It appears that Heather's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, actually knows what he's doing - the trial is getting interesting.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Dr. Boyce: Anderson Cooper 360 Weighs in on the Heather Ellis Case
Share | Permalink | 
Add a comment
Heather Ellis is facing 15-years in prison for allegedly cutting line at a Wal-Mart store in Missouri.
Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
Special to AC360°
Heather Ellis is in trouble. The 24-year old preacher’s daughter has spent most of her life doing the right things: Going to college, getting ready for medical school and staying out of trouble. What Heather didn’t realize is that even when you do the right things, your margin of error as a person of color in America is virtually non-existent.
When I wrote my book, “What if George Bush were a Black Man?” the key point was that America’s justice system has a difficult time understanding that punishments must match the magnitude of the crime that has allegedly been committed. The actions that a “frat boy” can get away with 20 times during college can send an African American to prison for the next 20-years. America is a country that has, without question, consistently over-charged, over-searched, over-incarcerated and over-sentenced African Americans for the past 400 years of its existence.
Given its ugly past, the criminal justice system has very little credibility, and even police reports are subject to being questioned – especially in a town like Kennett, MO. My father’s a cop, so I know how all this works. Even when black men were lynched 100 years ago, there were always “witnesses” and police reports to say that he was a bad person. Fortunately, lynching does not occur anymore (although a black boy – Walter Currie Jr. – was burned alive by his white classmate in the same area as Heather), but the noose has been replaced with the long prison sentence as the most typical and most devastating form of punishment. As a result, black men and women are filling up America’s penitentiaries at an alarming rate, and it is destroying the core of the black family.
Click to read.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Listen to Dr. Boyce, Roland Martin and Tom Joyner Discuss Heather Ellis
Given that Tom Joyner's Show is sponsored by Walmart, this leads to a relatively awkward conversation!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Rapper Vigalantee Talks with Dr. Boyce about the Jay Z- Beanie Sigal Conflict
Consider it a strange dream, but I had some thoughts about the Jay-Z beef with the rapper Beanie Sigal. No, I'm not here to talk about keeping street cred. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Half of the artists in the hip hop industry are not nearly as hard or as real as they claim to be. They're too smart for that. The guys who are really as hard as most rappers claim to be are either in a jail cell or a casket. That's the truth.
What got my attention was when Charlamagne Tha God was fired from 100.3, "The Beat" in Philadelphia. I've known Charlamagne for years from our work on The Wendy Williams Show, so this made me a little upset. What was even sadder is the allegation that Jay Z may have played a role in getting Charlamagne fired, in large part because Charlamagne conducted an interview with Jay-Z's new rival, Beanie Sigal. This incident represents more than the standard thuggery that some might see on the surface. Instead, it brings forth a plethora of issues that relate to business, entertainment, money and corporate power. Here are some quick thoughts:
Rapper Vigalantee Weighs in on Jay Z's Beef with Beanie Sigal
The Kansas City Rapper Vigalantee weighs in on the beef between Jay Z and Beanie Sigal - Did Jay Z get him fired?
Sirius/XM Satellite Host Dr. Wilmer Leon Talks about Heather's Case
Listen as Dr. Wilmer Leon speaks with Elliot Millner and Pastor Nathaniel Ellis about Heather's trial.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Media Coverage on the Heather Ellis Trial Continues
CNN is going to interview Dr. Boyce Watkins on Friday, and Fox 5 has jumped on the case.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Christopher Metzler Spars with Bill O'Reilly
Dr. Christopher Metzler at Georgetown University spars with Bill O'Reilly over President Obama's position on race relations.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
LEBRON JAMES PLAYING THE MENTORING ROLE
*NBA superstar LeBron James has taken on the role of mentor to Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, hoping to school him on the ups and downs of being a celebrity athlete.
"(I'm) trying to mentor him and get him through 'life in the spotlight,' which I've been through," the Cleveland Cavaliers player said after a preseason game in Columbus on Wednesday night.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
ISIAH HURT BY MAGIC JOHNSON
MIAMI (AP) — Hall of Fame players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson famously kissed moments before tip-off of Game 1 of the 1988 NBA finals.
Today, the relationship clearly isn't anywhere near as close.
Thomas told SI.com earlier this week that he is "really hurt" over criticisms levied by Johnson in a new book chronicling the careers of Johnson and Larry Bird. According to Thursday's SI.com report, Johnson said Thomas questioned his sexuality after the Los Angeles Lakers star retired in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
KANYE SAYS “I’M ALIVE”
.jpg)
Kanye West did not die in a car accident yesterday, as was tweeted all across Twitter and the Internet late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
According to MTV.com, computer security blog Sophos.com tracked the bogus story to hackers who used the rumor to push the false reports to the top of Internet search engine results. By Wednesday morning (Oct. 21), "Kanye West died" (and variations of the phrase) had become one of the most-searched topics on Google Trends.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses the Heather Ellis Case
Dr Boyce Watkins discusses the Heather Ellis Case, the rally and plans to find justice for Heather and her family.
