Dr. Deborah Stroman: In God We Trust – And that’s about it!

 

Dr. Deborah Stroman

Sheeessh! By the news events of the past few weeks, one would have thought that it was time to grab our belongings and head to hills. Can anyone be trusted in this information age of hustle, fast-talk, get-rich deals, and quickie-relationships? Here’s a bit of timeless advice for those desperately seeking peace-of-mind and still holding on in hope for a brighter tomorrow –

1. Don’t seriously date someone that doesn’t have as much as you to lose financially in a relationship (especially if you’re already married). Yes, this tip may appear narrow-minded, elitist, and tough to swallow but the facts reflect reality. Mr. McNair more than likely lost his life not because the alleged killer was not cute enough or highly cultured, but rather she got a taste of the good life that she had never previously experienced. The young lover was not an observable regular in the high-income bracket circle. Her self-defined love and feelings for this once-in-a-lifetime fling would not permit her to let go. She probably rested on the “if I can’t have him, no one else will” sentiment to end their lives tragically. It is highly doubtful that a businesswoman with millions (who was rejected by a rich lover that would periodically spend his mint on her to woo her) would take her own life and risk the chance to meet another stud athlete with bank and street cred.

Click to read more on the black scholars blog.

Karine Steffans Releases a New Book

Karrine Steffans, author of the bestselling memoirs, ‘Confessions of a Video Vixen’ and ‘The Vixen Diaries,’ returns with a highly charged relationship manual for women.
In her latest, ‘The Vixen Manual,’ Steffans advises women how to avoid mistakes she’s made in the past and how to find, seduce and keep the man of your dreams. She goes into graphic details when it comes to sex and how to please your man. But as she writes, "once you truly love and trust one another, there is no room for prudence and barriers in sex.”
‘Confessions of a Video Vixen’ upended the music world with Steffans’s firsthand account of the pitfalls of life inside the industry where dancers made fast money but were treated as chattel and tossed aside for the next pretty face. ‘In ‘The Vixen Diaries,’ Steffans retreats a bit from the cautionary tale to dish about her various exploits in the music industry. She has come under criticism by some, especially commenters on some African American gossip Web sites, for her revelatory insight.

Click to read.

When the Sledding Got Tough…Sarah Palin Quits

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

On July 3^rd the democratically elected governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin announced that she will not seek re-election as Governor. Effective July 26^th, she will “transfer the authority of governor to Lieutenant Governor Parnell.” Governor Palin is resigning. The woman who tried to convince all of America that she was capable of being just one heart beat away from being the leader of the free world has thrown in the towel. It’s one thing to decide that you will not seek re-election; it’s another to “transfer authority” before the end of your first term. Eighteen months before the end of her first term, the sledding began to get tough and the “musher” quit!

During her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Governor Palin tried to belittle then Democratic Party nominee, Senator Obama’s work as a community organizer by saying, “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.” Apparently, those “actual responsibilities” are no longer relevant. If she is unable to persevere and deliver on her commitment to her constituents in Alaska, how can she be expected to, as she said, “work hard for others who still believe in free enterprise and smaller government; strong national security for our country and support for our troops; energy independence; and for those who will protect freedom and equality and life…?” The hypocrisy is nauseating.

Click to read more on the Black Scholars Blog.

Marc Lamont Hill Reflects on Michael Jackson

by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

Last week, the world lost one of its most precious treasures. Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer to ever walk the earth, died tragically from cardiac arrest. While much of the media coverage has focused on the most salacious aspects of his life, Jackson has undoubtedly left a legacy that is bigger, broader and brighter than the words of his detractors.

To call Michael Jackson a superstar would be an extravagant understatement. In his early days with the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson demonstrated a level of childhood virtuosity unseen since the days of Mozart. Although he was only 8-years-old, Jackson channeled luminaries like Sammy Davis, Stevie Wonder and Sam Cook with the effortless grace of a veteran performer. As he grew into adulthood, Jackson moved from child prodigy to world-historical figure, selling more records and garnering more fans than anyone in human history. More important than numbers or money, Michael Jackson was the embodiment of the African-American cultural tradition, a living testimony to the creative imaginations of our gods and our ancestors.

