Goodbye Teena Marie – 12/27/10

• 
• Teena Marie, known as 'Ivory Queen of Soul,' dies
• Obama administration, Congress brace for new political reality
• Spirits soar for Kwanzaa: 'Tis also the season of unity'
• Kwanzaa: A reaffirmation of African American culture
• Parade begins weeklong Kwanzaa celebration in Dallas
• Ivory Coast general strike called to oust Gbagbo
• The Game robbed of $75,000 on Christmas Eve
• Republican Allen West says leaders take too many days off
• Haitian orphans settling in with adoptive families
• Halle's fight against domestic violence -video
• NAACP: Nashville needs more Black officers
• San Francisco 49ers fire coach Mike Singletary
• Rent Too Damn High: McMillan wants to take platform nationwide

 

 

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Madam Prezident Discusses the Lack of Women in Hip Hop

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

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

 

Click to read

 

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Woman Receives Historic Settlement from Tobacco Company

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

Marie Evans grew up in a housing project in Boston. In those projects, the children in the neighborhood were given free samples of Newport cigarettes, which Marie first received at the age of 9. By the time she was 13, she was a regular smoker, and in 2002, she died of lung cancer.
Marie's family decided to confront the maker of Newport cigarettes for their negligent behavior and won a stunning $152 million lawsuit against the company. The judgement consisted of $81 million in damages and another $71 million that had been awarded earlier this week. It took quite a few years to get there, but justice has been served. This is the largest judgement in history against anyone in the tobacco industry.
"It was her wish to sort of bring this suit, and I've honored that wish. It's been my mission to see this to completion. I'm sure she feels vindicated. I'm sure she feels thankful for the 14 members of the jury that they ruled that they committed these offenses," said William Evan's, Marie's son.

Click to read.

 

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World Famous Gynecologist Once Operated on Slaves with No Anesthesia

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

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

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

 

Click to read.

How Do You Find Clothing for the Plus Size Woman? Just Ask Monif C. Clarke

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

I was on the phone the other day with a friend of mine who is far more well-known than I'll ever be. We talk about nearly everything under the sun and I find that our friendship bears a great deal of intellectual fruit. One of the interesting things about my friend is that she has a famous body, known specifically for having the kinds of curves that only a black woman can possess. I asked her if all the attention ever bothered her, and she said "No. What bothers me is that I can't find any clothes that fit!"

This conversation re-opened my eyes to the struggles that women of color have when it comes to finding clothes that work with the beautiful look God gave them. I then decided to do a Dr. Boyce AOL Black Voices Profile on Monif C. Clarke, one of the brilliant minds behind Monif C. Plus Sizes, a company that specializes in selling contemporary plus size clothing. Here is what she had to say:

 

Click to read.

Leading Ladies in Hip Hop Should Be Supporting One Another, Not Fighting

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

There was a time when my daughter and I could never see eye-to-eye.  We fought regularly, and even had times where we didn’t speak.  Through the struggle, it was the most prominent part of our joint DNA that made us the most contentious. Everyone could see how much we were alike: we think the same, look the same, have the same mannerisms, and even have the same taste buds.  Most significantly, we are both strong-willed, principled and don’t take B.S. from anybody.  The things that made us most similar were part of what drove us to bump heads.

When I think about the time I lost fighting with the little girl I love so much, I realized how we would have been great allies if we hadn’t fooled ourselves into becoming enemies.  This also makes me think about the on-going hip hop beef between Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj, two women who are so much alike that they want to kick each other’s asses.

 

click to read.

Black Politics: 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 Love Gone Bad: Antoine Walker Sued for Taking another Man’s Finacee

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

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

Click to read. 

 

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Black Unemployment 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.

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

Sarah Palin Says North Korea is Our Ally? Is She Fit to be President?

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.

Black News from Your Black World – 11/25/10

• President Obama asks country to help make tomorrow better
• For a stress-free Thanksgiving, etiquette is key
• A year later, Tiger Woods works to recover from scandal
• Thanksgiving turkey pardoned by President Obama
• Young Jeezy to serve Thanksgiving dinner to needy In Atlanta
• Obama family volunteers at DC food pantry
• Cosby takes message of hope and education to New Haven
• Cholera-hit Haiti needs nurses, doctors: U.N.
• Injured Serena Williams to miss Australian Open
• Anti-Facebook pastor taking leave over affair
• Video: Taraji, Terrence talk Soul Train Awards
• Cohen: Attack on Michelle Obama demonstrates Palin's ignorance

Visit YourBlackWorld.com for the latest in black news!

