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

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

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

Click to read.

Did This Man Really Kill Michael Jordan’s Father?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Daniel Andre Green was convicted of killing the father of former NBA star Michael Jordan. Nearly 17 years after his conviction, his case is starting to fall apart. The problems stem from a faulty crime lab in North Carolina, where multiple mistakes have been made over the last two decades.
Green told the Associated Press that the lab mishandled its reports, and that evidence supporting his case was denied to him in court. He has trained himself in the law and worked on his own case since the date of his conviction. Much of the recent attention to the case is due to a report concluding that the lab mishandled Green's case, along with 200 others, over a 16-year period ending in 2003.
"I've always known that I'm walking out of prison," Green said. "I've known that because I've believed, ultimately, the truth has to come out."

Click to read.

Cornel West vs. Barack Obama

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Dr. Cornel West apparently has a bone to pick with President Barack Obama. Over time, the good Dr. West has become increasingly vocal in his critique of Obama, and even went as far as to say that Obama treated him "like a cub scout," when refusing to address his concerns about the administration's behavior.
"Well, I'll tell you, I had not talked to my dear brother since the Martin Luther King gathering in South Carolina, and very briefly Super Tuesday. But he did come and make a beeline to me after his speech on I think it was Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. I hadn't seen him for two and a half weeks, and he made a beeline to me, though, brother, and he was deeply upset. He talked to me like I was a Cub Scout, and he was a pack master, you know what I mean?

 

Click to read.

Lorenzen Wright Death: Wife Recorded Leaving a Threatening Message

The personal assistant for recently murdered Lorenzen Wright, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks, says that she has a recorded voice mail message from Wright's ex-wife threatening to have him harmed. According to Wendy Wilson, Wright's assistant,Sherra Wright told Lorenzen "things like if she caught him with anyone else, she'd have him 'F'd up or whatever."
Wilson filed a report with Memphis police because she felt the calls were threatening to Wright. She also claims that Wright asked her to keep the tape in case something were to happen to him.
Sherra Wright's divorce attorney denies the allegations, saying that Wright's ex-wife was struggling to pay bills. "I just feel like Sherra Wright is being placed in a bad light," the attorney said to a local TV station,ABC24-WPTY. "She does not deserve it all. She's been an incredible mother and woman. And she's done her best to shield her children from financial difficulties."
After his divorce, Wright was ordered to pay $26,000 per month in child support and alimony. His ex-wife claims that he hadn't made a payment since November. One might doubt Wright's ability to pay his child support in light of the fact that he had two homes repossessed this year. The financial problems appear to be the cause of the alleged dispute between Wright and his ex-wife which occurred shortly before he was found dead.

 

click to read.

Why Would an NFL Player Choose to Also Deal Drugs?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

A very popular rap song with the chorus "Sippin on some sizzurp" was written by the group, Three Six Mafia. I never liked the song, and I never liked the trend. The trend involves something in the south called "Drank," that involves a mix of codeine with 7up or pieces of Jolly Rancher candy. Well, speaking of Jolly, The Green Bay suspended Defensive End Johnny Jolly for the entire 2010 season for getting caught with codeine cough syrup outside a nightclub in Houston. In fact, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Jolly may have been more than a recreational user. The paper alleges that Jolly may have in fact, "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana."

Click to read.

Whoopi Goldberg Defends Mel Gibson: “He’s Not a Racist”

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Perhaps rather than going on the typical “my bad” racial campaign trail, Mel Gibson is trying a new tactic.  This one might be called the “Some of my best friends are black” approach.  In the latest development over Mel Gibson’s crazy racist rant in which he told his ex-girlfriend that it would be her fault if she were “raped by a pack of ni**ers,” Gibson is being defended by non other than Whoopi Goldberg.

Here are Goldberg’s words:

"I have had a long friendship with Mel. You can say he's being a bonehead, but I can't say he's a racist having spent time with him in my house with my kids. Make no mistake (he's not a racist)."

Click to read more.