Michael Jackson’s extraordinary success, however, was not purely self- serving. In pushing MTV to play his videos, Jackson opened the door for countless artists to be seen and heard on mainstream cable video networks. Decades later, Jackson’s songs, music videos and dance routines continue to provide the artistic foundations for everyone from Justin Timberlake to Chris Brown. His trans-racial appeal enabled contemporary prominent blacks like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to enjoy universal appeal. On a more personal level, Michael Jackson was the first pretend boyfriend, imaginary brother and cultural hero of an entire generation of global citizens. In his best moments, Michael Jackson was quintessentially American, undeniably black and universally loved.

Click to read.

Genma Holmes Calls the BET Awards a “Circus”

by Genma Holmes

Watching movies and barbecuing is how my family spends most Sunday afternoons. This past Sunday, I broke a cardinal rule and watched the BET Awards for the first time. My kids convinced me that it would be great since it was billed as a tribute to Michael Jackson and his humanitarian endeavors. However, the show that was promoted was not the show I watched. The BET Awards was a chaotic three hour black-a-thon fiasco.

Click to read.

Your Black Health Articles from TheGrio.com

Dr Icilma Fergus

 

• Michael Jackson and the truth about cardiac arrest

  By Dr Icilma Fergus

  2:10 PM on 06/26/2009

  Michael Jackson is dead at 50 from cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest simply means that the heart has stopped pumping, which results in cessation of blood flow and oxygen to the organs and tissues. The body cannot be sustained without this,…

  > MORE

• 
  

  New anti-smoking bill will save African American lives

  By Dr Icilma Fergus

  8:39 AM on 06/26/2009

  The new anti-smoking bill marks a monumental achievement in the fight against tobacco companies in the United States. It is geared towards protecting family and children and empowers the FDA to regulate the tobacco companies more stringently. The bill aims…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Universal health care a need not a want

  By Dr Icilma Fergus

  7:47 AM on 06/16/2009

  2009 marks a very extraordinary and exciting time in the United States of America. For the time in history we are under the leadership of an African American president. His background is not one of a privileged and wealthy individual…

  > MORE

Lester Spence: Holding Frats and Sororities Accountable

by Lester Spence

Since Alpha Phi Alpha was founded in 1906 the nine major black fraternities (Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Omega Psi Phi) and sororities (Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta. Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho) have been trailblazers, at the forefront of the fight against racism and at the forefront of the fight for African American empowerment. But over 100 years after their founding, are these organizations still doing the work that they set out to do?

To the extent that individuals have criticized these organizations from without they’ve attacked their membership practices–more specifically the practice of hazing. Almost all of the "Divine Nine" have had to deal with not only hazing allegations, but hazing related deaths over the past few decades.

But more recently members have severely criticized their organizations for their financial practices.

Most recently a case filed by a member is wending its way through the Nebraska courts alleging that the executive board of Alpha Kappa Alpha gave its International President an illegal stipend in the amount of $250,000, in violation of its Constitution and Bylaws, and without consulting the membership.

The case has not been decided, and the sorority is countersuing the plaintiff. However, this is not the first time in recent years that allegations of financial impropriety have been made against one of the "Divine Nine".

 

Click to read.

Dr Boyce Watkins: Why Michael Jackson Will Live Forever

I was the guest host of a radio show yesterday. The show started at 3 pm (back when we all thought Michael Jackson would be going back on tour soon), and the producer asked me what kind of music I wanted to use for my intros and outtros. I said "Throw on some old Michael Jackson. The pre-nose job Michael Jackson." He did.
I then spent the next 2 hours reflecting on the air about Michael Jackson’s talent, as well as his peculiar personality. That’s when I got "the news."
While I was certainly shocked at the irony of a man dying right after I’d spent 2 hours talking about him on the radio, I wasn’t surprised. Michael Jackson had that kind of effect on music and our world. In spite of the fact that he’d turned into something we couldn’t quite understand, we always loved him.

