Showing posts with label african american media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african american media. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Why Lebron James Needs to Go to Miami

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I wanted to make a quick note on why LeBron James should and probably will end up playing for the Miami Heat.  Now that his homeboys Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade have decided to play together, LeBron has a choice of either joining the club or fighting it.  While Chicago, New York and New Jersey provide viable options for James, the truth is that James probably sees the kind of empire he could build in Miami with two great players who are equally committed to winning. 

Chris Bosh reportedly gave up $30 million to play in Miami, which argues that he is a man of principle.  Wade is also a proven winner, known for going above and beyond when necessary to find a way to win.  These are the guys that LeBron would want to play with, and these are NOT the guys he'd like to play against.

My prediction?  LeBron ends up in Miami and a dynasty begins.

Here are a couple of other possibilities:

Click to read




Monday, June 21, 2010

Rapper Fat Joe Detained for Alleged Sexual Assault

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

The rapper Fat Joe was detained by police Sunday night after he and his entourage were accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Madison, Wisconsin. According to TMZ, the woman is 33-years old and claims the assault occurred in a Cadillac Limousine after a concert at the Orpheum Theater.


Fat Joe (a.k.a.Joseph Antonio Cartagena) and his entourage were held for questioning, but he was released and not arrested. The details of the case are still being sorted out in the investigation. Relative to most artists, Fat Joe doesn't get into very much trouble. The 39-year old married father of two has not, to my knowledge been accused of any sexual assault, so I'd be surprised if he waited this long to get started. He has been arrested in some of the typical rapper non-sense in the past: In 1998, he and the deceased rapper Big Pun were arrested for assaulting a man with a baseball bat and stealing his gold chain. I'm not even going to try to explain that one.

 

Click to read




Thursday, June 10, 2010

Talib Kweli vs. Slim Thug on the Black Women Issue

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

A note to Slim Thug: You probably just need to be quiet for a while. It's not to say thatyour comments about black women were outside your rights to freedom of speech, but if you keep dissing the audience most likely to go out and buy your records, you are probably going to end up in the same poorhouse as MC Hammer. Don't get me wrong, black men love your music (at least I do), but the bottom line is that brothers don't buy albums, books, or anything else put up for sale. But when black women turn on you, it's a wrap son. Settle down and go back to the studio; it's good for your financial health.
I wrote yesterday about the comments made by Slim Thug regarding how he perceives white women to be a better dating choice than black women, as well asColumbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill'sresponse to Slim Thug's words. It seems that the debate has taken a life of it's own, now that rapper Talib Kweli has joined the conversation. In a recent essay he wrote for Vibe Magazine, Talib Kweli was ever the diplomatic artist, as he showed respect for Slim Thug, but also expressed his own concerns for his colleague's remarks about black women:

Click to read.

To read more about the debate regarding Slim Thug’s comments about black women, click here.




Monday, May 24, 2010

The Latest News from AOL Black Voices - 5/24/10

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Financial Lovemaking: Does Tiger's Wife Deserve $750 Million?

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Lil Kim Reportedly Signs With Jay-Z: Top Black Business Links

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VIDEO -- Wiz Khalifa 'Kid Frankie'

  • Hey Wiz Khalifa, that sure is a big lighter you've there. What else would we expect from the ... Read More
  • By BVX Staff on May 24th 2010 3:45PM | Comments (0)

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Vivica A. Fox and Mike Epps Headline 'Love Chronicles' Sequel

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Black and Missing: Have You Seen This Person?

  • Latoya Renea Grissom Case Type: Endangered Date of Birth: February 6, 1982 Missing Date: ... Read More
  • By Jeff Mays on May 24th 2010 2:19PM | Comments (1)

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Lena Horne's Style Legacy and How to Recreate it Yourself

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6 Steps to (Help) Win Your Discrimination Lawsuit

  • If U.S. Senate hopeful Rand Paul has doubts about the federal government's responsibility to ... Read More
  • By R.L. Nave on May 24th 2010 1:30PM | Comments (1)

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The BV Cannes Film Festival Best Dressed List

  • Over the last two weeks, every major fashion house and the Hollywood starlets they love to dress ... Read More
  • By Qianna Smith on May 24th 2010 1:23PM | Comments (1)

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Mother Who Beat, Bound and Gagged Babies Arrested

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Has Reality TV Become Black Women's Enemy?

