Dr. Elaina George Speaks on Swine Flu Vaccine

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Dr. Elaina George, a prominent physician in Atlanta, asks whether or not it makes sense for every American to take the Swine Flu Vaccine.

Dr Boyce: Company Sells “Sippin Syrup” in stores – What?

by Dr Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

You've probably heard the phrase "sippin syrup," used in reference to the act of mixing cough syrup, codeine, and soda together to create a relaxed feeling within the person who consumes the beverage. The "drank" has become quite popular, particularly in the south, as rappers have done their jobs of giving free promotion to an illegal product that has managed to make teenagers even less productive than many of them already are.
It was only a matter of time before corporate America stepped in to make money off the trend. Meet the new drink on store shelves: Sippin Syrup. The drink doesn't use any illegal products, but produces the same "lean" effect that many young people seek from the cough syrup product on the street. Harmless enough, right? Not so fast.
Officers in the Houston area are concerned that the product sold on store shelves is nothing more than a gateway to an incredibly dangerous and addictive drug. The snazzy ad campaign fully leverages the power of the brand of "purple stuff" being sold on the streets already. Teenagers who can't get the real stuff would likely be enticed by the substitute until the door is open for the actual product.

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What Do We Do with Ebony and Jet Now?

 

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com, Your Black World 

 

The black journalism students here at Syracuse often come to me to find out how the industry works. They sometimes instinctively wonder if their professors' stories about being in a CBS newsroom in 1982 are going to help them survive in a world run by Twitter, Myspace and Facebook. The answer is a resounding "probably not."

While respecting the journalism professors teaching their classes, I simply use examples like Ebony Magazine to help them realize that black media is changing, and sites like theGrio.com, BlackVoices.com, and TheRoot.com, are examples of how black media has evolved. In fact, a journalist who doesn't understand technology and business models is in danger of starting his/her career as a dinosaur.

When it comes to recent reports about Ebony Magazine being offered for sale, I admit that I was saddened, but not surprised. The Ebony Fashion Fair has become one of the most celebrated events in black America, and the magazine has been nothing less than a tremendous source of national pride since its creation in 1945. But in the age of the web, oversized bureaucracies can be crushed under the weight of their own arrogance. Bloated payrolls, pompous corporate functions and a sense of entitlement make them easy prey for quick, hungry and rapidly evolving competition.

In spite of the tremendous love we have for Ebony/Jet, the truth must be confronted when realizing that it is what radio was to TV or what the train was to the airplane. Like radios and trains, there is still a place for print media, but that role is no longer dominant. The current economic climate only accelerated the inevitable, since advertisers were eventually going to stop spending $50,000 for magazine ads when they can buy the same number of eyeballs for $5,000 or less.

I present the following 5 questions I'd like to ask out loud about both Ebony Magazine and the state of African American media:

Click to read.

New Book: Thinking outside the Cell

In the first book published by her New York-based Resilience Multimedia, Sheila Rule delivers much-needed information to a segment of society that has long been ignored: the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated. In 'Think Outside The Cell: An Entrepreneur's Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated' by Joseph Robinson, readers learn vital information, including how to overcome obstacles that convicted felons face while trying to reenter society and find work.
Rule, who worked at The New York Times for 30 years before her recent retirement, was spurred to start her publishing company after writing to the incarcerated as a volunteer for the Riverside Church Prison Ministry. With funding from the Ford Foundation, she plans to publish next year the 'Think Outside the Cell' book series featuring real-life stories by the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated and their families. Rule takes time to talk about the book with AOL Black Voices.
AOL Black Voices: How did you come up with the idea for the book?
Sheila Rule: Joe's book has been published amid renewed efforts to help the formerly incarcerated-who are disproportionately black and Latino-successfully reenter society. But Joe believes that the reentry programs being developed, while commendable, too often focus on finding jobs in a nation where, according to a Princeton University study, it is easier for a white person with a felony conviction to get a job than for a black person who has never been arrested. Joe believes that "Think Outside the Cell" presents a largely unexplored option-entrepreneurship-that can help give men and women leaving prison a realistic second chance

 

Click to read.

