Tavis and Cornel Are On the Radio

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

Cornel West and Tavis Smiley are two of the coolest brothers on the intellectual block. They've served as public road maps for the empowerment of black men everywhere, and their work does not get the recognition it deserves.
Well, Public Radio International is working to help change that by granting Smiley and West their own radio show. In fact, the show is going to be called "Smiley & West."
The announcement for the new show was made during the Public Radio Programming Conference, held in Denver, Colorado. When asked about the show, Smiley had this to say:

 

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Latest Accuser of Eddie Long Has Alot to Say

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

As the days have gone by since the start of the sex scandal involving Bishop Eddie Long, I've become more and more convinced that there needs to be a serious investigation. Something doesn't seem quite right with the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, and the world needs to hear more from the young men who've been speaking out in public.
While I've seen quite a bit of evidence and videos that have gotten my attention, nothing has compelled me more than the interview with Long's latest accuser, Jamal Parris. Jamal, who was chased down by Fox 5 in Atlanta, was reluctant to talk at first about the incident. But once he spoke up, his words were heard around the world. I'll lay out some of the quotes that Jamal shared with Fox 5, and give you my take after that.

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Bishop Eddie Long Finally Speaks to His Church

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

I woke up early to go to the website for the New Birth Missionary Baptist church. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew that Bishop Eddie Long would be convincing. Every bit of his charisma and experience would be needed to manage the complex set of allegations against him for sexually abusing some of his members.
I'll lay out some notable quotes by Bishop Long this morning and let you judge much of it for yourself. What I can say, however, is that Bishop Long seemed to say a great deal without saying much.
"I'll be here next week."

Perhaps that means that he's not going to resign. I look forward to seeing if he is going to be preaching next Sunday.
"(This is) probably the most difficult time in my entire life. I want to talk to you for a moment about how to handle painful and difficult situations."

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Bishop Eddie Long Accused of Sexually Coercing Young Men

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

 

CNN is reporting that two men in Georgia are suing Bishop Eddie Long in Atlanta, alleging that the powerful pastor used his power to force them into having sex. In DeKalb County, the suits claim that Long used his position of authority at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church to influence young male employees into various forms of misconduct.One of the plaintiffs, Anthony Flagg, is a 21-year old man who claims that some of the misconduct occurred during overnight trips to various cities.
"Long shared a bedroom and engaged in intimate sexual contact with plaintiff Flagg including kissing, massaging, masturbating of plaintiff Flagg by defendant Long and oral sexual contact," according to the lawsuit.

 

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Lady Gaga is Being Political: Where are the Black Celebrities?

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

 

When we use the word “intellect,” we don’t typically apply it to Lady Gaga.  I’m not sure what to make out of her, primarily because I don’t think about her very much.  But now, when I hear the name Lady Gaga, I’ll think of the terms “leader” and “role model.”

Since her brilliant and impressive stand on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Lady Gaga is officially an important and historical figure in America.  In fact, she’s an icon.  She is becoming a symbol of her generation, one who transcends petty fashion trends and dance moves.  She has chosen to stand up for something she believes in, and as a result, has a whole legion of fans that she didn’t have before.  She’s getting respect from the likes of Wolf Blitzer, who acknowledged her on his show and even sang some of her lyrics.  She is using her power to change the world.

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Broncos Receiver Kenny McKinley Found Dead

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Denver Broncos Wide Receiver Kenny McKinley was only 23 years old this year. He was also found dead in his apartment. McKinley appears to have died from a suicide, according to initial reports.
"Although the death of McKinley appears to be the result of a self inflicted gunshot, the investigation into this matter, conducted by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office, is on-going, " Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said.

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Black News: HBCU TV Network to Launch This Fall

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

NewsOne.com is reporting that there are plans to launch a 24-hour network dedicated to HBCUs. The network is set to be focused on "edutainment" and lifestyle for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The company behind the platform, C3 Media LLC says that the network is set to fill a niche within the cable industry that has barely been reached in the past.