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.

Facebook Pastor Had Marital Affair with Male Assistant

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

Apparently, the words "thou shall not use Facebook" don't quite trump the words "thou shall not have a three-way sexual relationship with your wife and a male assistant." The Rev. Cedric Miller became a national name last week after demanding that his entire New Jersey congregation delete their Facebook pages. The move was thought to be an incredibly bold statement about the impact that Facebook has on relationships, where old boyfriends/girlfriends never quite go away.
To the surprise of many, it turns out that Rev. Miller may have his own reasons for wanting Facebook out of his life. There are reports that the pastor had a three-way sexual relationship with his wife and a male assistant at the church. Rev. Miller, who heads the Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune Township, New Jersey, confirmed the information, which had been printed in a local newspaper.
The 48-year old pastor also demanded that all 50 of his married church officials delete their Facebook pages or quit their leadership posts. He told married members of his church to share their login information with their spouses. He said that he plans to leave Facebook this week himself.

 

Click to read.

Who Is Necole Bitchie? Let Her Tell You

Necole Bitchie is a much loved urban media maven who came onto the blogging scene in 2007, and has remained a major player in the field ever since. Her eponymous blog,NecoleBitchie.com is one of the most popular Web destinations for discussing celebrity dish, offering a fresh voice and unique perspective on African American stars. How did Necole Bitchie make such a profound impact in such a short time in a crowded field? She shares the amazing business insights -- and a few celebrity finance secrets -- that have contributed to her stellar success. Here's what Necole told BV on Money:

What is your name and what do you do?
My name is Necole Bitchie and I am the voice behind the celebrity entertainment blogsite NecoleBitchie.com.

What are some of the misperceptions people have about celebrities and their money?

Click to read.

Aimee Michael: College Grad and Her Mother Sent to Prison for Hit and Run Accident

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

Aimee Michael (pictured left), for the most part, seems to be a lot like the rest of us. She's a 24-year-old black female college graduate with two parents who love her. Her parents have been married for 28 years, and her mother is a 52-year-old former school teacher. On Easter Sunday in 2009, though, Aimee found herself facing up to 50 years in prison. While she didn't get the entire 50 years, she did get 36 of them.

Click to read.

Why Marion Jones Is Not a Bad Person

Marion Jones Reminds Us That She's Not a Bad Person

11:59 AMNov 2

Source: BV on Sports

I saw an advertisement for the new Johns Singleton documentary, "Press Pause," set to air on ESPN. I was glad to see that Singleton, one of the greatest filmmakers in America, was taking the time to tell Marion's story without the goofy hypocrisy of ... Read More

Is a “Ghetto Fab” Wig Racist?

 

Written by Dorian Chandler

 

With Halloween approaching Kohl’s department store rolled our their latest available costumes and wigs. What the hell where they thinking when they decided to roll out this hot ghetto mess entitled “Ghetto Fab Wig.” Kohl’s claims you can “dance the night away in this disco inspired Afro style wig.

Really Kohl’s?

Your wig inspiration came from disco and Afro styles but instead of calling it that you decided to call it “Ghetto Fab?” I’m confused Kohl’s. Can you clarify how this ghetto fab wig got past your production and PC lines? Does Kohl’s consider themselves experts in what’s deemed “Ghetto” Fab a.k.a Black Fab? Oddly enough the model shown wearing the “ghetto fab” wig doesn’t look ghetto or black for that matter (what constitutes “ghettoness” anyway?)

Did Kohl’s one size fits all mantra get them in over their heads?

UPDATE: Kohl’s via twitter was swift to respond to the matter and apologize to each an every person that tweeted them (see below). They did as they said and removed the offensive language and the product as a whole from their site.

 

Click to read.

