Thursday, October 29, 2009

Lawrence Watkins speaks at Cornell University

Listen to Lawrence Watkins speak on the secrets of business success.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses the Heather Ellis Case

Dr Boyce Watkins discusses the Heather Ellis Case, the rally and plans to find justice for Heather and her family.

Dr. Elaina George Discusses Swine Flu on Michael Baisden - 10/20/09

Dr. Elaina and Michael Baisden break down the hype and misinformation about the Swine flu.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Can a White Woman Use the Term “HNIC”?

Dr. Cornel West's HNIC quote was used by Kathleen Ford.


When a white mayoral candidate in St. Petersburg, FL referred to the city's black deputy mayor as an "H.N.I.C" on an Oct. 13 radio show, she was quoting Princeton professor Dr. Cornel West. "The time is past for black political and intellectual leaders to pose as the voice for black America....The days of brokering for the black turf--of posing as the Head Negro in Charge (H.N.I.C.) are over," West wrote in his seminal book on American race relations, 'Race Matters.'

Click to read.

Your Black News: MediaMatters.org Steps in on the Heather Ellis, KKK Case

Racial injustice rears its ugly head again, this time in rural Missouri, where heavy-handed prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff is threatening to impose a lengthy prison sentence on a woman after an altercation at a local Wal-Mart almost three years ago.

In January 2007, 20-year-old Heather Ellis, then a student at Xavier University, and her cousin David went to a Wal-Mart in Kennett, Missouri, near the Tennessee border, in an area commonly known as the Missouri Bootheel.  Kennett, in rural and conservative Dunklin County, which boasts that it seceded from the Union during the Civil War, is overwhelmingly white.

At the check-out line, the pair split up in order to find the shortest line.  When Ellis left her line to join her cousin at a shorter line, customers complained and a store employee accused her of cutting, at which point an argument ensued and a manager notified a security guard, an off-duty Kennett Police officer.  The situation escalated from there:

In the Ellis version, she was shoved by another customer, had her items pushed aside by the clerk and then was short-changed when she finally was checked out. The police affidavit contends, at numerous times, Ellis became belligerent, loud, abusive and cursing when she was told to leave by the store's assistant manager. Summoned by a frantic phone call from her son, as the pair walked out to the parking lot, [Ellis' aunt] Blackmon says she arrived in time to witness her niece being brutalized by police during attempts to place her in a squad car.

[...]

Ellis was charged with disturbing the peace, trespassing, resisting arrest and two counts of assaulting a police officer. Yet, curiously after being described in the police affidavit as "completely out of control" during her arrest, she was released to the custody of her parents to receive medical attention only 45 minutes after being jailed. However, her arrest triggered a whole series of problems. Although she returned to school in Louisiana, two months later, an attorney hired by the family tried to talk Heather into taking a plea deal offered by powerful Dunklin County Prosecutor, Stephen Sokoloff.

 

Click to read.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Walter Currie Lives Near Heather Ellis - Set on Fire by a White Kid

To give you a picture of the location in which Heather Ellis fights for her freedom, meet Walter Currie, a 15-year old in nearby Poplar Bluff, who was set on fire by his classmates with the attacker allegedly yelling the words "Burn nigger burn" while he did it - visit SaveHeatherEllis.com.

Updates on The Heather Ellis Case

Heather Ellis is a college student facing15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart - visit www.SaveHeatherEllis.com for more details on the national protest to be held in Kennett, MO on November 14.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Your Black News: Barack Obama Declares National Emergency for Swine Flu

Hundreds of residents line up for free H1N1 vaccinations Friday at an Encino, California, clinic.

President Obama has declared a national emergency to deal with the "rapid increase in illness" from the H1N1 influenza virus.

"The 2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve. The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities," Obama said in a statement.

"Thus, in recognition of the continuing progression of the pandemic, and in further preparation as a nation, we are taking additional steps to facilitate our response."

The president signed the declaration late Friday and announced it Saturday.

Calling the emergency declaration "an important tool in our kit going forward," one administration official called Obama's action

Click to read.

Dr Boyce Web Chat: Megan Williams is Definitely a Liar

No matter what, Megan Williams is definitely a liar - the question is what did she lie about?

Friday, October 23, 2009

Michael Baisden and Elaina George: Do you Need a Swine Flu Vaccination?

Michael Baisden, Dr. Elaina George and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Is Juan Williams an Uncle Tom?