Michael is going to live forever. The life and existence of such an impactful human being can’t be captured in his physical manifestation. Most of us never knew Mike the man, but he was always present in our lives. He was nothing like Elvis, he was not the Beatles. He was too interesting for that. He is one of a kind, even beyond the fact that he sold 750 million records.

Here are 5 reasons Michael Jackson is going to live forever:

Click to read.

Dr Boyce: Obama Needs To Handle Black Unemployment

By Dr. Boyce Watkins

8:33 AM on 06/25/2009

In America, there are essentially two types of power: Political power and economic power. African Americans, relatively speaking, have always had very little of both. What’s worse is that we tend to squander the little bit of power we have by giving it away to any sweet-talking candidate who makes us feel good. Obama has been that candidate, not because he is a "sell-out" or a "swindler"; but because he is a politician.

Obama’s apparent lack of desire to create targeted policies for African Americans is driven by the fact that we "gave it up" without critically analyzing or challenging his commitment to our issues. No other candidate could have gotten away with this. Our commitment to political style over substance is similar to materialistic distractions toward "blinging, balling, flossing and shining" which lead many of us into bankruptcy. I say this as a supporter of Obama, but also as a man who’d like to see him do more.

I watched President Obama give one of the most uncomfortable press conferences he’s ever had to deliver to the American people. The honeymoon is slowly ending, and "the chosen one" is now being forced to answer to angry Americans looking to stab their pitchforks into whatever politician they can find. President Obama has been spared this anger, in large part because he has presented himself as the man who can guide the country out of this crisis.

I still believe he can but the kryptonite is taking effect. President Obama’s unemployment forecasts have gone from "nothing above 8%" to "surely above 10%". African Americans are even more concerned about the pinch, as our unemployment rates are expected to rise as high as 20% by the end of the year. The black family is additionally threatened by tangential issues such as mass incarceration, which serve to further undermine our social infrastructure during these difficult economic times.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black scholars,african american scholars,black politics,african american politics,barack obama

Dr Boyce: Damnit Michael Bay, Why Did you Have to Do That?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I came to the latest release of "The Transformers" looking for what I saw in the first film: Jaw-dropping special effects and a story just interesting enough to hold you over until the next explosion. I didn’t go to the film looking for racism or embarrassing minstrel shows. My "racial bias glasses" are designed to weed out harmless, inadvertent racism, which comes with living in a society that spent 400 years thinking that black people were less than human. But when racism is thrown in my face repeatedly in the form of ridiculous and disgusting stereotypes, that’s when I start to get mad.
Michael Bay is one of my favorite directors, next to the Hughes Brothers (where are they by the way?). He’s damn good at what he does. But on this occasion, Bay simply missed his creative target and I’m not the only one who’s noticing.

Meet Skids and Mudflap, two Transformers who may as well have been called Lil Wayne and Random Black Male idiot. One of them actually has a gold grill, and neither of them can read. They are bungling buffoons and cowards with barely an ounce of intelligence. One of them rides around as an Ice cream truck with the words "suck my popsicle" on the side, yelling "get your ice cream bitches" to those who might want to buy from his dirty little truck. They also remind you in every other sentence that you are a "punk ass bitch" and that they want to "bust a cap in your ass."

Click to read.

Christopher Metzler on the Challenges for Black Scholars

Dr. Christopher J. Metzler

Institutions of higher education are supposed to be the place where the free market place of ideas takes hold. In fact, the basis for tenure has always been that academics should not be punished for speaking out. The theory is that such speaking out is protected even when university administration does not agree with the content of that speech. However, these same institutions are also political fiefdoms where tenure has been used and will continue to be used to punish those with whom the members of the promotion and tenure committee do not agree. In other words, academic freedom is only free when one agrees with those in power. All junior faculty understand very quickly that the definition of “scholarship” is a moving target and that if they wish tenure, they better move with the target. The hypocrisy of the promotion and tenure process (and I use the word process lightly) is that too many faculty are more about politics and less about scholarship. So, they play the game to get tenure and then when some of them get it, they punish the ideas of others they find unpopular by denying them tenure.