Jesse Jackson Says Dan Gilbert Treated LeBron Like a Runaway Slave

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

The Rev. Jesse Jackson caused a stir this week by jumping into the public tirade of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert against NBA star LeBron James. In very public comments this week, Gilbert chastised James for deciding to leave Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat. He defined James as a traitor and someone that we would not want our children to be like.
Apparently Rev. Jackson decided that he'd had enough. In a public statement of his own, Jackson said the following:
"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave."
It was only a matter of time that someone made reference to the racial writing on the wall. With LeBron being an African American athlete and one of the most celebrated public figures in America today, many expected his decision to lead to a public uproar. What was not expected, however, was the decay in James' public image that resulted from his move. He was not only criticized for leaving the fans who'd been so loyal to him over the past seven years, James was described as a narcissist for making his decision on a nationally-televised special.

Click to read

LeBron James Chooses the Miami Heat

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

I hate to say "I told you so," but sometimes it's just kind of fun to brag a little bit. As I wrote the other day, LeBron James made his announcement tonight that he is going to join up with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade with the Miami Heat. The announcement wasn't a big surprise, since I presumed that LeBron would rather play with the greatest talent pool in the Eastern Conference rather than against it. There were some, however, who thought that teams like New York and New Jersey had a chance. No, they did not.
New York makes money and has a massive media market, but the Knicks have stained their organization's reputation by showing that they don't care much about winning. Overpaying mediocre players and not managing their team properly has made them appear as undesirable as the "Kentucky Celtics" were when Rick Pitino took over and tried to bring his entire college roster to the NBA with him.

Click to read

What do you do if your Mistress Jacks up your Credit cards?

AOL Black Voices

NFL star Reggie Wayne is finding out the hard way that giving your credit card number out to anyone may not be such a good idea. Wayne, who is married, is suing his ummm, girlfriend Natasha McKenzie. In the affidavit, Wayne is alleging that McKenzie did it big on Wayne's credit card without asking his permission.

As the story goes, McKenzie, who is 26 years old, just needed Wayne's credit card for a "few little things," like paying her cell phone bill and buying a plane ticket. She was allegedly going to buy the ticket to come and visit Wayne to spend "quality time" with him. To Reggie's surprise, Natasha and her friends "got a little jiggy" with the credit card and charged up $95,000 worth of "necessities." Actually, there were 333 necessities on her list, which is the number of charges she allegedly made to the account.

Reggie originally took the charges to police in April. He has had the uncomfortable challenge of keeping this information from his wife. McKenzie claims that Wayne knew about the charges all along, and that she is only being scapegoated because either his wife found out about her or he has moved on to another mistress. Either way, this entire situation is a little bit strange. Wayne is not the only athlete to be taken for big money as the result of an affair. Tiger Woods allegedly paid millions to keep some of his mistresses quiet.

 

Click to read

More Black News - 6/12/10

NBA Gets High Marks for Diversity in Annual Report Card

• According to Professor Richard Lapchick, author of the recent Racial and Gender Report Card for ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 12th 2010 11:20AM | Comments (0)

Obama's "Angry Black Man" Criticism: Isn't He Also Half White?

• In light of all of the interesting analysis that others have done regarding why President Barack ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 9:36PM | Comments (34)

CNN Asks Why Black Men Are Not Graduating From College

• Richelle Carey at CNN Headline News recently reached out to me to find out why black men aren't ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 5th 2010 4:24PM | Comments (32)

Dwyane Wade Given Temporary Custody of His Sons

• NBA star Dwyane Wade's divorce just got a little uglier. This week, the court gave Wade custody ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 4th 2010 8:51AM | Comments (33)

Could LeBron James' Mother Rumors Push Him Out of Cleveland?

• The world seems to be buzzing incessantly about the statements made by former NBA great Calvin ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on May 24th 2010 10:41PM | Comments (4)

 

Slim Thug and his comments about black women continue to get the artist into trouble.  Is he going to lose big money because of this?

NBA Appears to Be Racially-Diverse

To view the entire report card for the NBA on race and gender, Please click here

 

Highlights from the Report (released by the press representative for the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport):

 

· In the NBA, 82 percent of the players were people of color, remaining constant from last year’s totals. This ties the highest percentage of players of color since the 1994-95 season. The percentage of African-American players also remained constant from last year’s report at 77 percent. The percentage of Latinos and Asians remained constant, at three and one percent respectively. The percentage of international players stayed steady as well at 18 percent.

Click to read

Black Social Commentary from TheGrio – 6/11/10

• 

  Earl Ofari Hutchinson

  Journalist, author and broadcaster.