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Michael Jackson Fans to Spend Night With Possessions‎

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'Memphis,' 'Fences,' Viola Davis, Montego Glover Win Drama Desk Awards

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Legend of the Fall-Offs -- 10 Washed-Up Black Actors

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Is Chris Brown Color Struck?

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Jamaica News: Kingston Under Siege, Extradition Warrant Signed for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke




Thursday, April 29, 2010

Bob Johnson's Wife is Ashamed of BET

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

Thirty years ago, with $15,000 dollars in seed money and another $500,000 in bank loans, Sheila Crump Johnson and her ex-husband, Bob Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television. Since that time, the couple has earned over $1 billion dollars from their tiny investment, and BET is a household name. They sold the company to Viacom in 2000 for $1.3 billion, making them richer than Oprah Winfrey.

Now, the 60-year old woman who founded the company with her husband says that she is ashamed of the channel:
"Don't even get me started," says Mrs. Johnson. "I don't watch it. I suggest to my kids that they don't watch it... I'm ashamed of it, if you want to know the truth."

Johnson goes on to admit that BET may be contributing to the spread of AIDS in the black community by promoting raunchy, unprotected sex in rap music videos.
"When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television," Johnson told The Daily Beast. "We had public affairs programming. We had news... I had a show called Teen Summit, we had a large variety of programming, but the problem is that then the video revolution started up... And then something started happening, and I didn't like it at all. And I remember during those days we would sit up and watch these videos and decide which ones were going on and which ones were not. We got a lot of backlash from recording artists...and we had to start showing them. I didn't like the way women were being portrayed in these videos."

 

Click to read




Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dr. Boyce on ABC News: Financial Questions You Should Ask Your Partner

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Finance Professor - Syracuse University

As a Finance Professor, I find it incredibly ironic that many people get married without talking about money. They talk about every kind of compatibility from emotional, to spiritual, sexual, and professional, but they seldom take the time necessary to ensure that they can tolerate the idea of sharing their financial life with a person who may not be on the same page. This problem is compounded in black relationships, where many women describe economic hurdles as one of the reasons that black women have trouble finding the right mate.

 

Click to read more




Monday, April 5, 2010

Black Leadership Forum Held in New York City on April 17

APRIL 14-17 SHERATON NEW YORK HOTEL & TOWERS, NYC

New York, New York – Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) will host its annual national conference from April 14th - 17th at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City. This four-day event will convene hundreds of delegates and prominent leaders in civil rights, business, politics, labor, entertainment and the religious community from around the country to address key issues impacting people of color. Among some of the confirmed notable participants are United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Housing Shawn Donovan, Michael Steele, Chairman of The Republican National Party, Dr. Bill Cosby, Mariah Carey, Wyclef Jean, Ben Jealous, President of the NAACP, Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, Tom Joyner, Roland Martin, Michael Eric Dyson, and many other high profile attendees.

Among the highlights will include the annual Keepers of the Dream Awards on Wednesday, April 15th honoring those who are committed to furthering the ideals and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event will be hosted by Tamron Hall, MSNBC and honorees include Wyclef Jean, humanitarian and world-renown musical artist, Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal, Mariah Carey, Award-Winning Actress and internationally acclaimed Singer, Dr. Robert M. Franklin, President of Morehouse College, Kimberly Davis, President of JPMorgan Chase Foundation and more. There will be a special keynote address by Dr. Bill Cosby.

The National Action Network convention will include discussions about health care policy in the wake of the historic passage of the President’s Health Care Reform Bill, Media and whether the press is covering issues fairly that involve people of color, education as a civil rights issue and combating the racial achievement gap, labor and employment, the state of the Black Church and assessment of the public response to African-American achievement, issues crucial to young professionals, and much more.