Progressive Black scholars find ourselves in a particular pickle. On the one hand, we want to advance ideas that look critically at the academy and simply not accept the status quo. On the other, if we are too progressive, then we will be Boyced. That is, we will be fired from predominately white institutions that will reduce our entire scholarly career to a warm bucket of spit. Of course I am not suggesting that all predominately white institutions will Boyce progressive Black scholars. I am suggesting that too many can and do.

Click to read. 

www.yourblackpolitics.blogspot.com

www.yourblacknews.blogspot.com

www.yourblackworld.com

Should Black People Trust the Police?

By Elliot Millner, J.D.

In the past several weeks, there have been numerous incidents involving the police and Black people, that have resulted in serious injury and death on both sides. This includes several recent incidents in Oakland, California; in Seattle, a 15-year old girl brutally beaten for being mouthy and kicking a shoe; an off-duty Black New York police officer being gunned down by a white officer; and other incidents in places around the country.

These are some of the most recent and extreme examples of a problem that, in one form or another, spans the length of U.S. history. The reality is that police forces, in varying forms, have been traditionally used as a tool to preserve and promote white supremacy, and to keep Blacks (particularly those in impoverished communities) "in their place". The idea of "protecting and serving" as it relates to policing, had as its root and initial goal the same objective as most other laws and statutes enacted in this country: To protect the interests of property-owning white males. There are few areas in the United States(if any) where the police in some form or fashion have not actively participated in violating the rights of Black people, utilizing any methods deemed necessary, including murder. Although some things have changed, it is naive (to say the least) to think that the legacy upon which the idea of policing was built in this country(white supremacy and Black oppression) has been erased from its method of operation.

Click to read more on Your Black Attorneys

 

www.yourblackworld.com

www.blackbloggers.wordpress.com

www.africanamericannews.blogspot.com

www.yourblacklife.blogspot.com

Obama is Wrong about Black Dads

by Santita Jackson

To paraphrase Caesar, as he stood over the gallant Marc Antony, I come not to bury our Fathers, but to praise them, on this "Father’s Day." Now, more than ever before, it is time to tell the truth about African American fathers.

I think of my own my father, who in my worst moments always made me feel as if I were the best thing that ever happened to him. He said it. I felt it.

I arrived in my parents’ lives when they were college coeds and, although little more than children themselves, they made the very adult sacrifice and decision to marry and have me as well as my two brothers who arrived less than two years later. Still a student our father waited tables, stood in the food line at our church—in short, he did all that he could to provide for his growing family. And he and Mother took us everywhere.
I can recall one morning, before my father stepped into the pulpit to preach, being beckoned from my seat to sit with him and, as he scribbled the final touches on his sermon, he leaned over and said, "I love you, Sandy Boogie." I smiled as he kissed me and waited for…well, something else. I could not wait to get back to my seat as I was mortified to be before the entire congregation. I looked at him and said, rather quizzically, "Daddy, is that all you wanted to tell me?" His reply, as he smiled was, "Baby, saying ‘I love you’ says an awful lot." I nearly cried, having felt ashamed of my own insensitivity, and he simply smiled, kissed me again and had the usher lead me back to my seat.

His expression, even in that most public of venues was no surprise—it was a given in my life. My experience, though, is not unique. It has been replicated countless times in the African American community. Yet, every day we are fed a laundry list of the shortcomings of African American men; rarely, however, do we tell the society, or each other, of their triumphs.

We are told from the loftiest perches and the lowliest assignations that they must "Step up!" and "take up their responsibilities as men." All the while these critics ignore the myriad ways in which they must and do swim upstream against the strongest of currents. Currents which threaten and, too often, do sweep them into the undertow of our society. By ignoring their reality we turn our backs on a history, which has treated them with contempt. They are incarcerated more frequently, fight longer odds and live shorter lives; and yet and still, they remain strong, willing to love, survive and thrive. And so, on this "Father’s Day", I’d like to expound upon their triumphs and contextualize their struggles. Any discussion which does neither, fails us all.

