About ionebwatkins

As we gear up for the 2012 Presidential election, it’s interesting to see how the White House works to explain the fact that it’s been MIA for the Black community.  The last three years have been a relative wasteland when it comes to political and economic progress for African Americans, and even the most ardent […]

The recent Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Facebook was celebrated around the world. Mark Zuckerberg (pictured), the founder of Facebook, is “the man.”  He represents everything I wish that our Black boys would be, where you spend as much time grinding in front of your computer as you spend dribbling basketballs or busting rhymes in the […]

by Dr. Boyce Watkins Perhaps in his quest to re-earn the support that he’s lost over the last four years, President Barack Obama made an appearance on the cover of Essence Magazine.  You can tell that this must be an election year, where all sins are supposed to be forgiven and all lost ground is […]

I recently read an article in which Russell Simmons defended Gwyneth Paltrow in her use of the word “n*gga” to define her time in Paris with Jay-Z, Beyonce and the rest of her “n*ggas.”  Gwyneth, like most “down-ass” white girls who get very comfortable around black folks, caught herself slipping into territory that only the […]

Someone recently gave me a call about the incident, where actress Gwyneth Paltrow used the term “Ni**as in Paris” to describe her time hanging out with Beyonce, Jay-Z, Spike Lee, and a bunch of other random people in her clique. When I heard about Gwyneth’s unfortunate use of words on Twitter, I thought to myself, […]

The story of UCLA professor Dr. Christian Head is quite compelling, yet all too common.  Dr. Head is an Otolaryngology specialist at the Head and Neck Clinic at the UCLA School of Medicine.  Dr. Head has filed a racial discrimination suit against the university for a series of incidents, starting with one in which he […]

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 […]

Controversy has developed around the growing love affair between First Lady Michelle Obama and singer Beyonce Knowles. Beyonce sent Michelle a very nice public letter, sharing her admiration for the first lady.  Michelle responded by tweeting “Thank you for the beautiful letter and for being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to.” […]

There is an article in Yahoo Finance that claims that “taxpayers” are asking that Diddy’s son Justin return his $54,000 scholarship to UCLA so they could give it to students who need the money more than he does.  Apparently, Diddy’s massive fortune precludes his son’s right to earn a scholarship like everyone else, even if […]

The story of David Boone reads like a movie.  David was homeless all throughout high school, sleeping in the park, staying with friends, and getting caught up in unnecessary beefs with local gang members.  The nights were cold and the days were long, and there were days when David wasn’t sure where his food or […]

Michael Cottman at Black America Web wrote an interesting article about Cornel West and his on-going disagreement with the Obama Administration.   Cottman seems to feel that West is “obsessed” with President Obama, like a stalker baby’s mama seeking out another dollar of child support.   Cottman even goes as far as reducing West’s disagreement […]

It’s hard for me to critique the monstrosity that has become commercialized hip-hop culture.  I love hip hop and didn’t even start listening to music until hip-hop hit the scene.  I am a serious fan of quite a few artists, both young and old.  However, hip-hop (at least the stuff we hear on the radio) […]