Dr Boyce Watkins: Did BET Step Over the Line with “Skank Robbers”?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World

During the BET Awards, Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx did a skit called "Skank Robbers," which you can watch below. Some have argued that the video goes over the top, producing stereotypical images of black women to the point of being offensive. Referring to them as "skanks" was enough to draw the ire of many African Americans, but there was also a point in the video in which the narrator says, "From the producers of 'Planet of the Apes'."

This video leads to the following questions as it pertains to BET:1) Who's making the decisions? I'd love to see what thought process goes into deciding to make R. Kelly your keynote performer right after he is accused of creating child pornography, or having Lil Wayne sing about wanting to have sex with every girl in the world while underage girls are dancing on stage. I don't hate BET, and I've done a great deal of work with them in the past, but I would like very much for them to explain to the public exactly how they operate.

 

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Black News – 9/20/09

From AOL Black Voices, Your Black World 

Yale Student Murder Symptomatic of Growing Workplace Violence

• The murder of Yale University Lab Technician Annie Le was sad, particularly since her body was ... Read More
• Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV on Money | Comments (2)

Wendy Williams and Dr. Boyce Talk Hip Hop and Money

• In this video, I was in studio with the great Wendy Williams. I've written about Wendy in the past, ... Read More
• Posted by Boyce Watkins, PhD in BV Black Spin | Comments (1)

Going Natural Sucks?

• Well, you probably already know that I don't feel that way myself. But some recent transitioners on ... Read More
• Posted by Patrice Grell Yursik in BV Hair Talk | Comments (6)

The Week That Was: Mo'Nique Moves on, Roxanne Shante Rings Alarm

• She may have been a no-show at the Toronto International Festival earlier this week, but Mo'Nique ... Read More
• Posted by Karu F. Daniels in BV Newswire | Comments (0)

King Memorial Foundation Discovers Red Tape

• There is nothing more annoying than reading the word "urgent" in the subject line of an e-mail ... Read More
• Posted by Carmen Dixon in BV Black Spin | Comments (3)

45,000 U.S. Deaths Caused By Lack of Insurance? We Need to Do Something Now

• A Reuters story posted yesterday serves up a shocking statistic: "Nearly 45,000 people die in the ... Read More
• Posted by Alexis Stodghill in Black Voices Insurance | Comments (1)

Dr Wilmer Leon and Dr. Pearl Ford Discuss the Politics Behind Obama’s Healthcare Plan

Listen up as Dr. Wilmer Leon speaks with Dr. Pearl Ford about President Obama’s Healthcare Reform Plan.  Click here to listen to the latest exciting episode!

Both are graduates of Howard University’s Political Science Program

Dr. Wilmer Leon: What a Congressman Can Learn from a Tennis Star

 

By

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

On Saturday September 12^th, at the U.S. Open semifinals, Serena Williams was caught in a “human moment” that she wishes she could change. After being called for a foot fault by a line judge Ms. Williams launched into an “f-bomb” laden tirade saying in part, “If I could, I would take this @#$#ing ball and shove it down your @#$#ing throat…" The resulting unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost Ms. Williams the match.

On Monday September 14^th Ms. Williams offered a written apology. In it she said, "I want to sincerely apologize first to the lineswoman, Kim Clijsters, the US Tennis Association and mostly tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst … I really wanted to apologize sincerely...I think the lady was doing the best she could. She was just trying to do her job.”

Some have questioned Serena’s sincerity and others have questioned the timing of her apology. These questions may be valid but at the end of the day Ms. Williams did the right thing. She took responsibility for her behavior and apologized directly to all of those whom she attacked and offended.

On Wednesday September 9^th, Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) had his own “human moment.” During President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress on health care, Wilson shouted at the President “you lie”. Shortly after his outburst Congressman Wilson called the White House to offer his apology to the President. President Obama did not take his call. It was accepted on his behalf by Chief of Staff Rhom Emanuel.

Congressman Wilson has been asked by members of his own party as well as Democrats to formally apologize on the House floor. He has refused to apologize on the floor of the House saying, "I've apologized one time. The apology was accepted by the president, the vice president. ... I am not apologizing again … I believe that is sufficient."

As a result of Congressman Wilson’s failure to apologize on the floor, the House passed a “resolution of disapproval” by a 240-179 vote. Congressman Wilson has now been duly punished for his outrageous and childish behavior.