 

Click to read.

www.yourblacknews.blogspot.com

www.blackbloggers.wordpress.com

Dr Boyce: Why Barack Obama Should Listen to Dyson

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

When I heard the controversial and heated comments about President Obama that were made by my respected colleague Michael Eric Dyson, I felt like a 2nd grader running outside to see the fight between two middle school kids. Both Barack and Michael are men I’ve grown to appreciate, and I love them for their strengths as well as their imperfections. Michael was the reason I became a public scholar during graduate school, as I would watch the words flow out of him like an MC in the booth dropping his hottest album. The man is good, damn good.

Barack Obama needs to listen to the words of Michael Eric Dyson. In fact, he should give Dyson as much, or more respect than he gives me or any other black public intellectual in America. Dr. Dyson, no matter how you perceive his critique of President Obama, represents a form of insight that you are not going to find in politics, the pulpit or anywhere else. At the same time, I will confess that his words may also come from an impure place that lies within the darkest part of our souls. In other words, Dyson, Tavis, Barack, Jesse and every other ambitious man in America is always going to be tempted by the "Demon of Playerhaterology". Men are naturally competitive, and no man likes to be disrespected. Obama, as a condition for his employment, is often asked to disrespect other leaders across America who represent the essence of meaningful black thought. That’s going to create a long list of enemies.

Click to read more.

Read more Black Politics at www.YourBlackPolitics.Blogspot.com.

Is Spike Lee Just a “Hater” on Tyler Perry?

by Elliot Millner, JD

Although I realize that we live in the internet-age, which means even the simplest of criticisms can be blown out of proportion, I am disappointed to see how some Black people are unable to intelligently respond to constructive criticism, even when it is not directed at them.

The person who is the latest target of the "He’s just a hater" orchestra is none other than renowned filmmaker Spike Lee. In a recent interview that he did with Ed Gordon, Spike dared to criticize some of Tyler Perry’s work(specifically Meet the Browns and House of Pain) and made references to the shows as "coonery" and "buffoonery" and compared them to Amos n’ Andy.

For the record, let me say that I agree with a lot of what Spike Lee said. Although I liked a couple of the Madea plays that I saw years back(even though I generally have issue with Black men parading around in dresses, even for comedy-but that’s another topic), these two shows don’t do anything for me. That’s just me, and I do realize that comedy is subjective; what’s funny to one person is not funny to another. However, any person familiar with the historical ‘coonery’ and ‘buffoonery’ that Spike Lee was referring to(reference Bamboozled if you haven’t seen it) would be hard pressed to argue his point that some of Tyler Perry’s characters do harken back to that era. If "Mr. Brown" isn’t the prototypical coon-type character, then what is? This is not to single Tyler Perry out, because there are other examples, and some of them aren’t actors(Flavor Flav).

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: spike lee,tyler perry,black news,black celebrities

www.yourblackgossip.blogspot.com

www.yourblackcelebrities.blogspot.colm

www.blackbloggers.wordpress.com

The Troy Davis Case Requires Our Attention

by Elliot Milner, JD.

" I have faced execution and the torment of saying goodbye to my family three times in the last two years and I may experience that trauma yet again; I would not wish this on my worst enemy and to know I am innocent only compounds the injustice I am facing."- Troy Davis, from Georgia’s death row, on facing a fourth possible execution date.

For those who are unaware, Troy Davis has been on Georgia’s death row for about 18 years, after being convicted of murdering police officer Mark McPhail(Mr. Davis has maintained his innocence from the very beginning).

It would take pages to give all of the details of Troy Davis’ case, however I will say that there was no physical evidence found(including a murder weapon) connecting Troy Davis to the killing of Officer McPhail; he was convicted largely on the basis of inconsistent and often contradictory eyewitness testimony. The vast majority of those prosecution eyewitnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony implicating Mr. Davis, and one of those who hasn’t is Sylvester Coles, the main alternative suspect presented by the defense during Troy Davis’ trial. In addition, there have been multiple allegations of police coercion and the usage of unethical interrogation techniques.