Clarence Thomas’ Ex-Girlfriend Gives the World an Interesting Look at the Justice

Justice Clarence Thomas’s ex girlfriend comes forward after almost 20 years

Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Boyce Analyze the Democrats’ “Loyalty” to Black Voters

 

Click to listen to Al Sharpton and Dr. Boyce Watkins discuss whether or not African Americans should go out and support the Democrats in the mid-term elections.  You can listen by clicking here.

CDC: 1 in 22 African Americans Will be Infected by HIV

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

More “good” news from the Center for Disease Control:  African Americans have a 1-in-22 chance of catching HIV in their lifetimes.  This is eight times the rate for white Americans.  Of course the numbers are no surprise, given that HIV is already spreading quite rapidly through our community.   This confirmation from the CDC is simply another depressing reminder of the risks of irresponsible sex.

Obviously, sex is as natural as breathing, given that it’s the reason we even exist in the first place.  But the power of sex must also be respected, and some of us grow up in a culture where casual sex is considered the norm and the pursuit of good sex is worthy of being a lifelong endeavor.  While I am certainly not here to judge, perhaps we should consider a few thoughts:

Click to read.

Black Bloggers Invited to the White House: Are They Being Influenced?

 

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

President Obama recently invited a slew of African American bloggers to the White House for a “black online summit” of sorts.  Many commentators from Black America Web, News One and even my very own AOL Black Voices were brought in to talk turkey with the president before the election. 

I do a lot of writing on the web, and I actually do work with several of the sites that were invited to the White House summit.  But I wasn’t asked to be part of this particular gathering.  I am not ashamed to admit that I wasn’t invited, because I never expected to be brought in anyway.  In fact, I despise the idea of spending all my time around politicians, many of whom only seem to care about their own agenda. 

Click to read.

The Black August Hip Hop Movement: Dream Hampton’s New Film

I got a chance to speak with Marc Lamont Hill, a brilliant young professor at Columbia University, along with Dream Hampton. Marc is the host of "Our World with Black Enterprise," replacing the great Ed Gordon. Dream is a hip hop journalist, who was the first female editor of "The Source" Magazine. She has also helped to create award-winning films such as "I am Ali," and "Behind the Music: The Notorious B.I.G." I spoke with both of them in the studio about their work, and I think you'll enjoy the interview and become inspired by it.

 

Click here to watch.

Black Woman Leads the Way for Black Entrepreneurs: Meet Danielle Douglas

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

Danielle Douglas, an entrepreneurship expert and CEO of Inspire Enterprises, conducted a survey of African Americans interested in owning their own businesses. The survey,which can be found here, was qualitative in nature, asking questions about the pitfalls that people run into when trying to become either full-time or part-time entrepreneurs.
Douglas made it clear that the greatest obstacle that African Americans face when trying to start their own business is a lack of access to capital. In an interview with AOL Black Voices, Douglas said this:
"Overwhelmingly, respondents number one frustration is lack of financial resources as it relates to start up capital , access to capital in general, and identifying viable resources to help them attain capital."

 

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins: What Did Bishop Eddie Long Say to His Congregation?

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."

Click to read.

Cheating Preachers in the Black Church:

What do we do about gays in the church?  Are there other pastors who spend their time engaging in questionable sexual activity?  Dr. Boyce discusses these issues on MSNBC.

Please click here to watch.

Author Jamilah B. Creekmur – Part 2

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

 

This is the second part of my interview with author Jamilah B. Creekmur. I enjoyed speaking with Jamilah and I found her book, "Raised by the Mistress," to be a compelling layout of what it might be like to be the child of "the other woman." I recommend taking a look at Jamilah's book and watching the interview. I think you'll enjoy what you see.

Click to read.

Today Show Guest Uses the Term “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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Woman Accused of Throwing Acid Onto Her Own Face, Says a Black Woman Did It

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.

 

Click to read.

No Black Athletes to Follow Venus, Serena and Tiger: What’s Going On?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Most of us can appreciate, on one level or another, the tremendous achievements of Tiger Woods, Venus Williams and her little sister, Serena. They have all been, in one way or another, a tremendous source of pride for the African American community. Much of the reason we are so proud of them is because they've dominated like no other in sports that are not typically played by "us." I am personally more impressed with the Williams sisters than with Tiger, in large part because they've made it into a family affair, and seem to more directly embrace the idea of making their success into a "black thing." Tiger, on the other hand, seems to want to make his success into a "Caublinasian thing." I admittedly can't get with that.