Even though polls show a strong majority of American’s oppose Congressman Wilson’s actions, Republican Party leadership stands behind him. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said the House Democrats are guilty of “stunning…. Hypocrisy.” GOP leader John Boehner (R-OH) said that the action initiated by Wilson's fellow South Carolina colleague, Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) — is "patently partisan." Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) circulated a letter of support for Wilson.

Click to read.

Michael Baisden and Dr. Elaina George Hit Healthcare Reform

Although many Americans have seen and heard the insane debate over healthcare, almost no one understands what's going on. This is doubly true for the African American community, who is affected greatly by this debate and its outcomes. Most black bloggers aren't talking about it and black doctors are too busy to inform the community.
Michael Baisden got with Dr. Elaina George, a prominent black physician in the Atlanta area, to break down the public option, healthcare and all related issues in the interview below.During the interview, Dr. George and Baisden answer some important questions:

Click to read.

News: Oprah Backs Barack on Education

In the midst of all the drama surroundingPresident Barack Obama's speech to schoolchildren on Tuesday, there's one Chicago resident who will support the commander-in-chief through thick and thin.
The one and only Oprah Winfrey admitted that she was stunned by the amount of backlash the president was receiving after encouraging students to rise above their challenges to succeed in school.
In an exclusive interview with 'Access Hollywood' on Wednesday, the multitalented media mogul professed her frustration over the recent events.
"I'm just really stunned by people who feel that the president, the leader of our country and of the free world, saying to your children it's important for your success, the success of your families and our country, for you stay in school, that education is vital to your well-being. ... I don't understand it. I do not understand it," Winfrey said.

Click to read.

Dr Boyce Watkins on the Lowest Paying Majors in College

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

According to the "College Majors Handbook," the 5 lowest paying college majors are Social Work, Special Education, Elementary Education, Home Economics and Music/Dance. As a college professor for the past 16 years, I was only surprised that other "interesting" majors were not on the list, such as Philosophy or Anthropology. In a recent NPR interview, I spoke on the value of going to college and whether or not it's worth the expense. The answer to this question is very simple: It depends.

Here are some things to remember when choosing a major for yourself or your children in college:

1) Know what you are getting. Don't major in a low paying major expecting to make the same money as business school students. It's simply not going to happen. Pick a major with the salary expectations that make you comfortable. Money doesn't have to be important to you, just make sure you're honest with yourself about how important money actually is.

2) Make sure that your major can help you repay your student loans. Most young people who went to college are going to die in debt. Don't let yourself become one of those people.

Click to read.

Dr Boyce Watkins: Is it Worth it to go to College?

from The New York Times

What kind of returns do you expect on your educational investment?

A National Public Radio segment on Tuesday, titled “Is a College Education Worth the Debt?” questioned the necessity of a college degree in an economic downturn.

Korva Coleman asked her guests, two college professors and one graduate student, “If college education doesn’t always get you a job, but it almost always gets you in debt, is it worth going to college?”

Update | 2:06 p.m. (My colleague, David Leonhardt, offers his own answer to this question in his blog, Economix. In fact, he points out, “the gap between the pay of college graduates and everyone else has reached an all-time high, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.”)

Richard Vedder, a professor of economics at Ohio University, took the view that college isn’t necessarily worth the cost. “I think some kids are going to college that probably shouldn’t go to college,” he said. He spoke with a scientific concern for the oversupply of college graduates, which, he said, currently outstrips demand.

“We are starting to graduate, I don’t want to say too many students, but it’s becoming more and more difficult for new college graduates to get jobs, independent of the recession.”

Click to read.

Black Student News: Diddy Weighs in on the Howard Student Protests

Diddy has tweeted his way into the fold of the protests going on with students at Howard University.  Here is a sample of what he has released:

 "NO JUSTICE! NO PEACE!!! Let me know if yall need me to come down there yall! I got yall BACK! Let's go!!!"
And just to be clear he's not encouraging violence, Diddy then wrote, "Do what we did and take IT OVER!!!! Let's go! And do it in a peaceful way but DO IT!! ... If your at HU go to the A building now and make sure they feel you!!! And send me updates!!! Let's go!"