(For additional information on Troy Davis’ case, or to get information on how to act, check out www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/troy-davis and http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/.).

Troy Davis’ ordeal has been going on for nearly two decades now, and is nearing its end, one way or the other. He has had numerous appeals denied(most recently in April 2009), habeas corpus petitions denied, stays of execution granted and expired, and also had one request for clemency denied by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles(the same board that would decide any future request for clemency regarding Troy Davis).

 

Click to read more on YourBlackAttorneys.

Technorati Tags: troy davis,black men in america,african american men,black attorneys,african american attorneys,black lawyers,african american lawyers

Preparing for the Great American Retirement Crisis

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Finance Professor at Syracuse University

www.TheGrio.com

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But then again, it must not bother me very much, since I am going to give you a big pile of bad news right now. Given that I earned a Masters Degree in the "morbid science" of statistics, I figured I would start the day by fulfilling my occupational expectation.

The first piece of bad news is that you are going to die. One day, your heart will stop beating and the 2.5 billion breaths you’ll take during your lifetime will come to an end. Hopefully, it won’t be painful, but I can’t guarantee that. The truth is, however, that death might not be the worst part of it all.

The toughest news is that before you die, you are likely going to experience a long, slow period of physical and psychological decline called "old age". In conjunction with this decline, you are going to see your financial resources dwindle as quickly as the muscles in your body. Not only will the scale of your resources decline, but your expenses will likely mount as you go to one doctor’s visit after another, all with the hope of delaying the inevitable. That period of life is called "retirement", and most Americans are not financially prepared for it.

Now that you are sufficiently depressed (there’s no point in lying to you, I’m not very good at that), I will give you some facts to chew on. I also hope that in light of these realities, you will engage in something that the rest of America is not doing: preparing for retirement. While retirement planning has always been important in the past, it has never been more important than it is for you right now. The Perfect Economic Storm is coming, one in which all the scary clouds merge together into one big ball of fiscal devastation that can only be created by God himself. When your financial meteorologist (me) gives you that information, it’s your decision to get your family prepared. Let’s break down the components of the storm, shall we?

 

Click to read more.

Technorati Tags: black money,black wealth,african american money,african american wealth,black scholars,black professors,black news headlines,african american news

Black Love: Should You Date a gold digger?

I am a widower. My wife of 46 years passed away a year and a half ago. I recently met and felt very attracted to a woman. My problem is that she is reluctant to open up to me even though we have a great time together. We live about 1,700 miles apart. She has this mind set that poor plus poor equals poor and yet she claims not to be a gold digger. She has been married twice to rich men and has traveled everywhere. Her longest marriage was with a man who she says wasn’t affectionate with her. She has actually come right out and told me that I do not make enough for her style of living. Now I may be wrong but if both her marriages ended in divorce and she now has to scrape by while this "poor" guy with more money than she has at her disposal wants to be with her, would that not tip the scales in my direction? Or could it be she just does not want to be a three-time loser. This woman, whether she wants to admit it or not, has stolen my heart, and I have told her so. When I tell her I love her, she says thank you. We seldom talk on the phone though we were talking daily at first. I am at wits end, and I truly do not know what to do.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black celebrity gossip,black bloggers,black love,black relationships

Black Scholars on Sotomayor

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

Howard University

On Tuesday May 26^th, President Obama nominated federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Before the President announced his selection he stated he was not just looking for someone with just “ivory tower learning”; he wanted “intellectual firepower” as well as a “common touch” and a “practical sense of how the world works”. He also used the word “empathy” several times. It did not take long for the critics to weigh in and challenge the nomination.

What is troubling about the criticism is that most of it is intentionally not directed at judge Sotomayor’s record as a jurist and opinions that she has rendered. Most of the criticism is deliberately based upon select statements made in speeches or lectures, as was the case with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. They have been contextualized in the most inflammatory way possible in order to scare white people.

Click to read more on our Black Scholars Blog.