  Oscar Grant case casts ugly glare on jury race bias

  3:40 PM on 06/11/2010

  OPINION - A jury with no blacks, composed of mostly older middle class whites, and non-black ethnics, is much more likely to believe the testimony of police...

  > MORE

• 

  John Mitchell

  Sports Writer

  Coach Carroll is as much to blame as Reggie Bush for USC mess

  2:00 PM on 06/11/2010

  OPINION - It is virtually impossible to find a better and more composed liar today than former University of Southern California head football coach Pete Carroll...

  > MORE

• 

  Kris Broughton

  Political contributor

  Is surprise SC senate candidate a 'plant' or just peculiar?

  12:22 PM on 06/11/2010

  OPINION - Alvin Greene is an agent of chaos, a bargain basement Manchurian candidate, programmed to wreak havoc upon the South Carolina Democratic Party...

  > MORE

• 

  Shanta N. Covington

  theGrio Contributor

  Fans of original 'Karate Kid' will get a kick out of remake

  8:31 AM on 06/11/2010

  REVIEW - While the original can't be replaced, the remake stands on its own and gives the audience a reason to stand up and cheer...

  > MORE

• 

  Edward Wyckoff Williams

  Political Analyst

  Why the BP oil spill is not another Katrina

  9:27 AM on 06/10/2010

  OPINION - Any attempt at equating the oil spill with Katrina is another far-right effort to attack Obama and undermine his authority and legitimacy as an effective leader...

  > MORE

• 

  Monique W. Morris

  Author and VP for Economic Programs, NAACP

  Will there be justice for Oscar Grant?

  8:35 AM on 06/10/2010

  OPINION - It wasn't a scripted movie. It wasn't a prank. It was police brutality; and the black community is incensed...

  > MORE

• 

  Dr. Boyce Watkins

  Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

  World Cup may be Mandela's last great goal for South Africa

  8:03 AM on 06/10/2010

  OPINION - To say that this event has significance to Mandela would be a tremendous understatement...

  > MORE

• 

  Karen Finney

  Political analyst

  Can an unemployed, unknown vet win a US Senate seat?

  4:08 PM on 06/09/2010

  OPINION - Is it really such a surprise that in a year with a strong anti-incumbent, 'throw the bums out' mood, voters are prepared to vote for just about anyone?...

  > MORE

• 

  Earl Ofari Hutchinson

  Journalist, author and broadcaster.

  Why Obama can't kick 'ass' on the oil spill

  9:31 AM on 06/09/2010

  OPINION - There's no real surprise at the hypocritical, feigned shock when Obama dares say what many think he should...

  > MOR

Black News, African American Issues - June 9, 2010

22-Year Old Pretending to be HS Student Faces 6 Felonies

• Have you ever fantasized about going back to high school and doing all the things you wish you'd ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 12:59PM | Comments (0)

Eminem's 'Recovery' Proves More Than Celebrity Rehab

• During Eminem's personal journey to sobriety, his fans braced themselves for its effects on his ... Read More
• By Amanda Bassa on Jun 9th 2010 12:00PM | Comments (0)

Dee Dee Myers: Obama Can't Get Angry Because He's Black

• Dee Dee Myers, former Press Secretary for the Clinton Administration, was in hot water recently ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 11:38AM | Comments (2)

BLACK MUSIC MONTH: 7 Pop/Rap CDs You Must Revisit

• We continue to salute Black Music Month by recognizing seven CDs in the pop, rap and rock genres by ... Read More
• By Jawn Murray on Jun 9th 2010 11:30AM | Comments (1)

Rihanna's Hair Stylist Explains Her New 'Matador Red' 'Do

• Master chameleon Rihanna surprised everyone by showing up with a bright red bowl-cut at Madrid's ... Read More
• By Katie Hintz-Zambrano on Jun 9th 2010 11:00AM | Comments (0)

Rihanna Sparkles, Jada Shines, Revamps & The Ultimate Dress - Around the Web

• Rihanna glitters on the cover of Elle RiRi talks black women and fashion (StyleList) Jade shines, ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on Jun 9th 2010 10:55AM | Comments (0)

FBI Says Texas Man Called Al-Qaida His 'Brothers'

