News: 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."

 

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Dr. Boyce Watkins Video on AOL Black Voices - 4/28/10

Dr. Boyce Video: Latino Studies Professor on What You Need to Know About Immigration

• With all the intense scrutiny on Arizona for its harsh anti-immigration legislation, the time has ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Apr 28th 2010 4:09PM | Comments (4)

Dr. Boyce Video -- Michael Bivins of Bel Biv DeVoe & Alfred Edmond of Black Enterprise on African American Music & Business

• Dr. Boyce Watkins brings you an exciting discussion on the business of media and entertainment with ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Apr 27th 2010 2:24PM | Comments (1)

Dr. Boyce Video -- Talking Black Finance With Expert Ryan Mack

• Dr. Boyce Watkins is taking his unique perspective beyond the printed page to the video realm on ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Apr 27th 2010 1:32PM | Comments (2)

How to Make sure you Don't marry a Financial Venereal Disease

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.

 

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T-Pain's Ignorant Statement

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

I recently received an interesting email from a friend of mine. The email was linked to a video about the singer T-Pain, and reminded her of a conversation she and I'd just had a day earlier. The gist of our discussion was that there are far too many of "us" who enjoy being ignorant and uninformed. While this certainly doesn't define the bulk of the African American community, there are some of us who are proud of the fact that we don't read, don't understand things and don't want to educate ourselves. Even the actor Will Smith recalls hiding his books on the way home from school, since he didn't want his friends to know that he studied.

T-Pain seems to be determined to take ignorance to a new level. Known as the artist who once showed up to an awards show wearing a necklace with the words "Big Ass Chain" on it, Pain was made to look really silly by Fox News conservative Sean Hannity, who tricked the artist into endorsing the Republican party.

 

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Black News: Nushawn Williams: Infected Women with HIV - Set to be Released from Prison

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

You may not know the name Nushawn Williams, but it's probably a name you need to know. You would especially want your daughter to know his name, as well as anyone else in the community who has reason to fear a more disturbing style of sexual predator for the new millenium.

Williams is in prison right now for knowingly infecting women with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. His victims were as young as 13 years old, and authorities believe he may have infected as many as 50 women prior to going to state prison in 1998. Police are working to keep Williams behind bars because they fear what might happen if he is released to the American public.
"He is prone to further sexual contact with underage individuals because of deficits in his emotional capacity to understand why this is wrong and attitudes that support these types of exploitive encounters. His emotional callousness, lack of remorse and impulsivity undermine important internal mechanisms for managing his sexual behavior," said examiner Jacob E. Hadden from the New York State Office of Mental Health. Authorities have determined that Williams suffers from a mental health abnormality that makes him incapable of understanding why his actions are wrong or harmful.

The possible release of Williams reminds us of the urgency of managing the public health alarm called HIV infection. African Americans are taking the lead in HIV infection rates, and what is also true is that the experience in our community is nothing less than a precursor to what is eventually going to happen all throughout America. What is most frightening about the case of Nushawn Williams is that he is probably not the only person deliberately spreading the disease: there are likely women and other men doing the same thing. To make matters worse, there are many in our community (and others) who are being incredibly irresponsible with their sexual behavior and infecting scores of people in the process.

As I felt empathy for celebrities like Magic Johnson and Eazy-E for their battles with HIV/AIDS, I wondered how many of us thought about the long list of partners they infected before finally getting their own positive test results. Did you ever think about the fact that many of those people are out in the community right now, quite a few of whom may have taken years to become aware of their HIV positive status? This is scary indeed, so the truth is that to protect yourself from the silent community killer, a general strategy of protection must be put into play.

 

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Actress Puts her husband on blast for cheating

Spring is in the air, and apparently so is cheating. With recent celebrity acts of infidelity being made public all the time these days (Tiger Woods, Tiki Barber, Jesse James, etc) , there might be another name to add to the list.

The New York Post's Page Six reports that actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilonrecently found out that her husband, CAA agent Mike Nilon, has been having a five-year affair with a Chicago woman. According to the gossip column, the former 'Jamie Foxx Show' starlet decided to put her husband on blast by sending a mass e-mail to her husband's co-workers at the CAA agency with the subject line "Tiger/Jesse James/Mike Nilon."

Continue reading Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon's Infidelity E-Mail Blast

 

Blacks Far More likely to be Incarcerated than Whites

This data was gathered from the prison initiative and shows that there is more racism in the US prison system than there was in South Africa During Apartheid:

 

Incarceration is not an equal opportunity punishment

by Peter Wagner
Updated June 28, 2005

On June 30, 2004, there were 2,131,180 people in U.S. prisons and jails. That's a rise of 2.3% during the 12 previous months. Federal prisons are growing almost 5 times faster than state prison populations.