Dr Boyce: Why Spike Lee Might Be Wrong About Tyler Perry
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Black Planet, Your Black World
I woke up this morning to see that Tyler Perry is being forced to defend himself against nasty allegations coming from Spike Lee. Spike has made it clear that he doesn’t appreciate what he perceives to be “coonery” in Tyler Perry films and TV shows. When I saw Perry flat out say that the accusations “pissed him off,” I thought, “Wow, now that’s an honest brother!”
RELATED: Tyler Perry Responds To Spike Lee’s “Coonery” Criticism
I grew up on Spike Lee and I’ll always love him. I am also certain that images of black people singing, dancing and eating chicken certainly won Perry instant favor with the not-so-in-touch executives in Hollywood. But here are three reasons that Spike Lee might be wrong about Tyler Perry:
1) Tyler Perry is not all about Madea: I went onto BET a few times to talk about Hip Hop. My hoity-toity friends in academia (many of whom pride themselves on writing research papers for journals that nobody ever reads) criticized me for being “unscholarly” by talking to rappers. But my response was that hip hop culture has a dramatic influence on the young minds that I am trying to reach with education. You don’t get a baby to eat healthy by only forcing vegetables down his throat; you sprinkle sugar on the food to get the child’s attention. It’s not always a matter of forcing people to consume what they NEED – you should also be willing to let them have some of what they WANT. Every positive black movie doesn’t have to be a PBS special.
Click to read.
Tyler Perry vs. Spike Lee
Watch Tyler Perry defend himself against Spike Lee's accusations of buffoonery on 60 minutes
BRIAM MCKNIGHT NEW RELEASE OCT.27.2009
E1 Music announces the Oct. 27 release of "Evolution of a Man," the new studio album by R&B singer and talk show host Brian McKnight. [Scroll down for tracklist.]
The set includes first single "What I've Been Waiting For," already a Top 10 hit at Urban A/C radio. [Scroll down to listen.]
Meanwhile, the singer's syndicated radio program "The Brian McKnight Show" is currently available in 47 markets. He also hosts "The Brian McKnight Morning Show" on LA's KTWV, The Wave Smooth Jazz radio
Monday, October 26, 2009
ACCUSED MURDER OF KANDI FIANCE AJ: RELEASED FROM JAIL
.jpg)
*Frederick Richardson, the man accused in the beating death of A.J. Jewell, the ex fiancé of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kandi Burruss, was released from Atlanta's Fulton County Jail early Tuesday after posting $10,000 bond.
Magistrate Judge Karen Woodson said his release was fitting with the crime, according to E! Online, especially after an initial coroner's report suggested the blood disorder sickle-cell anemia may have been a factor in Jewell's death.
CHRIS BROWN GIVES TO CHARITY
On the same day Rihanna unleashed her new single and album release date, former boyfriend Chris Brown announced he will donate partial proceeds of his upcoming "Fan Appreciation" tour to a domestic violence intervention program.
On June 22, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault for beating Rihanna and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years' formal probation and domestic violence counseling.
JUDGE RULE IN CHRIS ROCKS FAVOR
The Chris Rock documentary "Good Hair" has been cleared for U.S. theaters this weekend after a judge on Monday ruled against a filmmaker who accused the comedian of jacking her idea for the film.
According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer said in court that she watched both "Good Hair" and Regina Kimbell's 2006 documentary "My Nappy Roots" before making her decision.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Walter Currie Lives Near Heather Ellis - Set on Fire by a White Kid
To give you a picture of the location in which Heather Ellis fights for her freedom, meet Walter Currie, a 15-year old in nearby Poplar Bluff, who was set on fire by his classmates with the attacker allegedly yelling the words "Burn nigger burn" while he did it - visit SaveHeatherEllis.com.
Updates on The Heather Ellis Case
Heather Ellis is a college student facing15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart - visit www.SaveHeatherEllis.com for more details on the national protest to be held in Kennett, MO on November 14.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Dr Boyce Web Chat: Megan Williams is Definitely a Liar
No matter what, Megan Williams is definitely a liar - the question is what did she lie about?
Lil Wayne's Cars: This is What He Had at the Age of 19!
Yes, it appears that Lil Wayne has made some money - we only hope he's been saving it.
Friday, October 23, 2009
THE 1ST FAMILY PHOTO RELEASED
This week the White House released the much-anticipated official Obama family photo on its Flickr page. The portrait was taken in the Green Room of the White House on September 1 by famed Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz, notable for her decades of work capturing the images of rock stars and Hollywood's elite
as well as for her multimillion-dollar fortune's recent collapse. The seated and beaming first family looks happy and relaxed, with Sasha and Malia Obama each draping an arm over mom and dad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