Much of the programming will also feature various sports teams sponsored by black colleges all across America. "The idea and vision behind the creation of the HBCU Network is to preserve and celebrate the African American colleges and universities, while also providing opportunities for their growth and further prosperity," CEO Curtis Symonds told NewsOne. "At the same time, we are passionate and excited about building a strong media brand and network from the ground up."

 

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Robert Plant: Today Show Guest Says “Spook Music”

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

I was in New York doing what I try to do best: show up for my little girls and support them in their endeavors. My daughter had a volleyball game at her university and I was pumped for the event. Although I do all I can to stay away from work when I am with my kids, I couldn't help but sneak away to appear on one of my favorite radio shows, "The Main Line" on 98.7 Kiss FM.
During the show, we discussed all the usual topics for a hot blooded Sunday afternoon: Politics, news, African American issues, Obama and more. Toward the end of the show, someone made mention of Robert Plant's appearance on The Today Show. My first thought was, "Who in the heck is Robert Plant and why does he matter?" It only took me a couple of seconds to figure out the answer to both of those questions.

 

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Barkley Steps Out to Defend Reggie Bush

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

I'm not a huge fan of the "vast intellect" of Charles Barkley. In fact, I usually turn the volume down when he's talking. All the while, I have to admit that I am one of those people who sometimes finds myself admiring Barkley's candid nature. He's the man willing to say the things that other people wont' say, and he's usually pretty honest about it. As someone who monitors the status, actions and treatment of black athletes in America, I've paid careful attention to Sir Charles for quite a while.
The world was fed a healthy dose of that Barkley honesty recently when Sir Charles decided to admit that he took money from sports agents in college. He didn't actually say that he took the money and kept it, he just said that he borrowed some money and paid it back when he got to the NBA.

 

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Bethany Storro: Said Black Woman Did It, but She Poured Acid Onto Her Own Face

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

Bethany Storro gained the sympathy of the world when she alleged that she was the victim of a random attack in which someone threw acid on her face. The story she was going to tell Oprah Winfrey on a planned appearance on her show was that a black woman with a pony tail walked up to her and said "Hey pretty girl, want something to drink?" and then proceeded to throw the acid.
Oprah would have hugged her on the air, and the show would have made us cry. We would have heard stories about how the woman had been courageous enough to fight on, in spite of this horrible thing that happened to her. The episode would have been glorious, moving, fascinating, and inspirational. It would have also been a big old butt-naked lie.

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Black News: 14-Year Old Chicago Boy Killed in a Drive-By Shooting

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• 14-Year Old Boy Murdered in Drive-By Shooting

  3:07 PMSep 16

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Boys as young as 14-years old should not have to worry about being shot in the street. Unfortunately, this is exactly what young men and their parents have to worry about in the city of Chicago. A 14-year old boy was murdered this Tuesday in a ... Read More

• Did Elle Magazine Lighten Gabby Sidibe's Skin?

  2:17 PMSep 16

  Source: BV on Style

  Gabourey Sidibe: rising star, Oscar nominee, magazine cover girl and... airbrush victim? One of four cover models for Elle's 25th anniversary October issue, Sidibe appears on the front of the fashion magazine with what appears to be lighter skin. ... Read More

• Oscar Nominees Terrence Howard & Taraji P. Henson Return to Host 'Soul Train' Awards

  2:02 PMSep 16

  Source: BV Newswire

  If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's why producers have decided to have Academy Award nominated actors Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson return to host Centric's 2nd Annual Soul Train Awards this November. Last year the duo, who have ... Read More

• Poverty Rate Rose Sharply in 2009, Says Census Bureau

  1:46 PMSep 16

  Source: BV on Money

  From The New York Times: Forty-four million people in the United States, or one in seven residents, lived in poverty in 2009, an increase of 4 million from the year before, the Census Bureau reported on Thursday. The poverty rate climbed to 14.3 ... Read More

Black Athletes Look Out: NFL May Lock You Out This Year

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

For NFL fans and those who have teams in their cities, there's something you should know. Like a dark cloud hanging in the sky on a bright, sunny day, a pending NFL lockout is waiting on the horizon. A lockout is sort of like a strike, but the workers aren't the ones calling for it. Instead, team owners are the ones calling for a halt in NFL activities, where the league will be shut down and games cancelled. Even if games aren't cancelled, we might be forced to endure another season of tacky replacement players, and nobody wants that.
The AFL-CIO has decided to put it's power behind the NFL Players Union in this battle with team owners. The organization sent a letter to the owners of NFL teams, warning them that a lockout could have a powerfully detrimental effect on workers and fans in cities all across America. They also warned that cities could lose $140 million in revenue.