As of June 30, 2004, the U.S. incarceration rate was 726 per 100,000 residents. But when you break down the statistics you see that incarceration is not an equal opportunity punishment.

U.S. incarceration rates by race, June 30, 2004

Gender is an important "filter" on the who goes to prison or jail:

Look at just the males by race, and the incarceration rates become even more frightening

If you look at males aged 25-29 and by race, you can see what is going on even clearer

Or you can make some international comparisons

South Africa under Apartheid was internationally condemned as a racist society. What does it mean that the leader of the "free world" locks up its Black men at a rate 5.8 times higher than the most openly racist country in the world?

Statistics as of June 30, 2004 from Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2004, Tables 14; except for the race rate statistics which are calculated from Table 13 and Census Bureau population estimates. South Africa figures from Marc Mauer, Americans Behind Bars: The International Use of Incarceration. All references to Blacks and Whites are for what the Bureau of Justice Statistics and U.S. Census refer to as "non-Hispanic Blacks" and "non-Hispanic Whites".)

Republican Michael Steele Apparently Likes to Get Freaky

The Daily Caller's Jonathan Strong has basically won the morning with a story about RNC Chairman Michael Steele's lavish lifestyle on the road. Strong reports that Steele "once raised the possibility of using party money to buy a private jet for his travel," and has run up some substantial tabs at some of our nation's nicest hotels. But if you ask me, he sort of buried the lede... probably strategically! Because look what awaits you in paragraph six:

Once on the ground, FEC filings suggest, Steele travels in style. A February RNC trip to California, for example, included a $9,099 stop at the Beverly Hills Hotel, $6,596 dropped at the nearby Four Seasons, and $1,620.71 spent [update: the amount is actually $1,946.25] at Voyeur West Hollywood, a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex.

Oh, wow, awesome. Note that Strong's done his due diligence on the amount spent. As of this writing, Voyeur's website is not loading, probably because every single staff member of the Democratic National Committee is currently on the site, looking for images of Steele in the champagne room. But check out some of the Yelp testimonials:

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Tiger Woods To Hold Press Conference at The Masters

Dr. Boyce Watkins

Golfing superstar Tiger Woods plans to speak to reporters at the Masters. This will be the first time Woods has taken on the broader media since his scandal in November, 2009 that earned him world-wide and unwanted attention. The press conference will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 5, according to a tentative interview schedule issued by Augusta National.
Typically, only moderately newsworthy golfers hold press conferences on Mondays. Woods would be the exception to the rule, possibly generating enough media attention to undermine the NCAA championship game, to be held later on that evening. This would also be an excellent way to maximize ratings for the Masters tournament to begin later during the week.
"Our focus that Monday will be on crowning the next national champion," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said.
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer argues that Woods should be more open with reporters.

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Dr. Boyce: Tiger Makes His First TV Appearance

Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

Tiger Woods chose ESPN and the Golf Channel as the venues for his first interviews, since his sex scandal began four months ago. He gave the interviews with the requirement that they be only five minutes long.
"If you limit it to five minutes, when you account for structure, there's not much time to get into anything, which is probably best," said Syracuse University professor and pop culture expert Robert Thompson.
Woods had to be careful to ensure that the interviews were done in a such a way that they did not overshadow the PGA event being played this weekend. Woods has been able to transcend the game of golf in ways that no player in history has been able to accomplish. His presence (or lack thereof) can make or break a golf tournament's financial outcome.
"We really had two main things that were most important," said an ESPN spokesman. "No. 1, no restrictions on questions, and No. 2, we chose the interviewer."

 

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McDonald's Ads Called Racist - Do you Agree?

From Dr. Boyce Watkins: CNN just called me for an appearance on American Morning.  They wanted to know if I think that these McDonald's ads are racist.   Please watch them and tell me what you think:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YRcBTq6T4A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBq7Ver15IA

Black Entertainment News - 3/15/10

• 

  Ray Charles musical heading for Broadway

  By theGrio

  12:41 PM on 03/12/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) - A musical celebrating Ray Charles is headed for Broadway later this year...

  > READ MORE

• 

  Prison shouldn't be a publicity stunt for Lil Wayne

  By Christopher Chambers

  8:22 AM on 03/12/2010

  OPINION - If Lil Wayne regards his cell as an extension of his studio or his label's offices, he will suffer...

  > READ MORE

• 

  DMX back in jail for alleged probation violation

  By theGrio

  9:08 AM on 03/10/2010

  PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities in Arizona say rapper DMX has been arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs...

  > READ MORE

• 

  McNabb, T.O. teaming up again - for TV show

  By theGrio

  1:54 PM on 03/09/2010

  PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Donovan McNabb will be throwing passes to Terrell Owens again...

