by Dr. Boyce Watkins

The unforgettable, yet unforgiveable impact of America’s first gangsta rap group is the stuff of legend.  NWA is responsible for prophetic songs like “F*ck the Police,” which told the world about LAPD brutality before the Rodney King incident, but they are also responsible for injecting hip-hop with a dose of toxic violence from which it has yet to recover (I’ve written about that problem too).

But putting the social impact to the side for a second, I was asked to give my thoughts on NWA this week for a BET documentary on the impact of hip hop on black culture.  One thing that came to mind is the way Dr. Dre and Ice Cube were able to climb out of the war zone that was Compton and Death Row records to become captains of industry, while many of their homeboys simply perished. In that regard, their success makes for a case study that would be a fit for any business school in the country.

Here are some things that made Dre and Cube different from the rest:

1)      The ability to see the bigger picture:  The easiest way to stay broke and powerless is to think small and to be short-sighted.   In fact, visionaries are regularly able to exploit the short-sightedness of those who have no discipline.  While other members of the group were thinking about spitting rhymes, getting women, and buying yet another gold medallion, Ice Cube’s mind was able to visualize multi-million dollar franchises.  I would much rather be a dumb person who thinks big than a brilliant person who thinks small.  This can make all the difference.

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, YourBlackBloggers.net

I’ve spent a week thinking about the Newsweek cover in which President Obama is proclaimed to be “The First Gay President.”

As a proponent of gay marriage, I was admittedly taken aback by seeing a successful black man “turned out” in front of the American public.  In fact, I was actually insulted, not because there’s something wrong with being gay, but because Newsweek had the audacity to think that everyone would be happy to be called gay.   So, I thought I would send a memo to anyone who somehow feels compelled to consider Barack Obama to be the first gay president of the United States:

The man isn’t gay.

Barack Obama is not, to my knowledge, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, a cross-dresser or anything else that might imply that he wants to sleep with other men.  He is married to a woman and has dated women for his entire life.  While there is room for empathy in the battle for gay rights in America, the idea of letting an openly gay blogger (Andrew Sullivan) label the president in an inaccurate way is highly problematic.

Yes, I know that some people referred to Bill Clinton as “the first Black President,” but most of us never signed off on such a ridiculous and insulting description – eating ribs and playing the saxophone hardly qualifies anyone to be black.  Similar to the Clinton scenario, referring to President Obama as the first gay president is an insult to legitimately gay Americans who’d like to see one of their own in the White House.  Take it from us:  The substitute is rarely as fulfilling as the real thing, so it’s probably best to be patient.

By taking one of the most powerful and successful black men in history and emasculating him in front of the world, Newsweek editors have succeeded in further fueling the hostilities of those who already believe (perhaps falsely) that the gay community is attempting to project its lifestyle onto those who are not comfortable with it.   For every black woman who has seen good, eligible black men sucked up by white women, a gay lifestyle or the prison industrial complex, this headline is an absolute and justifiable outrage.  There are ways one can pursue equality and earn respect for his/her lifestyle without forcing others to live with and accept it as their own.

Perhaps some are thinking that gay is the new black, so Obama shouldn’t waste his time being a black man anyway.  Being gay is now politically fashionable and will help secure admission into a lot of Ivy League universities and social circles that now see little value in African American people (I’m sure I’ll be called homophobic for even writing this article).  Liberals, in their paternalistic disrespect for the African American male, often see us as brutes who need to be tamed, educated or civilized, leading to conflicts between white women and black men in thousands of workplaces across the country.

Even more interesting is the manner by which a black man has to bend and twist himself into something that makes liberal whites comfortable in order for him to be appreciated or respected.   For Obama to gain the adoration of liberal white women, the gay community and other groups, he has to become what they would like for him to be:  the smiling, happy black man without a problem in the world, who speaks to liberal issues without saying a word about mass incarceration, racial inequality, all the black men dying in his hometown or the depleted and unequal schools in black communities across America.  He can talk about gay rights and women’s rights all day long, but if he says one word about the discomfort of other people of color, he is sent straight to the N*gger house.

I’m sorry Newsweek, but President Obama is NOT the first gay president.  Similarly, Bill Clinton was never the first black president.   Perhaps Bill wanted to be black, but I’ve never heard President Obama say that he wants to be gay.  For you to put that label on him unfairly is insulting to us all, and lends credence to those who think that anyone who is uncomfortable with homosexuality is now going to be persecuted.  We must all learn to respect boundaries.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Syracuse University Professor and author of the forthcoming book, “The RAPP Sheet: Rising Above Psychological Poison.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, KultureKritic.com

There’s nothing like using Facebook to say “I’m sorry for sending you to prison after falsely accusing you of kidnap and rape.”

That’s what happened to Brian Banks, after his accuser friended him on Facebook hoping that he could “let bygones be bygones” on a false rape and kidnapping conviction back in 2002.

After reading this story, I was infuriated.  I was angry for Mr. Banks, who was in tears in the courtroom, reflecting on only God-knows-what happened to him after being sent to prison at a young age.  He was a football star on his way to play college sports at the highest level when the non-incident took place.  Wanetta Gibson (the accuser) ruined Brian’s life, and the system aided and abetted her in a quest to destroy this young man’s future.