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Did This Woman Throw Acid on Her Own Face?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Bethany Storro was once the target of the nation's sympathy. She is slowly becoming the target of the nation's suspicion. The 28-year old Storro, who is deaf, said that she was the victim of a random attack. According to Storro, a young black woman came up to her and said, "Hey, pretty girl," before throwing a cup of acid into her face.

The attack on Storro, which allegedly took place on August 30, grabbed international headlines. She was even scheduled to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show. That's when reporters started asking a lot of questions.

According to Storro, the injuries to her nose and face did not affect her eyesight because she was wearing sunglasses. But one reporter asked her why she was wearing sunglasses when it was nearly sunset. The reporter also asked how Storro could hear what the woman was saying when she is deaf.
The suspicions of the reporter were accelerated by the fact that many of the homeless people in the park on the night Storro was attacked said that she was all alone when she fell to the ground screaming. While the incident is still under investigation, it is known that Storro did cancel her scheduled appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show without giving producers a reason for her decision.

 

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Problems with Hip Hop Music

 

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

I'm a huge fan of hip hop music. In fact, I didn't even start to like music until hip hop came along. I will continue to be a fan of hip hop music, but as a black scholar, I feel that part of my job is to ask questions that we may need to answer as a society.
The question for today is, "What's wrong with hip hop music?" Perhaps the question I've asked is presumptuous, since many of us don't see a problem at all. I've sat in the car for hours with my teenage daughters, listening to one song after another, each of them returning to basically the same themes: Money, sex, weapons or drugs.

 

 

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Why I am Glad Reggie Bush Returned the Heisman: He Doesn’t Need The Damn Thing Anyway

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

I am not sure if Reggie Bush has ever read a word I've written. But after I mentioned last week that I felt Bush should give the Heisman trophy back, I was proud to see that he gave it away. Again, I am not one to say that he gives a you-know-what about anything I might say in public, but I can certainly say that I am proud.
Bush gave the Heisman trophy back this week after rampant speculation regarding whether or not he received inappropriate benefits during his time at USC. The speculation was bothersome to me, primarily because Reggie Bush was a human highlight film who earned millions for the NCAA and the university. The idea that they would even consider taking his Heisman Trophy after he'd given the NCAA so much was nothing short of offensive. If a man earns millions of dollars for you and you get angry because he took a few thousand to give his mother a place to live, then you've clearly got a problem with your value system.
Bush's statement about giving the Heisman back is below:

 

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Civil Rights Photographer Found to be an FBI Informant

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

 

If you don't know the name Ernest Withers, I can guarantee that you know of his work. Remember the famous and horrible picture of Emmett Till? Withers took that one. Think about nearly every well-known picture of Dr. King you think of. Well, Withers probably took that one too.

Ernest Withers had access to Civil Rights leaders like no other. He was also found to have been an informant for the FBI.

The Commercial Appeal in Memphis conducted a two-year investigation into the life of Withers, who died in 2007. The investigation found that Withers allegedly worked with two F.B.I. agents to keep an eye on the Civil Rights Movement. Withers was known to have been very close to Dr. King and to have had his trust.

"It is an amazing betrayal," said Athan Theoharis, an historian, told the New York Times. "It really speaks to the degree that the F.B.I. was able to engage individuals within the civil rights movement. This man was so well trusted."

 

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Askia Sabur: Police Beating Caught on Tape

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

A video showing Philadelphia police officers beating a man for nearly two minutes has taken the Internet by storm. The incident is so shocking that the video has received thousands of views, and has also sparked an internal investigation by Philadelphia police.