  > READ MORE

• 

  D'Angelo accused of soliciting sex in NYC

  By theGrio

  2:29 PM on 03/08/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) - Authorities say D'Angelo was caught in New York City trying to pay $40 for sex with an undercover cop posing as a prostitute...

  > READ MORE

Jay-Z Gets Criticism for 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.

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News: Golfer Ernie Els is Glad that Tiger Woods is Gone

 

MIAMI - There was a time in his career when Ernie Els seemed to be finishing second to Tiger Woods at every major.

Maybe that's why the Big Easy seems to be peaking again. He could have a chance to get even.

"I think it's a good opportunity for a lot of players to basically try and strike now," Els said Friday after a bogey-free round of 66 on the Blue Monster moved him into a one-shot lead in the CA Championship at Doral.

He didn't say why. He didn't have to. With Woods' extended absence, there's no telling what kind of game the world's No. 1 player will bring to the majors and whether he might go another year without winning one.

The door is open and Els is feeling it.

"I feel that the golf courses we are playing this year in majors, I love them," Els said. "I've done well at Pebble (Beach - U.S. Open). I've done well at St. Andrews (British Open) and I did well at Whistling Straits (PGA). I feel if I have my game there, I could have a good chance."

Chance was on his side Friday.

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Your Black News: Shaq's Divorce Finalized and More

Shaq and His Wife Reach Divorce Settlement

• TMZ is reporting that Shaquille O'neal and his estranged wife, Shaunie have reached a divorce ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 11th 2010 4:21PM | Comments (0)

Jamie Jungers Wins Howard Stern's Tiger Woods Beauty Pageant

• One of Tiger Woods' mistresses, Jamie Jungers, was the winner of a peculiar beauty contest the ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 10th 2010 11:05PM | Comments (0)

Allen Iverson's Life is Reportedly Falling Apart

• Several sources in the NBA are stating that basketball star Allen Iverson is having serious ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 9th 2010 12:57PM | Comments (11)

Tiger Woods Reportedly Preparing for a Comeback

• It looks like Tiger Woods may be back on the golf course sooner than most of his critics expect. ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 8th 2010 12:25PM | Comments (19)

Republican Tom Delay Says People Want to be Jobless

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

If I were President Barack Obama, I would be break dancing in the Oval Office. Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom Delay applauded the actions of his Republican colleague Jim Bunning, who chose to block the extension of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans. In his comments, Delay effectively argued that Americans want to be unemployed, because having unemployment benefits gives them no incentive to go out and look for a job.
Yes, I was stunned to hear these words. But then again, perhaps Delay has decided to officially marginalize himself and say all the things he wanted to say when he actually had a position of relevance within the federal government. Instead, he has allowed us to peek in to the minds of his colleagues, who are probably thinking the same way. Here are Delay's words based on his interview with Candy Crowley:

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The Latest in Black Voices - 3/7/10

Does the Film Precious Promote Stereotypes? Yes, It Probably Does

• I went to see the film "Precious" with a tremendous amount of anxiety. I'd heard the film received ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 7th 2010 8:21AM | Comments (22)

NFL Player Myron Rolle Told He's Too Smart to Play in the League

• You would think that Myron Rolle, the NFL super-stud who also happens to be a Rhodes Scholar, would ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 7th 2010 6:56AM | Comments (5)

Alluring Eyes: Oscars 2010 Beauty Preview

• The red carpet is the perfect place to debut an eye-popping beauty statement. Gabourey Sidibe loves ... Read More
• By Qianna Smith on Mar 6th 2010 6:27PM | Comments (3)

'Precious' Wins Big At Independent Spirit Awards

• The Lee Daniels-directed drama 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire' was the big winner ... Read More
• By Karu F. Daniels on Mar 6th 2010 5:05PM | Comments (4)

Beyonce In Brooklyn - Bringing Beauty to the Thorough Borough

• The one and the only Beyoncé continue to use her brand to do some good – for others. On ... Read More
• By Karu F. Daniels on Mar 6th 2010 11:11AM | Comments (0)

Black Professor Becomes Major Media Entrepreneur

• If you are a black scholar in America, then you probably know about the work of Dr. Lee Jones. Dr. ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Mar 6th 2010 7:23AM | Comments (6)

A Look Back At The 2010 10 Best Picture Nominees

• With 10 films nominated this year for Best Picture, and 'Avatar,' and 'The Hurt Locker' leading ... Read More
• By Wilson Morales on Mar 6th 2010 12:21AM | Comments (4)

Six Degrees of Lee Daniels

• With only five films to his credit, producer-director Lee Daniels is already a visionary icon: He's ... Read More
• By Wilson Morales on Mar 5th 2010 11:11PM | Comments (3)