Every perpetrator of this crime against justice deserves to be punished, starting with Banks’ accuser.  There is word that Wanetta is going to be asked to repay the $1.5 million she was paid by the school district for what she claimed to have happened to her, but her repayment should go far beyond money.  She should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and deserves a prison sentence no less severe than the time that was going to be given to Mr. Banks when the state chose to believe that he was a rapist.

The second person to pay for what happened to Mr. Banks should be the attorney, judge and prosecutors who coerced him into taking a plea deal.  Mr. Banks was told that if he continued to hold on to his “illusion” of innocence and actually fight for his right to a fair trial, he could face up to 41 years.  This kind of threat is similar to what was done during the Salem Witch Trials and the Spanish Inquisition, where anyone who proclaimed their innocence was tortured until they admitted guilt.  This kind of coercive and unjust bargaining should be disallowed in the justice system altogether.

Finally, Mr. Banks deserves to be financially compensated.   No amount of money can make up for what he lost, but about $10 million dollars should help ease the pain at least a little bit.  There was no physical evidence whatsoever that Banks committed this rape, so there was no justification for any judge or prosecutor to consider sending him to prison. In that regard, those involved in the decision to destroy this young man’s life should be sent to the very same prison that they were willing to send an innocent human being.

The story of Brian Banks is, unfortunately quite common, particularly among young black males.   It has even happened in my own family and the scenario is usually the same:  Someone gets into trouble and can’t afford a good attorney.  The overworked public defender, without seriously considering the evidence, tries to get the defendant to take a plea deal.  Even if he is actually innocent and fights for their right to a fair trial, the defendant is then told that not succumbing to jail or prison time will result in a much harsher sentence.  The person doesn’t go to prison because they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; they are incarcerated because public officials are too lazy to actually carry out their commitment to pursuing justice.

As a result of this farcical form of justice being administered all throughout America, millions of black men can’t get jobs and black families have been destroyed to no end.  Politicians in Washington are asking black folks to march for gay marriage and immigration, but say almost nothing about the fact that our fathers, sons and brothers are being sent away to capitalist-funded modern day, concentration camps.  This is nothing short of a true holocaust, and the broken families, violence and devastation around us serve as evidence that the impact is both deep and permanent.

What’s saddest about the story of Brian Banks is that he was one of the lucky ones.   His accuser was silly enough to confess to her lie on record, and someone cared enough to investigate the situation further.  But for every Brian Banks that is exonerated, there are 1,000 other innocent citizens who sit behind bars, away from the people they love.   They were never given a fair trial and no one will ever take up their case.  These stories will never be told.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, “The RAPP Sheet: Rising Above Psychological Poison.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, BlackBlueDog.com

The other day, I was intrigued by the words of Min. Louis Farrakhan, as he gave a public address regarding President Obama’s announced support for gay marriage.  I love hearing what Minister Farrakhan has to say, and although I don’t agree with every word, I’m sure he doesn’t expect me to agree with everything he says either.  Instead, Farrakhan speaks the truth from his perspective, and he delivers it in a way that no one else can.

I was happy that Farrakhan threw his hat in the ring on the gay marriage conversation.  Here are the reasons why:

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In this video, Dr. Boyce Watkins discusses the recent decision by a Florida judge to revoke the bail of George Zimmerman.  He also discusses the racial implications of the Trayvon Martin case.

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A friend of mine went to New York City to have a meeting with a billionaire.   One of the nice advantages of being an Ivy League Graduate is that there are super rich people in the alumni network who can hook you up with amazing opportunities.  In fact, that’s why our entire Supreme Court went to either Harvard or Yale for law school (one of them left Harvard to graduate at Columbia).  Elitist cronyism is bad for America, but it’s good for those who are allowed to take advantage of it.

My friend, a young brother seeking to start his own business, said that he was shocked to find that there was nothing extraordinary about the billionaire:  No Rolls Royce parked in front of the building, no secretary in a bikini serving him Martinis at work, no $10,000 suit, no office the size of Taj Mahal.  Nothing.

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Rev. Creflo Dollar has been arrested and charged with punching and choking his 15-year old daughter.  His daughter called police after the domestic dispute, claiming that the two were fighting over whether or not she could attend a party .

The pastor has been charged with simple battery and cruelty toward children, and booked in the Fayette County Jail.

Police claim that the pastor’s daughter called them after he tackled her to the floor, punched her and hit her with a shoe.   Officers say that they saw a scratch to the girl’s neck and throat that confirmed her claims.

The pastor says that his daughter was “very disrespectful,” and that he only retaliated when she hit him first.

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World

There are reports that people are camping out for a week in order to buy a pair of Air Yeezy Sneakers.  The new shoes are expected to retail at a whopping $275, which is more than most folks in the hood can afford to pay.  But we know that Kanye doesn’t care a whole lot about poor people, so we thought we’d make a short list of people who should NOT be buying Air Yeezy sneakers:

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In this video, Dr. Boyce Watkins discusses the recent child support problems of Evander Holyfield child support dilemma and bad child rearing choices in general.

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In this video, Dr. Boyce Watkins and Prof. Wilmer Leon at Howard University discuss the possible outcomes for the November election.  The video is below:

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