Tavis Smiley Says He’s Not an Obama Critic: Hmmmmmm

Watkins, Sharpton, Jealous, Martin and Joyner “Measure the Movement” on Black Leadership

 

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

Earlier this month, I participated in “Measuring the Movement,” a forum that brought together 10 leaders from the black community to discuss the issues that are pertinent to all of us.  The forum was hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network, and became a productive gathering that laid out a variety of visions for the African American community.

My goal in being part of this forum was to do what I could to best represent the 55,000 members of the Your Black World Coalition and to talk about what I consider to be the Holy Trinity of Black Oppression:  The economic system, the educational system and the criminal justice system.

Tom Joyner’s Cruise This Week: Partying with a Purpose?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

This morning, I got a text from my respected colleague, Roland Martin. I can’t remember what Roland and I were talking about, but I do remember what he told me at the end of our conversation. Roland mentioned that he couldn’t do anything next week because "the cruise is leaving in a couple of days." I immediately became jealous, because I knew he was talking about the Fantastic Voyage, hosted by Tom Joyner.

I’m not always big on black folks looking for another party, but there is something I love about the Tom Joyner Cruise. Anyone who’s ever been on a cruise knows that seeing another black person on a cruise ship is like searching for Louis Farrakhan at a Klan rally. While cruises can be fun, comfortable and even exciting, there is a dryness that people of color experience from a lack of cultural diversity.

Click to read.

City of Memphis Engaged in Fight Over School Funding

Click here to hear an interview between Roland Martin and Pastor Kenneth Whalum about the pending merger of Memphis City Schools with those of Shelby County.

 

Click here to see the other point of view.

This is Dr. Boyce wrote on the issue on AOL Black Voices:

Memphis, Tennessee is a city that is rich with culture, history and opportunity. I’ve visited the city on several occasions and found the city and its people to be quite enjoyable on all levels. What’s also interesting about Memphis, however, is that it’s city schools are failing and it continues to be a town that is plagued with racism: The city itself is mostly black, while wealthier whites live on the outskirts, hoping that the black folks don’t come and rain on their parade. The city is not nearly as disconnected from it’s legacy of blatant racism as it might want to believe.

Voters in the city of Memphis are being sent to the polls Tuesday to decide whether or not to transfer control of the Memphis City Schools to Shelby County, which surrounds Memphis. The Memphis City School Board voted on December 20 to surrender its charter and relinquish control of Memphis City Schools to Shelby County, leading to tomorrow’s showdown. The referendum effectively allows voters to validate the decision by the school board, overriding Shelby County’s legal challenge to the Memphis City School Board decision.

Click to read more.