A major convention highlight will be leadership forum entitled: Measuring the Movement: Black Leadership’s 12-Month Action Plan featuring Black leaders of constituencies across the country who will assess where we are and what they and their respective organizations will pledge to do over a 12-month time-frame to further critical issues impacting people of color including, but not limited to, education reform, unemployment, health care and more. The event will air on TV One, MSNBC, C-Span and other forums, and the collective will discuss the real problems and how we will not only hold the President and Administration of the United States accountable, but how we will hold ourselves accountable and tangibly measure our movement over a 12-month period to enact change. The event will be hosted by Tom Joyner and Roland Martin and will be co- hosted by Boyce Watkins, Assistant Professor of Finance, Syracuse University and Warren Ballentine from "The Warren Ballentine Show." Among the featured panelists will be Reverend Al Sharpton, President, National Action Network, Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League, Congressman James Clyburn, Dr. Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School professor, Dr. Elsie Scott, President and CEO, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Jeff Johnson, BET Personality, Ben Jealous, President & CEO, NAACP, Michael Eric Dyson, recording artist Chuck D, Angela Sailor, Coalitions Director for the Republican National Committee, and others.

A complete schedule of NAN’s annual national convention is below and updates will be posted regularly on NAN’s website www.Nationalactionnetwork.net. For press credentials please contact Rachel Noerdlinger, President of Noerdlinger Media (646) 981-5903 or rachel@noerdlingermedia.com.

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Monday, March 15, 2010

Black Entertainment News - 3/15/10




Sunday, March 14, 2010

News: Jay - Z Gets PushBack on His New Stadium

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

I curiously watched the press conference held last week to celebrate the New Jersey Nets (well, not quite New Jersey anymore) stadium set to be built in Brooklyn. A group of investors, led by Bruce Ratner, were joined by many prominent New York public figures to celebrate the ground-breaking of one of the highest impact economic endeavors in the history of Brooklyn. Jay-Z is part of the group of investors who bought the Nets, so of course he attended the ceremony.


The excitement of bringing a professional sports team to a city is overwhelming. Teams can bring out a sense of community spirit and unity which ultimately helps provide a little meaning in a complex world. Cities compete to bring teams to their town because the fans want them. Cities give teams extensive tax subsidies and even offer to use eminent domain to take property away from residents who are not willing to sell their homes in order to have the stadium built. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? Well, sometimes it can be.

Click to read




Friday, March 5, 2010

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Black Politics: NY Gov David Paterson Accused of Ethics Violations

The state Commission on Public Integrity charged Gov. David A. Paterson on Wednesday with violating state ethics laws when he secured free tickets to the opening game of the World Series from the Yankees last fall for himself and others. The announcement came as the governor, already mired in scandal, met with his cabinet and insisted he would stay in office.

In addition to violating the state’s ban on gifts to public officials, the commission found that Mr. Paterson falsely testified under oath that he had intended to pay for the tickets for his son and his son’s friend. The commission determined that Mr. Paterson had never intended to pay for the tickets and only did so after inquiries from the media, after which he submitted a backdated check as payment.

The commission had referred the case to the Albany County District Attorney, P. David Soares, as well as Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, for further investigation. Mr. Cuomo is already investigating Mr. Paterson’s role in allegedly trying to suppress a domestic-violence case involving a close aide, David Johnson.

Mr. Johnson also attended the Yankees game in question and was involved in soliciting the tickets from Yankees officials. The tickets, with a face value of $425 each, seated them a few rows behind home plate.

Click to read.

 

********Join Your Black World for the latest in Black News and commentary from Dr. Boyce Watkins! 




Saturday, February 27, 2010

Anita Baker Almost Went to Jail?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Singing great Anita Baker barely missed going to jail Friday in a dispute with her ex-husband over music royalties. The 52-year old Baker found herself in a heated battle with Walter Bridgforth, her ex-husband, over the details of their divorce settlement.
"I'm so happy. ... I have never been in such a position before," Baker said in the hallway outside court. "And we don't intend to ever be in such a position ever again. I just wanna go home,and I'm happy to go home. ... As horrific as it could have been, it was lovely to feel supported, though, on the other end."
Baker was faced with a deadline Wednesday to sign documents that empower court-appointed music contract expert Howard Hertz to obtain information from record labels regarding how much Baker owed her ex-husband. The deadline passed and Baker still had not signed. This led to the Wayne County Chief Family Court Judge Lita Masini Popke ordering Baker to either show up in court on Friday or go to jail.

