Were African Americans Thrown Under the Bus During the Debt Ceiling Debate?

Dr. Wilmer Leon and Dr. Boyce Watkins ask whether or not African Americans were harmed disproportionately by the latest debt ceiling debate.

Donna Brazile Reaches YBW to Set the Record Straight on Cornel West

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action

I can personally confirm that Donna Brazile, the well-respected Democratic strategist, is a really nice person.  When I say a “nice person,” I mean really nice.  Not, the fake, polite kind of “nice” that people use to reference those in power, but the honest-to-goodness “nice” that you get from a guy (me) who doesn’t care much about keeping famous or unethical friends.

Donna once did something very kind for my brother years ago, long before anyone knew who he was.  I respect any big shot who is willing to help a young black man trying to achieve his goals.  I don’t think Donna knew that my brother was related to me at the time, which makes her kindness all that more special.

Donna is on my mind, because she reached out to Your Black World the other day to give me some clarifying points about her meeting with Cornel West at Princeton University. I’ve written a bit about the meeting between Brazile and West, particularly as it pertains to the perception that the meeting was structured in response to the well-known blow up on MSNBC that occurred between Prof. West and Rev. Al Sharpton.  In seeming contrast to my personal interpretation of the meeting, Ms. Brazile let me know that the meeting had been planned back in February and not in response to the events that took place on MSNBC.  I’ll admit that even though I take Ms. Brazile at her word, it’s hard to imagine that she wasn’t happy to use this meeting as an opportunity to deal with Prof. West’s vehement opposition to the most recent activities of the Obama Administration.

With that said, Ms. Brazile also made a point that I found to be quite accurate and noteworthy.

“We have to have an inside, outside strategy. We have to do defense and offense,” she said. “The fact that Brother West is on the outside makes my job easier.”

This is the point that should be remembered by every Obama loyalist who somehow thinks we are helping the president by squashing anyone who is remotely critical of the administration.  The fact is that by surrounding the Obama Administration with “yes” men and women, we are going to find our community ignored by political insiders who only give oil to the squeakiest wheel.  So, by speaking up on behalf of the black community and making sure that our issues are placed firmly on the table of discussion, we are helping President Obama do his job better.

In the video conversation below, Dr. Wilmer Leon and I discuss the Brazile/West/Obama dynamic and what it means for black America.  Enjoy!

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition.  To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 

From Dr. Wilmer Leon: Free Rodney Stanberry

To read Dr. Boyce Watkins’ take on the case of Rodney K. Stanberry, please click here. 

 

A note from Dr. Wilmer Leon:

Greetings All,
Here is the clarion call!  As you know, I’ve been working with a very dear
friend of mine Dr. Artemesia Stanberry as she works to get her cousin Rodney
Stanberry out of prison. 
Go to www.freerodneystanberry.com for additional information as well.
Please go to my web site http://www.wilmerleon click on Listen Now and go to
the
two interviews on this issue. During the latest interview we were able to talk
with Rodney directly. Your calls and emails have actually had an impact.
There’s a new DA Ashley Rich who has put a new investigator, Mike Morgan (251)
574-6681  on the case.  New eyes, fresh perspective; hopefully more progress. 

 

Click to read more.

Dr. Wilmer Leon Speaks on the Heather Ellis Case

Dr. Wilmer Leon, Howard University

One of the things that make America unique is its Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights. In its original form, the Constitution did not include a list of basic civil liberties or guarantees to the individual. Many prominent Americans, including Thomas Jefferson insisted that a list of fundamental protections be included to restrain the national government from tampering with the fundamental rights and civil liberties of its citizens. The intent of the framers of the Constitution was to level the playing field. They felt it necessary to restrain the very powerful government, prosecutors, and police from arbitrary and capricious action against the less powerful individual. Over time these protections have been passed down to the state level.

The case of Heather Ellis is a perfect present day example of why individual American citizens need to be protected from over zealous capricious prosecutors and police. For a young woman to be facing up to fifteen years in prison for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and two felony counts of assaulting a police officer, all for allegedly cutting a check-out line at a Wal-Mart is unconscionable.

Click to read.