• It appears that one of the biggest threats to U.S. security in the coming years may be homegrown ... Read More
• By Jeff Mays on Jun 9th 2010 10:53AM | Comments (0)

Rampage Jackson, UFC Fighter, Justifies 'Gay' Comments

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson recently lost his anticipated fight against Rashad Evans last month, but ... Read More
• By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Jun 9th 2010 10:33AM | Comments (0)

DA: No DNA Evidence Found on 7-Year-Old Who Was Gang Raped

• New Jersey prosecutors stated in court documents Tuesday that there was no DNA evidence of ... Read More
• By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Jun 9th 2010 10:13AM | Comments (3)

Marc Lamont Hill Responds to Slim Thug's Take on Black Women

• When I recently read the open letter to the rapper Slim Thug (pictured above), written by ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 8:57AM | Comments (8)

Peace, Confidence and Bliss

• Your Affirmative Prayer for Wednesday, June 9, 2010: My awareness of my unity with Spirit ... Read More
• By Barry Johnson on Jun 9th 2010 12:34AM | Comments (5)

BP Using Massive PR and Internet Strategies to Deal with Spill

• If you are like President Barack Obama, who says that he's looking for "whose ass to kick" over the ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 8th 2010 10:55PM | Comments (2)

Eve: Lets Guard Down on VH1's 'Behind the Music'

• Eve Jihan Jeffers, who is most commonly known in the world of entertainment simply as Eve, isn't a ... Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Jun 8th 2010 7:26PM | Comments (0)

 

 

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Free Speaks on the Jamaican Drug Lord and Riots in Kingston

Posted by Free from Freesworld.com

Prime Minister for West Kingston Jamaica Bruce Golden urged residents to be calm in a press release issued yesterday in regards to the extradition process of Christopher Coke from Jamaica to the US. He is trying to assure them that what happened in 2001 (read here) won’t happen again. The U.S has been ready to prosecute Mr. Dudus on drugs and arms trafficking charges. But trying to extradite him from his native country of Jamaica was no easy task. So the U.S started pulling strings to get Jamaica’s government to turn him over. How? I’m sure there are ways we don’t know about but one thing the U.S. did was cancel all access to America for Jamaican artists like Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, and Adonia.

The Jamaican government has finally agreed to extradition, but Mr. Coke (this is really his last name) who lives in, no runs Tivoli Gardens, one of the roughest parts of Kingston, Jamaica, doesn’t seem to want to go peacefully. Last week criminals from Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens put up blockades surrounding all entries to the community to protect him.

Click to read more on Free's world

The Latest Black Social Commentary from TheGrio.com

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

Oil spill leaves both political parties in the muck

8:48 AM on 05/24/2010

OPINION - BP can destroy our shores, kill the wildlife, cost people their livelihoods and destroy the regional eco-system, and even President Obama is relatively powerless to stop it...

> MORE

Marcus Vanderberg

Sports and social commentator

Clock runs out on Cavs coach and franchise

8:12 AM on 05/24/2010

OPINION - With Coach Mike Brown out the door, we could be looking at the demise of a Cleveland franchise that made great strides the last two years...

> MORE

Monique W. Morris

Author and VP for Economic Programs, NAACP

Financial reform may do little to squash mortgage scams

8:05 AM on 05/24/2010

OPINION - The financial reform bill will allow for new rules on mortgage lending, but it may end up doing little to protect consumers from mortgage-related scams...

> MORE

Edward Wyckoff Williams

Political Analyst

Rand Paul proves Tea Party isn't ready for prime-time

10:25 AM on 05/21/2010

OPINION - Until now, the politics of race have remained subtle in the Tea Party climate...

> MORE

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Journalist, author and broadcaster.

How race haunts both Ron and Rand Paul

10:17 AM on 05/21/2010

OPINION - Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul may or may not learn what his father Ron learned...

> MORE

David A. Love

Executive Editor, BlackCommentator.com

New study finds racism behind black-white wealth gap

8:15 AM on 05/21/2010

ANALYSIS - The difference in financial assets between these two groups has increased over four times in a generation, from $20,000 in 1984 to $95,000 in 2007...

> MORE

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

Would Rand Paul roll back the Civil Rights Act?

2:00 PM on 05/20/2010

OPINION - The firestorm started when Paul said that it should be ok for restaurant owners to discriminate if they choose to...

> MORE