Click to read.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

African American News from AOL – 2/25/10

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SplitScreen - Tracy Morgan's 'IMPREGN8ED' feat. Jimmy Kimmel

  • "30 Rock" and "Cop Out" star Tracy Morgan has turned his "somebody gon' pregnant" catchphrase ... Read More
  • By BVX Staff on Feb 25th 2010 5:07PM | Comments (0)

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Does She Talk Too Much?

  • My wife talks too much. She goes non-stop. I don't even know what she's saying half the time ... Read More
  • By Mason Jamal on Feb 25th 2010 5:02PM | Comments (1)

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Maxine Waters' Concern for Homeowners is Not Dumb

  • Okay, Rep Maxine Waters made an error. She mistook the fed's discount rate-- the rate at which the ... Read More
  • By Jeff Mays on Feb 25th 2010 4:32PM | Comments (0)

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Boston Celtic Marquis Daniels Wastes Money on Diamond Head?

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EA Sports Stands By Tiger, Gillette Unsure About Future

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PETA Uses Tiger's Sex Scandal for Promotion

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Obama Health Care Summit Will Yield Little

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Secretary Arne Duncan Talks HBCU Funding, Early Childhood Ed and Loan Repayment Programs

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Melanie Fiona's 'It Kills Me': The Desperate, Pathetic Woman's Anthem

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Vogue Italia launches Black and Plus-Size Sites

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Board Members With Display Name Issues

  • Have you visited the new message boards but experienced issues with your display name upon log in? ... Read More
  • By TiffaniLW on Feb 25th 2010 11:13AM | Comments (0)

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Guilty Plea in Katrina Police Shootings

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Al Sharpton Versus Tavis Smiley on Black Agenda

  • Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of ... Read More
  • By Kevin Eason on Feb 25th 2010 10:30AM | Comments (1)

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Man Who Allegedly Threw Baby From Bridge Charged With Murder

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News Blast: Health Care Summit to Take Place Today, Alleged War Crimes Leader Facing Deportation

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Dr. Boyce: Russell Simmons Rants on Banks

russell_simmons

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons seems to feel that banks are not treating the poor in a proper fashion. This week, in a rant on his site, “The Global Grind,” Simmons had this to say:
“They trick customers into doing things that are not good for them through lack of transparency, and surprise them with new fees when they can least afford it. I’m learning an important lesson about ethics or lack of ethics in this industry. In fact, I’m fighting with a bank right now that doesn’t know what kind of ass whipping they are going to get when I expose them for the abusive practices and exuberant fees they are charging the poor. What they are doing is trying to double their already outrageously high fees in exchange for providing absolutely nothing to my customers.”
Simmons went on to try to create a “movement” by adding a call to action:

“Let’s start the biggest public discussion ever about how banks treat us and expose these banks for their unequal treatment and unconscionable conduct. The time is now.”

 

Click to read.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Morgan Freeman to Replace Walter Cronkite

(L-R) Walter Cronkite (AP Photo/TLC, HO); Morgan Freeman (AP Photo/Rick Maiman)

Nearly six months after his death, Walter Cronkite's voice is leaving the "CBS Evening News."

His introduction of anchor Katie Couric was replaced Monday by a voiceover featuring actor Morgan Freeman.

The legendary CBS News anchor recorded the introduction, played at the beginning of most newscasts, when Couric started at CBS in 2006. Cronkite's voice was kept on the air even after his death July 17.

"As comforting as it is to look back on the great career that Walter had, we're looking forward now and we just felt it was the right time to make the move that at some point had to be made," said CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus. "This seemed like the appropriate time since Walter's passing to make the move."

Click to read.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Tyra Banks Gets Hate from Her Employees


The New York Daily News is quoting unnamed former employees of "The Tyra Banks Show" who claim their boss was a complete nightmare, and never even bothered to tell her staff about the show ending before announcing it to the public.

read more click here