I have no idea why FOX News political commentator Juan Williams is defendingRush Limbaugh, perhaps the most divisive, hateful person in American media today. I'm not sure why Williams is letting FOX News use him in the same way Armstrong Williams has always trotted out to defend conservative issues. (It's hard out there for a journalist.)
However, I do know that he does not deserve to be told to "go back to the porch," as radio talk show host Warren Ballentine said during a debate about Limbaugh last week.
The comments were made by Ballentine during a discussion with Williams on the 'O'Reilly Factor' about Limbaugh being dropped from a bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams football team. Williams and Ballentine disagreed about whether the 'Barack the Magic Negro' song that Rush Limbaugh played was "racial."
BILL O'REILLY: The reason that Limbaugh is not going to be able to buy in to the NFL is because a bunch of made-up stuff became legend, and he got hammered.
WARREN BALLANTINE: Okay, we won't look at the made-up stuff. Let's look at him playing 'Barack the Magic Negro,' and we're going to say that's just funny, that's just a joke, that's not racial either. It is racial to real black people.

 

Click to read.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Shocker: Man Arrested for Being Naked In His Own House?

You might want to think twice before getting naked in your house - a man faces a year in jail for being naked in his own house.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Barack Obama White House Address: Attacking Insurance Companies

In his weekly address, president Obama gets nasty with insurance companies.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Woman Teaches Kids in Jail How to Get It Together with Beats, Rhymes and Poetry

T. Denise Manning is emerging as a leader for at-risk youth and teaching them how to get it together using a microphone, pad and pen as their weapons of choice.

Natural Cures for the Swine Flu - Dr. Elaina George

Dr. Elaina George shares natural cures for the swine flu.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Method Man Arrested for Taxes, but Not Nicolas Cage?

Method Man was arrested for tax evasion, but not Nicolas Cage - What's up with that?

Heather Ellis on CNN: Faces 15 Yrs For Cutting Line at Walmart

The KKK has threatened Heather Ellis,who faces 15 years for cutting line at Walmart.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Dr Boyce on Martin Luther King’s Children

What you can learn from Dr. King's family squabble

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black world, AOL Black Voices, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com 

Martin Luther King is rolling in his grave. Yes, I said it. So sue me.

Well, you might actually do that if you were one of Martin Luther King's children. In fact, yesterday Martin Luther King III and Rev. Bernice King - who were suing their brother Dexter for mismanaging the funds in their parents' estates - avoided a jury trial and settled their longstanding feud. The three children had been the only shareholders in King Inc, the corporation created to control their father's valuable legacy. Dexter is still the president and CEO of the estate, and had been, until late last night, its administrator.

Martin and Bernice had accused Dexter of wrongfully taking money from the family, alleging that he took "substantial funds" out of their mother's estate and "wrongfully appropriated" money from their father's. I am not sure what the difference between "wrongfully appropriating" money and good old fashioned stealing is, assuming that there is one, but perhaps I am not wealthy enough to know the distinction. Of course Dexter denied the accusations.

Click to read on MSNBC’s TheGrio.com

Martin Luther King's Kids Won't Stop Fighting

Dr Boyce Watkins analyzes Dr. King's kids and their legal drama.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Black News: President Obama Wins the Nobel Prize: Black Scholars Speak Up

Marvin Lynn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction
Faculty Affiliate, African American Studies
University of Illinois at Chicago

 

I think he deserves the award because, as they said, he has established a different tone in the world. Two years ago, America was despised around the world. This is not the case today. Of course people still have criticisms of our policies etc but our global neighbors hated Bush so much that it was making global travel a frightening experience for Americans. There has been a shift in how people see us. That is directly tied to President Obama's diplomatic stance on a variety of issues.

 

 

 

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon

Political Science Professor at Howard University

Host of “On with Leon” – Sirius/XM Satellite

 

This is an incredible personal accomplishment for the Obama's, a wonderful international recognition of the shift in American foreign policy, and a compliment to the intelligence of the American electorate The Nobel committee is acknowledging the positive shift away from the unilateral exclusionary foreign policy of the Bush 43' administration to the multilateral inclusionary foreign policy direction of the Obama administration. The illegal invasions of sovereign nations, torture, and the ignoring of ecological issues of the Bush 43' administration only brought instability and insecurity for America and the rest of the world. President Obama offers hope through honest diplomacy and open dialog. This is the true path towards peace and security for all.

 

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KKK Gets Involved with Black Student's Walmart Case

The Ku Klux Klan threatened the student who rallied in response to facing 15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart.

Woman Faces 15 Years in Prison for cutting Line at Walmart

A college student in Kennett, MO faces 15-years in prison for cutting line at Walmart.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Dr Boyce on Jack Johnson, Barack Obama, Michael Vick

What do Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Barack Obama and Michael Vick all have in common?