 

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Dr. Boyce Watkins Speaks with Experts About Black Relationships

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

I have a theory that I've wondered would hold up to empirical scrutiny. My theory is that there are quite a few women who might be willing to settle for part of a good man rather than having 100% of a mediocre man. For example, men like Tiger Woods might have more girlfriends than most of us can count, and some would wonder if any of those women expect him to be committed to just one person. Not to say that I condone one lifestyle over another, but we all know how things go down in the real world.

 

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MaLinda Sapp, Marvin Sapp’s Wife, Dies of Colon Cancer

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Prominent Gospel Music artist Marvin Sapp recently lost his wife to colon cancer. Marvin's wife, MaLinda, had been married to him for 15 years and they have three children together. MaLinda was an Administrative Pastor at the church they ran together, the Lighthouse Full Life Center, in Grand Rapids, MI.
Before she died, MaLinda was a college professor and licensed professional counselor. The following statement was issued by 92.1 Praise Houston about the death of MaLinda Sapp:

 

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Actress Regina King Speaks Up on Racial Inequality in Hollywood

Since the Emmy ceremony, I have been going back and forth about whether or not I should compose this letter. I try hard in my daily life not to engage in uncomfortable situations regarding race. But sometimes it's very difficult to find other reasons that better explain why certain events play out the way they do. It is impossible for me to ignore the published statistics regarding the number of people of color mentioned, celebrated or honored in the history of the televised Emmys. Up to and including this year, there have been only 53 non-white actorsnominated for Emmys out of nearly 1,000 possible nominations in the top four acting categories for drama and comedy.

Click to read.

Explaining Money to Kids – Why This is Very Important

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Given that our children are likely our greatest expense and greatest love, perhaps it might be helpful to discuss how we teach them about money.  If you raise your kids to be financially responsible, they can be assets to you during retirement.  If they are taught about money in the wrong way, they become horrible economic liabilities that leave you riddled with guilt.  So, although I don’t claim to know everything about child rearing, I thought I’d share some guidelines you might want to consider when it comes to teaching your kids about money.

 

Click to read.

The President Declares the End of the Iraq War

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

He came, he saw, he conquered. Well, sort of. President Obama took the nation's attention for about 20 minutes tonight to deliver a speech about the end of America's military involvement in Iraq. Sitting in the Oval Office with pictures of his family in the background, President Obama effectively told America that the last eight years are over. He thanked the troops, thanked the American people, and reminded the Iraqis that we still support them. He was being presidential, as he normally is.
The president worked to build bridges with Americans who disapprove of his performance. He mentioned how the high cost of the war reduced the nation's ability to sustain its middle class. He talked about how patriotic Americans both approved and disapproved of the war, and even mentioned an earlier conversation he'd recently had with President Bush. He also reminded the American people that by ending military operations in Iraq, he was keeping one of his most significant campaign promises.

 

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What Fantasia Teaches Black America about Poor Educational Choices

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

One of the most magnificent voices in all of music is owned by Fantasia Barrino, the singer out of North Carolina. Most of us know that Fantasia attempted suicide recently. Of course the suicide attempt led to instant national media attention, and she was all over the news telling her story. Her management team, understanding the value the incident could have for her brand, pushed out the Vh-1 special before you could say the words "publicity stunt."
Now, I'm not here to say that I know what happened to Fantasia or whether the suicide attempt was genuine. But one thing that remains fundamentally true is that she'd been highly upset over the decline of her career. Also, we know that the television specials and additional PR from the incident have put Fantasia in the limelight in a way that far exceeds what she had access to last month. The final thing we know is that Fantasia is working furiously in the studio to get an album out in order to profit from the re-establishment of her celebrity status. Unfortunately, her team may be looking to replicate the experience of Jennifer Hudson after her difficult experience last year.

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African American Valedictorian Shocks the World with His Speech

by Lawrence Watkins – Great Black Speakers

When Justin Hudson gave his valedictorian speech at his Hunter College High School graduation, he made it one that people will remember for decades. In the speech, Hudson went beyond providing vague advice or encouragement for his classmates. Hudson instead chose to use his opportunity to push his high school school to end a flawed admissions policy that keeps Hunter College High School from developing adequate racial diversity.
"I feel guilt because I don't deserve any of this and neither do any of you," Hudson said in his speech, as reported by Diverseeducation.com. "We received an outstanding education at no charge based solely on our performance on a test we took when we were 11-year-olds or 4-year-olds."