Republicans Have Always Addressed School kids Too

On April 15, 1907, Republican president Theodore Roosevelt issued a strong "Message to School Children" addressing the need for conservation and the importance of our environment. At the end of his message, President Roosevelt asked the youngest citizens to go out and help the president - by planting trees. Here's an excerpt:
We of an older generation can get along with what we have, though with growing hardship; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of that want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted... Source: New York Times Archives - Roosevelt to Children
Can you imagine what the right's reaction would be if President Obama said something even remotely similar? "He's turning our kids against our Constitutional right to consume at will!!!" "He's trying to make our kids green Commies!!!" Yeah, right.

Click to read.

Black College News: The President Declares National HBCU Week

by DANIELLE CANADA September 3, 2009, 10:36am

HBCU Alumni will be thrilled to learn that the week of August 30 through September 5, 2009 is officially National HBCU Week. The White House released a proclamation from the President officiating the week and praising HBCUS for spawning some of America's most notorious Black leaders.

“For more than 140 years, HBCUs have released the power of knowledge to countless Americans. Graduates of HBCUs have gone on to shape the course of American history-from W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, to Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall. Today, in twenty States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin_Islands, these colleges and universities are serving hundreds of thousands of students from every background and have contributed to the expansion of the African American middle class, to the growth of local communities, and to our Nation's overall economy…”

Click to read.

Obama to Address Students – Conservatives Outraged

On September 8, in what the Department of Education is touting as a "historic" speech, President Obama will be talking directly to students across the U.S., live on the White House website. But some parents and conservatives are blasting the president, calling the speech an excuse to brainwash American children.

Last month, in an interview with 11-year-old student reporter Damon Weaver, the president announced his big back-to-school plan:

"I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education; about the importance of staying in school; how we want to improve our education system and why it’s so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in."

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to the nation's principals, inviting schools to watch the speech and included suggested classroom activities. But Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, came out swinging against the planned speech. An excerpt from his statement:

 

Click to read.

Your News: Spelman Student Shot and Killed

Jasmine Lynn, a Spelman student in her 20s from Kansas City, Mo., was shot after gunfire broke out during a fight in the 200 block of James P. Brawley Drive, according to police.

Lynn was walking with a group of friends back to the Spelman campus when they passed by the fight.

"One of the friends actually heard the gunshots, actually saw the weapon and told her to get on the ground," said Lt. Keith Meadows of the Atlanta Police Department. "Before she was able to get on the ground she was struck in the chest by a stray round."

Bystanders rushed to help Lynn.

"I walked up to the girl 'cause she was laying on the ground," said witness Danays Marquez. "She was drenched in blood and it looked like she was taking her last breath."

A bullet also hit an 18-year-old Clark-Atlanta student in the wrist. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Two people were arrested at the scene, but police did not reveal the charges against them.

Source

The Third Strike in Kentucky Basketball Shame

 

The video is out there, and we'll see it someday. It'll show Billy Gillispie, months removed from leading the famous Kentucky basketball program, in an orange jumpsuit -- the kind worn by the prisoners picking up garbage on the highway. The video will show Gillispie in that jumpsuit, being arraigned last week on charges of driving while intoxicated.

Already the mug shot is out there, and it's startling enough. It shows Gillispie with puffy, heavy eyes. He looks 10 years older. He looks 20 pounds heavier. He looks drunk.

Billy Gillispie's mug shot from his most recent drunken driving arrest. (AP)

Still, I submit the following: I submit that Gillispie is one of the luckiest SOB's around.

If he was going to get arrested for DUI -- and this being Gillispie, he was going to get arrested for DUI eventually -- last week was the best week possible. It came shortly after two enormous basketball stories had already broken in that state. Just one week earlier, the NCAA had taken away the 2008 Final Four banner from Memphis and the former Memphis coach who replaced Gillispie at Kentucky, John Calipari. And that came after the revelation that current Louisville (and former Kentucky) coach Rick Pitino had a one-dinner stand with a woman who accused him of raping her, impregnating her, marrying her off to his personal assistant and then paying for the abortion.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce: Why Black Professors Need to Shout

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

Professor Larry Moore at The University of Memphis is on a mission. The African American professor has decided to take on his campus for not being diverse enough. Dr. Moore has done what black professors and students across America are doing, which is holding their campuses accountable for their lack of desire to recruit, promote, and reward faculty of color. This issue affects everyone, since most black college students never have the chance to be taught by an African American without taking courses in the African American Studies Department.