Behind the Seams: Designer LaQuan Smith

• Call him fashion's "Cinderella." LaQuan Smith, 21, has gone from intern to buzz-worthy designer ... Read More
• By Zandile Blay on Mar 5th 2010 6:34PM | Comments (0)

Red Carpet Predictions: Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe on Oscar Night

• Black Hollywood seems to be in familiar territory this awards season with two surprisingly talented ... Read More
• By Qianna Smith on Mar 5th 2010 5:06PM | Comments (19)

Three Ways to Save More Money By Getting Paid to Save

• Everyone wants to save more money. Yet many cash-strapped people feel like they "can't afford" to ... Read More
• By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox on Mar 5th 2010 4:20PM | Comments (0)

'Brooklyn's Finest' Film Review

• Just about every dramatic cop film, from 'Serpico' to 'Magnum Force' to 'Cop Land,' involves ... Read More
• By Wilson Morales on Mar 5th 2010 4:00PM | Comments (0)

Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield III: Senior Citizen Fight of the Century?

• There was a lot of controversy surrounding the last couple of times Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield ... Read More
• By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Mar 5th 2010 3:36PM | Comments (3)

'Jean-Michel Basquiat - The Radiant Child'

• Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is known for being as enigmatic and complex as he was talented. ... Read More
• By BVX Staff on Mar 5th 2010 3:13PM | Comments (0)

Secret Millionaire Donates Her Fortune: More on Grace Groner

• Grace Groner lived as a secret millionaire in a modest, sparsely-furnished one-bedroom house. When ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Mar 5th 2010 3:08PM | Comments (5)

He's Too Smart for the NFL?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World

 

You would think that Myron Rolle, the NFL super-stud who also happens to be a Rhodes Scholar, would be the kind of man who makes us proud. You would expect that his status as being the man who represents the future of the black athlete in America would make the NFL happy to have him on the roster of one of their teams. Not only is Rolle brilliant, but he is also tough as nails and fast as lightning. The man has the whole package.
But at least according to some NFL coaches, Rolle may not be committed enough to be a part of their league.
"We'll have to find out how committed he is," an NFC assistant coach said, repeating the sentiment of five other NFL officials who said the same thing.

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Dr. Boyce: Is the FAMU Sex Tape Even Real?

Read more about DR. BOYCE: The FAMU Sex Tape May Be A Big Ol’ Lie

TAGS: FAMU, HBCUs, sex scandals

 

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Black News: Tiger’s Caddy is Mad at Him

 

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Tiger Woods' caddie, Steve Williams, told "60 Minutes" that he knew nothing about Tiger's extramarital affairs and was angry with him about the scandal. He also said that he was bitter about the reaction that the media had toward Tiger.
"It's been the most difficult time of my life, no two ways about it, because every single person believed that I should know or did know or had something to do with it," Williams said. "I knew nothing, that's my answer. I don't have to clarify or extend that answer, I knew nothing."
Williams, who is from New Zealand, has been Tiger's caddie for the past 11 years. He said that he would have said something to the public if he'd known about Tiger's behavior.
"If the shoe was on someone else, I would say the same thing. It would be very difficult as a caddie not to know but I'm 100 percent telling you, I did not know, and that's that," he said. "I'm a straight-up sort of person. If I had known something was going on, the whistle would have been blown."
While Williams expressed his disappointment with Tiger, he said that he didn't feel that it was his job to berate him.

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Teachers Suspended for Black History Month Celebration

Three teachers at a South Los Angeles elementary school have been suspended for allegedly encouraging students to celebrate O.J. Simpson, Dennis Rodman and RuPaul during Black History Month, officials said Wednesday.

Children at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School were carrying pictures of the men at a parade Friday on the school playground, said Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Gayle Pollard-Terry.

 

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The Latest in Black Celebrity Gossip – 3/4/10

Was Ciara Mistaken For A Stripper?

NYC Courthouse Still Closed, Weezy Sentencing Delayed Again

Guru Issues Statement About Heart Attack

Regina King Excited & Frustrated About Return Of The Boondocks

Lil Wayne Performs At Jay-Z Concert For Last Night Of Freedom

St. Louis Rapper J-Kwon Is Missing

BP Member Spotlight: Paper Dolls Radio

Khia Says Trina Got That "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle"

Sources: Jackson Kids Tried Stunning Blanket

Allen Iverson Out For Rest Of Season

Arsonist Who Burned Gamble & Huff Studio Gets Bail Reduced

Jamie Foxx: "I Like ‘Em Thick In The Waist & Cute In The Face"

Rihanna Is Being Sued By Her Personal Trainer

Mo'Nique's Secret To A Happy Marriage? An Open One

Naomi Campbell Wanted For Allegedly Beating Up Her Driver

NAACP Image Award Trends: Blacks, Nudes + Plum Shadow