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Spelman Ranked as the #1 HBCU in America

Short note from Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Spelman College was chosen as the #1 HBCU in the country in a recent ranking by U.S. News and World Report.  The title is well-deserved, since I don’t know of a single Spelman grad who isn’t doing quite well.  But some complain that the self-confidence of Spelman grads can sometimes breed arrogance - you know, the woman who wants to be CEO of the company on the first day.  In fact, I know employers who refuse to hire Spelman grads at all.

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Laurence Fishburne on Montana: “No one uses their Real Last Name in Porn”

 

 

Apparently, Laurence Fishburne and his daughter Montana are not speaking.  He told his daughter that he embarrassed her and ridiculed her by saying that no one uses their real last name in porn.  According to TMZ, Laurence has said that he will not speak to Montana until she “turns her life around.”  This is sad.

Dr. Boyce: Was Fantasia’s Suicide Attempt a Business Move?

 

When I heard that the singer Fantasia attempted suicide this week, I was saddened and alarmed.  Suicide is the last thing I’d expect from a woman who seemed to empower others with her seemingly endless supply of positive energy.  Fantasia is a star in more ways than one.

As I researched the details of her suicide, I couldn’t help but notice that one of the causes of her depression may have been the slowdown in her career.

Artists who stop selling records suddenly realize that they were addicted to the fame and money.  The declining artist is faced with massive economic problems, serious rejection issues and an intense sense of personal failure.  When this is compounded with some of the relationship problems that Fantasia has reportedly had with a married man, you have a recipe for disaster.

That made me want to ask the question that others may not want to ask: Is Fantasia’s management team looking to milk sympathy from her fans to boost record sales?  While I certainly empathize with what Fantasia is experiencing, I couldn’t help but notice the dramatic details of her personal problems being blasted throughout the media.  It’s not as if her team has asked that we allow her a private moment to be with her family.  They are bringing the entire world into her hospital room and sharing every detail of the experience.

 

Click to read.

Outrage Over Use of President Obama in a Game

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Some people are outraged about the fact that President Obama's image is being used in an amusement park game where the object of the game is to knock him over, but some say that it is all fun and "games" and people should not be offended. So what do you think?

Fantasia's 911 Call

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The recording of the 911 call for "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino the night she overdosed.

Jamie Foxx Talks Fame

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Jamie Foxx talks about how he deals with fame and how he does not let his super star status go to his head.

Suspected Serial Killer Captured

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The man that is suspected to have been attacking black men in multiple states has been captured, but the identity of the man has not been released to the public.

Race May Play a Role in Healthcare...Tell Us Something We Don't Know

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Discussion about how race may play a role in healthcare coverage.

Dr. Boyce Watkins: Naomi Campbell Reminds Me of Why I will Never Buy Another Diamond Again

by dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Naomi Campbell, the supermodel known for attacking her personal assistants, is involved in a different kind of controversy this week. She has been asked to testify at the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. Perhaps being beautiful comes with benefits, since Campbell is being asked about some "dirty looking stones" she received at a party in 1997, brought to her room in the middle of the night.
The stones were allegedly "blood diamonds," and the court is attempting to determine if these diamonds were given to her by Charles Taylor. Blood diamonds are those that are mined in the middle of war zones, often used to finance insurgencies, leading to loss of life and enslavement. In other words, we shouldn't be buying them.

 

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Whoopi Goldberg Beefs with White House Crasher

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Yesterday on "The View" the cast of the newest edition of "Real Housewives of D.C." visited the show, which consists of Michaele Salahi a.k.a. the woman who crashed the White House dinner. Suprisingly the show did not end on a good note.

Some Still Doubt that President Obama was Born in the U.S.

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Just a day after the President's 49th birthday some people still do not believe that the 44th President of the United States was born here.

Eva Mendes Releases Sex Tape

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Cuban actress Eva Mendes, has now jumped on the bandwagon of celebrities that have sextapes...somewhat.