The incident occurred in West Philadelphia and is two and a half minutes long. The officers are accused of attacking 29-year old Askia Sabur outside a takeout restaurant in the area on Friday. What is also interesting is that most of the officers appearing in the video are African American, reminding us that the power of the state is not just a white and black thing.

Allegedly, officers asked Sabur and his cousin to clear the corner, but they refused, stating that they were waiting for their food. Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman, claims that Sabur knocked one of the officers down. But he alleges that this occurred before the Youtube video was recorded.

 

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Dwight Howard and His Baby Mama Drama Never Seem to Stop

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

One of my favorite films of all-time was "War of the Roses," starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. In the film, a divorced couple starts down a dangerous and hilarious path of mutual destruction, where the goal of each is to make the other person's life miserable. At the end of the movie, both parties find that while it was their goal to destroy the other person, they actually ended up destroying themselves. Just for the record, each character dies at the end.

I think about "War of the Roses" when I see the custody battle between NBA star Dwight Howard and his ex-wife, Royce Reed. Of course I don't expect anyone to end up dead, but it's already clear that Royce and Dwight have made each other's lives as miserable as possible. Royce recently called the cops after Dwight picked up her son from daycare at a time when he was not scheduled to do so. Before that, Dwight had filed a lawsuit against Royce for referring to him as a "douchebag" on the TV show, "Basketball Wives.

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Dr. Boyce Watkins Says 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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Should Black Athletes Boycott the Heisman Trophy?

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

 

When I read about the possibility that Reggie Bush may have his Heisman Trophy taken, I became irritated beyond imagination.  ”Here we go again,” I thought.  “Another self-righteous group of hoity-toity NCAA administrators making value judgments about the character of black male athletes.”
If they can’t defeat them on the field, the game is then to create artificially contrived mechanisms for evaluating the worth of the athlete from a morality standpoint.  The problem for the NCAA, however, is that when it comes to ethics, they have no room to claim the moral high ground.  In fact, you might say they are crooks.

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Black Athletes, Hip Hop and Handguns: What Up with That?

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

Shaun Rogers, a Defensive Tackle for the Cleveland Browns, was fined $400,000 by the league for violating its personal conduct policy. Rogers was caught carrying a loaded gun inside an airport. The fine represents approximately 1/17th of his $6.9 million salary.
Some would say that Rogers got off easy, since it would have been no surprise to see him either suspended or sent to jail. The player was caught carrying a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his carry-on bag at Hopkins International Airport. There's no indication regarding whether or not he realized that TSA agents actually have the ability to see inside of someone's luggage with their x-ray machine. It's hard to imagine what he might have been thinking.

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The Latest from Allhiphop.com – 9/3/10

Eminem, Jay-Z Rock Detroit With All-Star Lineup

Friday, September 03, 2010 5:13 AM | 6 Comments

By Mike Winslow

Kia Shine Accused Of Spoiling Girl's Sweet 16 Party

Thursday, September 02, 2010 6:14 PM | 27 Comments

By Houston Williams

Former Atlanta Mayor Suggests T.I. Was Pulled Over For 'Driving While Black'

Thursday, September 02, 2010 4:15 PM | 44 Comments

By Nolan Strong

Ca$his Preps New LP 'Shady Loyalty 1st'

Thursday, September 02, 2010 3:13 PM | 8 Comments

By Jake Crates

AHH Stray News: Drake Heading to Philly; Rick Ross, Rah Digga

Thursday, September 02, 2010 2:19 PM | 7 Comments

By Ace Cannon

Rapper T.I., Wife Tiny Face A Year Over Ecstasy; Metha-Amphetamines

Thursday, September 02, 2010 10:02 AM | 87 Comments

By Roman Wolfe

T.i., Tiny Arrested For Drug Possession in Hollywood

Thursday, September 02, 2010 7:23 AM | 46 Comments

By Roman Wolfe

Diddy Sued For $12 Mil By Employee Who Claims Age Discrimination

Wednesday, September 01, 2010 5:39 PM | 19 Comments

By Roman Wolfe

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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