In an open letter written to state legislators, Dr. Moore has made his issue clear to the American public and put his university "on blast" for problematic recruitment and retention procedures. As a fellow business school professor myself, I say to Dr. Moore, "Way to go brother."

Click to read more.

U. Memphis Accused of Racism by Professor

An Open Letter to the Shelby County Legislative Delegation
With Regards to the 1960's Style of Black Tokenism
Practiced at the University of   Memphis Under
Joyce Raines and Ralph Faudree

To the Legislative Delegation:

This letter is addressed to you as representatives of the taxpayers of the state of Tennessee who contribute a substantial portion of the operating budget of the University of Memphis,  as trustees of state businesses who donate substantial funds to the University, and as  guardians of our students who pay tuition to the University. This letter  concerns  the operation of the University under the current President Shirley Raines and Provost Ralph Faudree, particularly with regards to none foreign born black faculty and graduate students at the University of Memphis.

While most major universities are aggressively trying to recruit, retain,  and promote qualified black faculty and graduate students, the University of Memphis,  under this  current administration, appears to operate under a 1960s form of tokenism, of marginalization, and of benign neglect of  those black  faculty members who have not been hand-picked by the administration for success, positions,  promotion, and salary, as well as an apparent lack of interest in black Phd candidates.

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Wilmer Leon and Boyce Watkins discuss the NCAA Lawsuit

 

Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University and Dr. Wilmer Leon of Howard University speak about the NCAA class action lawsuit.  The NCAA is being sued for illegal use of player images. What do you think?

Click here to listen!

COLLEGE STAR SHARES MORE THAN SPOTLIGHT

You might remember Mississippi State forward Jarvis Varnado from such films as "Mississippi State made a major leap in 2008, staring Jarvis Varnado," and "I will block that shot against the backboard and scream in your face," presented by Jarvis Varnado." The last time you saw the talented Mr. Varnado, he was leading the Mississippi State Bulldogs to the SEC tournament title and an NCAA appearance. Varnado has led the nation in blocked shots two years in a row. He's an awfully good player.

And now, he's a walk-on.

The Clarion-Ledger's Kyle Veazey has the scoop (thanks to Truth About It for the Twitter tip, by the way). When Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury signed John Riek and the still-under-investigation Renardo Sidney, he signed his 13th and 14th players scholarship players. Unfortunately, there are only 13 scholarships available. Most coaches would probably just run a player off, but after mulling it over, Stansbury and the Varnado family came up with a mutual -- and pretty selfless -- solution. Varnado's father explains:

Technorati Tags: black,college,athletes,mississippi

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How do you Sue Saddam?

In this episode of “On with Leon", Dr. Wilmer Leon speaks with the man who successfully sued Saddam Heussein. Click here to listen!

Syracuse Professor Boyce Watkins speaks to students

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

As a college professor for the past 16 years, I've noticed two things about college: It can be a place to make your dreams come true, and it can also be a breeding ground for your worst nightmares. So, I thought I would compile a list of things that I've seen college students do to ruin their lives over the years. Hopefully, you and your child can learn from what I am about to share.

1) Sex, drugs, alcohol and gambling
College is a great place to pick up a lot of really bad habits. The worst part is that people tell you that these things are ok. It's not that all of these are bad things to do, but at the very least, they should be done in moderation. It doesn't matter if you are in college: If you have sex with too many people, you are going to catch a disease or get pregnant. If you use drugs, you are going to become a drug addict. If you drink too much, you will become an alcoholic. Gambling can also ruin your life as much as drugs or alcohol. I have several dozen friends with really messed up lives to this day, all of whom started their downward spiral on a college campus. You should not think that because you are in college, you are immune to these problems. If something doesn't feel right, then you shouldn't do it. Be mature enough to make smart decisions.