 

Technorati Tags: black scholars,black professors,african american scholars,african american professors,dr wilmer leon

The Capitalist Enslavement of Black America

by Dr. Boyce Watkins – Finance Professor at Syracuse University

I recall giving a speech at a university in Upstate New York. We were talking about wealth building for the Black community and how Black folks can remove themselves from the underbelly of American capitalism. I’d heard this school had a reputation for strong liberalism and I was looking forward to addressing the audience. A young white female in the back of the room raised her hand to ask me a question. She said "How can you support a system that enslaves people?"

The woman was clearly offended by my mere presence as a financial expert and apparent supporter of capitalism. I could immediately tell, that no matter what my answer was, she was going to hate me and wish death upon my children. She didn’t realize that I am not just a Finance Professor, but also a closet socialist in many contexts. While I am not one who wants to live in a socialist society, I do understand that capitalism and socialism must balance one another in any society that alleges to embrace human compassion.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black money,black scholars,african american money,african american scholars

Chris Metzler on the New Obama Appointee

President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be a Justice on the United States Supreme Court has brought to the surface the lingering resentment that so many White men in America have harbored since the end of slavery. Moreover, it has denuded the souls of white folks who have now become part of a race. It has also revived White men as victims and given voice to the intellectually dishonest rhetoric of "reverse" racism while also race-baiting the White House, albeit one headed by a Black man.

Of course, we understand that race is a social construction. That is, there is no biological basis for race. Rather, in the context of the United States, race has been formulated and given meaning by society and the courts who wished to connote difference and the privileges and insults thereto appertaining. That formulation for so much of our history defined Whites as superior and numerical racial minorities as inferior thus justifying different treatment.

First, it is not an understatement to say that many White men in America have opted out of the conversation on race. In fact, in most conversations about race, racial minorities are the ones who are presumed to be affected by racism because of America’s toxic relationship with race. White men in particular enjoy the visible and invisible privilege of being both White and male and thus, until now, have seen no reason to be considered part of a "race." 

The White men of whom I write have decided that they will pick the carbuncle of race in an attempt to protect their white privilege at all costs. Hoisting the White man’s burden are Rush, Tancredo, Hannity, Dobbs and Gingrich; the "unelected" leaders of the party. The elected leaders (especially those with significant Latino voters) and the languid "head of the party" (Michael Steele) will collude with them by saying nothing.

Click to read more on the Dr Boyce Black Scholar’s Blog.

Dr. Christopher J. Metzler is associate dean at Georgetown University and the author of The Construction and Rearticulation of Race in a Post-Racial America.

Technorati Tags: race,racism,black america,black scholars,african american scholars,christopher metzler,black politics,african american politicsl

Wells Fargo Accused of Cheating the Black Community

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.com

Tavis Smiley needs to have a conversation with one of his primary sponsors, Wells Fargo. This week, it was announced that Wells Fargo is being sued by the city of Baltimore for egregiously racist predatory lending practices in the black community. The company has been accused by some former loan officers of targeting subprime, low quality loans to black neighborhoods, leading to a dramatic economic collapse for the black community of Baltimore.

The statistical evidence is daunting. Half of all the properties foreclosed by Wells Fargo are vacant and 71% of those properties are in black neighborhoods. Wells Fargo’s African American borrowers with incomes greater than $68,000 per year were 8 times more likely to hold subprime loans than white borrowers with the same income.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: tavis smiley,state of the black union,black money,african american money,black wealth,african american wealth

Al Sharpton: Omar Edwards Needs Justice

Justice delayed is justice denied. On May 28, Omar Edwards began his day like any other: kissing his 18-month-old and seven-month old children, hugging his wife and going out for another hard day’s work. But later that evening, 25-year-old Edwards’ life was tragically and violently cut short when his body was riddled with bullets. This wasn’t the work of a thug, a mentally challenged person nor a would-be thief. Instead, Edwards was shot several times by a fellow police officer – yes police officer – while in pursuit of an actual criminal. Another young Black man unjustifiably slain.

