tom's death in 2002, Barbara and their two daughters were receiving $2,700 per month under the NFL's spousal benefit policy. Under South Carolina's bigamy law, the benefits do not legally belong to her and were stopped immediately.

Click to read.

The Shooting of Three Football Players Speaks to The Choices We Must Make

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

This weekend there was a fight in a bar in Hattiesburg, MS. Three football players from Southern Mississippi University were involved in the fight, and all three were shot. The three players are in fair condition at a local hospital.
Martez Smith, Tim Green and Deddrick Jones were shot shortly after 3 a.m. There have been no arrests and police say that the shootings may have been gang related.

Allen Murray, spokesperson for the Hattiesburg police, said that the fight started inside the club and spilled out into the street. That's where the players were shot. The incident occurred a few hours after the team defeated Central Florida.

 

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