2) Falling for the credit card scams and ruining your credit
There are no serious credit card scams in college, only the little people who stand out in front of the bookstore trying to get you to take their "free money". Credit cards are very tempting when you are in school, especially since you are broke. If you decide to take one, make sure that you are very careful with how much you buy with the card, and that you have a careful plan to pay it all back. Putting yourself in over your head can easily destroy your credit. That is not a good cycle to get into. Not taking care of your student loan obligations can ruin your credit as well. You should manage your debt as best you can, because if you don't, it can take decades to fix the problems that are created.

Click to read.

News: Obama’s Lawyers Go Nuts over This Ad

The posters went up last week, 14 in Union Station. On each of the large displays, a thought bubble rises up from a picture of a beautiful 8-year-old: "President Obama's daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don't I?"

A Washington nonprofit that advocates nutrition-policy reform paid $20,000 to get its message across and carefully maneuvered Metro's tangle of regulations to display its posters. Metro gave it a go -- but the White House did not, according to the group. Within 24 hours of the signs' appearance, the White House asked thePhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to take down the ads, which feature Jasmine Messiah, a vegetarian who attends a Miami-Dade County public school that, she says, offers no vegetarian or vegan lunch options.

 

Click to read.

News: Dr Boyce Watkins Hosts the Jim Reith Show – Listen!

Click here to listen to Dr Boyce host the Jim Reith Show.  It’s explosive and gets kind of crazy.  Check it out.

The Legal Benefits of Changing Our Drug Policy

by Dr. Byron Price, Texas Southern University

On his website, President Obama offers us a “seat at the table,” which is the equivalent of citizens offering policy prescriptions to his administration. This unprecedented effort to increase citizen participation in the policy making process has the added benefit of simultaneously empowering citizens in a way that our government has not done and has to be what the campaign meant by “change we can believe in.” The criticism of whom he has appointed misses the mark concerning what I believe his change mantra signifies. Since the president appears to be open to unsolicited advice, I offer the following criminal justice recommendations and justification for these suggestions.
President Obama and the 111th Congress should consider ending drug prohibition.
“Consider the consequences of drug prohibition today: 500,000 people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails for nonviolent drug-law violations; 1.8 million drug arrests last year; tens of billions of taxpayer dollars expended annually to fund a drug war that 76% of Americans say has failed; millions now marked for life as former drug felons; many thousands dying each year from drug overdoses that have more to do with prohibitionist policies than the drugs themselves, and tens of thousands more needlessly infected with AIDS and Hepatitis C because those same policies undermine and block responsible public-health policies.”

As the preceding paragraph illustrates, “The War on Drugs” has been a dismal failure and has gifted nonviolent African Americans offenders, especially males a permanent handicap—a lifetime of limited opportunities. The collateral consequences of a drug conviction which limit African Americans opportunities are:
The denial of financial aid and work study .
Felony Disenfranchisement.
Lifetime ban on cash benefits and food stamps.
Lifetime ban on public housing.
Termination of parental rights and ban from becoming adoptive or foster parents.
Remove the felony conviction question on applications of employment.

Click to read.

Your Black News: Young Money Adds 10 Tour Dates

Good news for all the rap fans clamoring to see one of the hottest hip-hop tours of the summer: The Lil Wayne-powered Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival has been extended, it was announced Wednesday (August 5), with 10 additional shows added to the bill.

The tour will now continue through September, ending with a stop in Sunrise, Florida, on September 6. Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy Tell'em are co-headlining the tour alongside Weezy, with support from Pleasure P, Jeremih and the Young Money crew, which includes Nicki Minaj.

The extension could be bittersweet news for Drake. The lyricist might be tempted to hop onstage for the extra dates despite his recent leg injury. The breakout star was one of the original headliners on the bill, but after suffering a knee injury, he was dropped down to a special-guest spot during Lil Wayne's set. The Toronto MC joined his boss and company at the first two stops in Pennsylvania, but reinjured himself in Philadelphia. Video of his fall, which showed Drake writhing in pain, circulated online.

 

Click to read.

Syracuse Prof Dr Boyce Watkins on CNN – 8/1/09

Click here to watch Dr Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University speak with Rick Sanchez of CNN.

Shanelle Walker at Kentucky state University

Shanelle Walker is the former student body President at Kentucky State University. She wrote this amazing poem to encourage African American youth to get out and vote for President Barack Obama. Not only is she a political activist, she is a writer, leader and emerging media personality. Is she one of the dopest young black poets in America? You be the judge! Rather than reading the poem, I recommend that you watch her perform it. The performance is on the video link below.