In cities and towns all across this country we hear the stories of young men and women of color being ‘mistakenly shot at’ or ‘wrongfully killed’. There are continuous investigations of police department protocol and police conduct, and a plethora of excuses and justifications that slowly emerge. But what is the unfathomable excuse of police officers killing a fellow comrade? How can so-called ‘friendly fire’ take place? And more importantly, how can we not hold the shooter, in this case 30-year-old Andrew Dunton, accountable?

Technorati Tags: al sharpton,black news,black politics,black social commentary

Nicole Spence: Why Do Men Sell Us a Dream?

by Nicole Spence

There is this girl I know, and we’re friends.

She has been sorta dating this guy, well they’ve flirted with the idea of being more, but never took it there fully. Why? Cuz he is always on some stop and go shit! You know one minute wanna kick things up a couple of notches and the next he’s on his period!

I don’t like inconsistency so I encourage her to dip out! Don’t delete him from your phone, but he sure as hell shouldn’t be in her top 5!She took my advice and remained out of the picture for a couple of months, and you know never really gave the idea of him another thought, other than the occasional " what the hell was his problem"?
Fast forward time passes and he reaches out stating how much he misses her ( oh yea? ) and get this, that he realized that he needs her in his life. ( Pretty heavy shit I thought). So they exchange niceties back and forth, but she’s still wading in the water because she doesn’t know what this brother wants.

Click to read more.

Dr Boyce Watkins speaks on Syracuse University – Book Excerpt

“I arrived at Syracuse University in the fall of 2001. The relationship between me and the campus became contentious roughly three years into my academic career. It was then that I went from being “the quiet Black guy”, to the guy “embarrassing the university on CNN”. I’ve never said anything that I didn’t think through well in advance. I was never unprepared for an interview. I always did careful research on the topic of discussion and sufficient background checks on the individual I was debating. My liability was that I spoke about Black people in an honest way, and that was embarrassing to the campus.

I questioned why my university has many academic departments that have never granted tenure to any person of color since the university’s founding in 1870. I was most shocked that I was the first person asking such a question and could not understand why I was being considered a “bad apple” for doing so. My mother always taught me to be firm, yet polite, so I never asked the questions in a way that would be deemed disrespectful. I also felt that it was my obligation as a faculty member of color to speak up for the students who come to my campus and never get to have a professor who looks like them.

Many of the Black faculty on campus stayed away from me, but there were a select few who gravitated toward me. I was certainly not welcomed by the Black faculty in higher administration, who’d earned good positions for themselves by keeping their mouths shut and going along with the program. I understood their resentment toward me, because my mother also taught me that the world will never reward you for being a strong Black man. Black men are considered the underbelly of American society: the men that are most sent to prison, the ones who are not educated and the ones left unemployed. They are also the ones historically feared by our society and the ones most likely to die. So, defending Black males is not much different from standing up for the rights of rats or roaches. No one empathizes with the plight of a cockroach.

I soon found that the liberties of free speech that academics enjoy have an invisible line that stops when one speaks up on racial inequality. One semester, when I’d gotten into a public spat with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, I saw my campus getting inundated with phone calls from wealthy alumni who watch Fox News, many of whom stated that they would not donate to the campus or send their children to a school that harbored a “racist” like me. How I’d been defined as a racist was confusing to me, but Malcolm X described it best when he explained that terms like “reverse racist” were used to alleviate America of the guilt regarding what it’s done to Black men, women and children for the past 400 years.

By speaking up for equality, I would surely be interpreted as a man fighting in favor of inequality. This perceived inequality is developed when a new and warped equality had already been created, one that presumed that African-Americans were to remain on the second tier of our society. By disrupting the multi-tiered system in which we live and stating that All Men and women are Created Equal, you are disrupting the sustained commitment to inequality to which America has become addicted. In other words, by saying Black people deserve the same rights and access as Whites, you are trying to steal something from White people.”

This was an excerpt from the forthcoming book, “Black American Money”, set to be released on July 15, 2009. 

Technorati Tags: black scholars,black professors,syracuse university,dr boyce watkins