Michelle Obama’s Staff Size Draws some Critics

FILE- This Sept. 17, 2009 file photo shows first lady Michelle ...

from Yahoo News 

In the past it's been almost a tradition for America's first ladies to catch flack from their husbands' political opponents over the size of their staffs, and Michelle Obama certainly hasn't been exempt from that. Criticism of her "massive" staff has popped up on email chains, blogs, and chat rooms. But what are the facts regarding how many people are under her employ, and how does the size of her staff compare to that of past first ladies?

On July 1st of this year, the Obama White House posted the Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff on its official blog. A minor uproar over the first lady's staff size ensued. One critic atCanadianFreePress.com accused the president's wife of employing an "unprecedented number of staffers" for someone who "doesn’t perform any official duties," while a widely circulated chain email reported that "there has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life." Many other critics of the Obama administration expressed similar sentiments.

 

Click to read.

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Friday, October 9, 2009

Fighting Erupts at School Board Meeting

Residents of Detroit get angry over the closing of some public schools.

President Obama Discusses Receiving His Nobel Peace Prize


Dr Boyce Web Chat: Obama Wins the Nobel Prize?

Dr Boyce chats about President Obama's win with the Nobel Prize.

Shocking News: Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize?

While we at Your Black World love President Obama, we have a hard time figuring out exactly what he’s done to earn this.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Dr. Wilmer Leon: The Healthcare Debate Needs to get off Life Support

By

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III, Howard University, Your Black World

According to 2008 US Census Bureau data, approximately 47 million, or 15.8 percent of the US population, were without health insurance during 2006 - a 4.9 percent increase. In 2005, census figures showed that 44.8 million people, or about 15.3 percent of the population, lacked health insurance coverage. According to a report released by the Institute on Medicine, the average cost of family health care coverage more than doubled from 1999 to 2008, from $1,543 to $3,354.

    Based upon these realities, presidential candidate Obama made health care reform a central theme of his campaign. He promised to achieve universal health care in his first term and to cut the average family's health care health care costs by $2,500. In the on-going health care reform debate, it is very important to remember that as a result of this and other campaign promises, President Obama won the 2008 presidential election with 53 percent of the popular vote to Senator McCain's 46 percent and 68 percent of the Electoral College vote to McCain's 36 percent.

    According to a New York Times/CBS News poll taken in June, 85 percent of respondents said the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt. According to a June poll conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 83 percent of respondents favored and only 14 percent opposed "creating a new public health insurance plan that anyone can purchase." These numbers indicate that health care reform is very important to the American people.

Click to read.

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Dr. Boyce and Rev. Al Sharpton Discuss Michael Vick, Couples and Money

Dr. Boyce Watkins speaks with Rev. Al Sharpton about Michael Vick's deal with Nike and why couples get divorced over money.

Rapper Nas Releases Open Letter to Young Black Men

The rapper Nas has a lot to say about the death of Chicago teenager Derrion Albert.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Dr Boyce: Why Nike Isn’t Quite Done with Michael Vick

Why Nike will just do it and sign Michael Vick

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com and AOL Black Voices 

Dick's Sporting Goods recently made a decision that is bad for business. Taking one of the boldest, and perhaps silliest, stands of any corporation in recent memory, Dick's decided not to sell Michael Vick jerseys in any of their stores.

Perhaps they earned a few dog-loving customers, but they lost the support of any shareholder who cares about making money. It's one thing for lynch mobs to embrace vigilantism, but another for a corporation to engage in the same irrational behavior. Vick paid his debt to society; it's time to move on with our lives.

The top brass at the Nike Corporation are smarter than the management at Dick's Sporting Goods, but they too understand the need to stay away from Michael Vick, at least for right now. When asked to respond to rumors that Vick had signed a deal with Nike, the company gave an immediate and resounding "no." After the Nike denial, Michael Vick's agent, Joel Segal, had to backpedal faster than an NFL defensive back to kill any indication that his client has re-signed with the "big swoosh." However, the confidence with which the signing was announced indicates that the relationship might be deeper than we think.

The truth is that I don't believe a single word of the Nike dismissal. Like the big egos in Beyonce's song, Nike's swoosh is " too big, too wide, too strong" for them to sit idly by as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL makes his return to the game. Nike executives have seen Vick grace the cover of Xbox games and sports magazines and often refer to him as the man who "revolutionized the quarterback position." They know that Vick is not washed up, and that some of his best years may still be ahead of him.

Click to read.

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