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News: Legal Action Filed Against AKA President

Members of the country's oldest black sorority are suing to remove their president, alleging that she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the group's money on herself — some of it to pay for a wax statue in her own likeness.

In the suit filed in Washington, D.C., the Alpha Kappa Alpha members also alleged that international President Barbara McKinzie bought designer clothing, jewelry and lingerie with the sorority credit card. She then redeemed points the purchases earned on the card to buy a big-screen television and gym equipment, the lawsuit said.

"This is extraordinarily shocking if not illegal conduct," Edward W. Gray Jr., an attorney representing the plaintiffs suing the Chicago-based sorority, said Wednesday.

McKinzie denied what she called the lawsuit's "malicious allegations," saying they were "based on mischaracterizations and fabrications ... not befitting our ideals of sisterhood, ethics and service," according to a statement issued this week by the sorority.

The lawsuit also accused the sorority's board of directors of signing off on spending funds on McKinzie without the required approval by the group's membership. For example, the lawsuit says the board approved a monthly "pension stipend" of $4,000 for four years after she leaves office and purchased a $1 million life insurance policy for her. The suit demands McKinzie be fired and return money to the sorority.

 

Click to read more.

Dr. Debby Stroman Asks if Higher Ed Should be a right or a Privilege

by Dr. Deborah Stroman

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Get Real! That’s my kind response to the critics of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) recent academic reform policy that eliminates the minimum SAT and ACT scores for admission. This well-thought out and crafted course of action finally gives colleges the academic freedom and independence to do what they do best – make decisions as to which students they want on their particular campus. Not the NCAA, the athletic leagues, or any other sport-related governing body has the right to tell an academic institution who is most deserving of the opportunity to sit in their classrooms and learn. Although our country promotes a spirit of education for all, the reality is that higher education is for the privileged. And those with the financial resources receive more access and resources. With a wink and a nod though, the student-athlete can oftentimes bypass this necessity if one possesses the talent to throw a tight spiral or shoot a silky-smooth jumper.

Click to read more.

Black Scholar Speaks on Gates Case

With the Gates fiasco, the rosy glow has faded

AP Photo, Cambridge Police Department

by Dr. Peniel E. Joseph

My first reaction to watching the unfolding Saga of Skip Gates's Cambridge Arrest was that America's postracial bubble, like its recent economic troubles, was about to pop. The fact that some observers had never bought into the story of a race-free America purged of its past sins by a watershed presidential election had done little to diminish either that narrative's moral resonance or political weight.

Since America's racial disparities remain as deep-rooted after Barack Obama's election as they were before, it was only a matter of time until the myth of postracism exploded in our collective national face. That they would rear their ugly head in the form of an intellectual and racial cause célèbre is fitting, since black scholars and activists have been engaged in a robust debate over the meaning of race in the Age of Obama.

Suddenly Obama's recent declaration before the NAACP—that American blacks have come farther than at any other time in our country's history—seems suspect, our national progress undone by the fact that Gates's predicament has become a metaphor for the nation's legacy of racial discrimination.

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Dr Boyce: Players Finally Sue the NCAA

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

Syracuse University

I've written extensively about the NCAA and what I perceive to be their consistent efforts to exploit the black community. They spend millions on public service announcements to protect their deception, but eventually the athletes and the public are going to wise up to what they are doing. The truth is that college athletes should be paid for the same reasons that any actor in a Hollywood blockbuster film would expect to receive compensation. The problem is that the families of athletes don't quite know how to organize and fight for their power. So, when I read about the recentlawsuit against the NCAA for allegedly misusing the images of athletes for videogames, I was a very happy man.

Let me break it down for you:

Based on my 16-years of experience as a college professor (I currently teach atSyracuse University, a school that earns millions off black families every year), collegiate athletics is not, in my opinion, about amateurism and it's not about education. It's about making money. Period. Many athletes are admitted to college every year and they would not be granted admission were it not for their ability to play sports and make money for the campus. Making money is not a problem, but the problem comes with the fact that universities do not share this revenue with the families of the players.

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Black News: Harvard Prof Henry Louis Gates Arrested

Harvard University’s Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African & African American Studies, was arrested July 16 on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Gates, 58, a resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Harvard’s main campus is located, was arrested after “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior,” according to a report on the Cambridge Police Department’s Web site. Cambridge police officials declined to comment and said the case was under investigation by Office of the Middlesex District Attorney. A call to the DA’s office wasn’t immediately returned.

 

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President Obama’s New Pick for Surgeon General: Dr. Regina Benjamin

President Barack Obama nominated an Alabama country doctor who has three times resurrected her clinic in a fishing village after disasters to be U.S. Surgeon General on Monday and help him advocate for healthcare reform.

Dr. Regina Benjamin promised to advocate for Obama’s healthcare agenda as “America’s doctor” if she gets the job as chief public spokesperson on health issues, saying her own family and patients have been victims of the failing U.S. system.

“Through floods and fire and severe want, Regina Benjamin has refused to give up. Her patients have refused to give up,” Obama said in a White House Rose Garden announcement.

U.S. surgeons general in the past have issued influential reports on topics including smoking, AIDS and mental health. Benjamin said she not only wanted to serve in the traditional role of surgeon general, encouraging healthy habits, but press to make medical care more easily available.

 

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Dr Boyce Watkins Speaks on Lil Wayne and More

Dr Boyce: Lil Wayne Is Willing to Murder Newborn Babies?

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Nicole Spence Moves Beyond her Wendy Williams Experience

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Dr Boyce Money: Would You Date Someone Who Has Been Laid Off?

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Dr Boyce: Bill Cosby's Book Made Money, But Did He Forget Something?

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Research Study: Black Men and HIV – Big Problems

A small survey of young black men from the South who tested positive for H.I.V. in their teens and early 20s found that most had engaged in risky sexual behaviors but thought it unlikely they would be infected, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

More than half of the 29 gay or bisexual men surveyed said they had engaged in unprotected anal sex in the year before they were infected and had had sex with slightly older men, the survey found. Both are risky behaviors, yet the vast majority of the young men said they had not thought that they would ever be infected.

Young black gay and bisexual men are becoming infected with H.I.V. at alarming rates, particularly in the South, and health officials are trying to analyze their risk factors in order to refine education and intervention strategies.

“We need to make sure that H.I.V. infection does not become a rite of passage for young black men who have sex with men,” said Dr. Alexandra Oster, one of the authors of the survey published last week in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

After the Mississippi State Department of Health notified the C.D.C. in late 2007 that the number of new H.I.V. diagnoses had spiked at a sexually transmitted disease clinic serving Jackson, Miss., , the agencies teamed up to do the survey. The number of newly diagnosed H.I.V. cases among all black men in the Jackson area had increased 20 percent between 2004-2005 and 2006-2007, but infections among those ages 17 to 25 had jumped 45 percent.

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University Wants a Boarding School for Black Males

Kentucky State University could open a boarding school aimed at preparing African American males for college as soon as 2010, according to President Mary Sias.

High school students would live in campus dorms, with their own teachers and an on-site principal. They would have access to KSU facilities and dual credit courses, bridging them into college life.

The plan is part of an effort to increase the number of black men who earn postsecondary degrees, Sias told The State Journal.

“We believe it’s a good way to save those students, and actually stop many black males from dropping out,” she said.

 

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Black News: DEA Getting involved with Jackson Death

The will and the wake.

Amid the frenzy of confusing and conflicting information that has followed the death of Michael Jackson, Wednesday began with clarity on two fronts. The day ended, however, with more questions than answers.

A federal law enforcement official said Wednesday night that the Drug Enforcement Administration had joined Jackson's death investigation, once again fanning speculation that drugs may have been involved in the pop icon's passing.

Earlier in the day, the Jackson family said they would not hold a public or private viewing of his body at Neverland Ranch, as had been reported. They didn't indicate where else or when such a ceremony would be held.

And though Jackson's will, made public Wednesday, placed his entire estate in a family trust, the document that described the trust was not filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"He was such an enigma in life, why would we expect him to be anything different in death?" said Antoni Devon, a Jackson fan who huddled with other music lovers at a makeshift memorial for the singer outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

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