Dr. Boyce Watkins Speaks in NYC about Pres. Obama, Smiley and West

August 16, 2011 By Staff 30 Comments

In the interview with Open Line on Kiss-FM in New York City, Dr. Boyce Watkins has a conversation with the hosts about the recent debt ceiling debate, as well as the Poverty Tour sponsored by Cornel West and Tavis Smiley. Finally, there is a quick discussion about the language used by comedian Steve Harvey, who referred to Cornel and Tavis as Uncle Toms and Tom Joyner, who also attacked Tavis Smiley for allegedly selling out.

To hear the interview, CLICK HERE

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Filed Under: Dr. Boyce, Featured, Money and Business, Politics, Uncategorized, Your Black World, Your Black World Video Tagged With: black politics, cornel west, dr boyce watkins, poverty tour, steve harvey, tavis smiley, tom joyner

Anonymous

Dr. Watkins, PLEASE!!!

You have gone overboard with the Tavis/West issue!

Enough is enough!

Please move on to something more productive.

Thank you

david

like tavis and west, watkins is not on the guest list to the white house, so he is angry at the president for dismissing him as a legitament black leader. therefore Watkins cannot let it go and be an objective leader to ensure black people stay focused. In radio interview, he calls out steve harvey by saying he needs to stick to comedy, but you noticed he does not refute what steve said about west/smiley because he knows it’s the truth. he refuse to respond to steve’s question about who is paying for the bus tour. he attacks steve for calling them uncle toms, but he never talk about west starting the name calling when he called sharpton and obama black mascots for the man. he is quick to say tavis has an issue with the president, but he refuse to speak the truth when it comes to west. if you watch his feet and not his mouth, watkins has a little tavis in him…egomaniac, using the black community for attention. it’s obvious west is his friend (he does not support tavis because he is well aware the black community has no respect for tavis) but he will protect west even if it means ignoring the facts that they are doing the tour to as payback to the president. I’m not a supporter of Obama, but I refuse to allow so called black leaders to use me and other blacks to bring down Obama for dissing them on a party.

Anonymous

Yours is an intelligent, honest, to the main thrust comment, and you have nailed it!

Thank you!
thedeft1

David, I haven’t listened to the Watkins interview above. Nor have I
paid much attention to the Smiley/West critiques of the President, but I
do have some revealing information for you, given my very close
observations of the White House and the administration.

In sum, Black Americans are severely under-represented in the Obama
administration. There are some pivotal, high visibility placements
within the top of each agency, but the thousands of other appointee jobs
have gone to anglo candidates. This is a silent tragedy.

Moreover, Black American contracting across the Federal Agencies
(Defense and Civilian oriented) has been severely cut back. There is a
small group of black government-contractors within the Northern Virginia
area who will confirm this, but only in private, confidential
conversations.

I hope everyone can understand that even if the President had a passion
to execute firmly for Black Americans daily, he has been very distracted
by other events. My prediction? One term President.

Anonymous

Did you also check to see just how under-represented Blacks were in the other presidential administration? Or is it only because Obama is 1/2 Black that this is now a issue?
Anonymous

He maybe a one term President but for all of you our there who support that idea, I don’t want to hear you crying with a Republican is our next President.

Kofi

Well you know…I won’t cry because I know that the people callling the shots are in control of both parties.

Kofi

I agree with what you say but I think that black people are to emotionally attached to Obama’s blackness. I do not wish to espress personal feelings about the president. As an american I respect the office of the presidency. However, his foreign and domestic policies have not favored everyday people heretofore. He jumped out the blocks to tackle health care but that shouldn’t have been his top priority. If a person is starving and I offer him some medicine in stead of a sandwich that would be asinine. Obama should have been all over job creation from day one and setting conditions for the wall street oligarchs and he would not be in this situation in the first place (approval rating below 40%). It seems that where this president is concerned, all critizism is silenced. If a white says something he’s a racist; if a black says something he’s an uncle tom. It begs the question of whether or not the ruling elites selected this man for this and other reasons. Are we to think that they would really let a nigger run their family company without a good reason? I voted for Obama and will probally vote for him again but, I’m not going to stop thinking just because there is a black man running the Rothchild/Rockefeller family company.

Anonymous

Well said David…my thought exactly!!!
Atleast Obama married a sister, can’t say that for West!
Kofi

What does a few individuals not being invited to a party have to do with Obama’s imperialistic policies? Are you arware of the control system which is about to be put in place in this country?
God Is Awesome

How would you suggest that we adress the poverty in this country. refuse to confornt our problems Are would you perfer pretend that poverty does not exist. It’s dismay at the fact that Steve Harvey Tom Joyner and all the rest of you all who fear losing your position do not have the courage to stand behind DR. West . If you knew our history you would no that we never made any progress in this country without sacrifice. At a time when the black community is in a state of crisi. You so call educate African American have nothing better to do than tobe divide . Do you no that many has died fighting for the cause. This is the character of DR. West allways speak to power with truth. I dare you
disrespt him because you are in fear that he may rattle your comfort zone
If you are scared shut up and stay were you at in which you are barley hold on
DR.West need to come my way I would gladly get on that bus we need to go pick up the homeless ,the many children that will go the bed hungary tonight. Do you know tha DR. Martin Luther King, JR. Had plans for A Poor
People’s Campaign it were to be a huge demonstration against poverty.
He were assassinated before it were carry out. Thank you DR. WEST and
all those that have the courage to take stand.

Altha Cutright

Thank you !! I’m sick of these fools.
Goldie G

I totally agree, I am sick of this recurring subject when it is plain to all of us what they are doing and why. They are bought and put into place to stop Obama. Now Boyce, please stop and move on..
http://www.orenelowmyauthorsite.com Oren Elow

West and Tavis should be using their bus trip to tell young men and women the worth of education. Teach them how to get government grants, of all type, and money that is already available to all Americans for education . . . Use your bus trip to show trouble youth how to fill out applications for grants, jobs and education . . . Teach them the important of feeding themselves, by teaching them how to get out there and move among those who have. Teach them to stop begging and getting angry with Obama and those that have, for not having. You should be reaching out to the black men out there who have no confidence in themselves and who are so intimidated by the white world that they are frighten to approach white wealth. Argue with them on getting out there with their intelligence instead of their ignorants and fears. Use your bus trip to stop black youths from killing themselves. Stop using your God given worth to beat on Obama because of jealousy. Please use your time to bring the people together, not to separate them. We have so little because we don’t know how to be a whole people. Teach them a strategy, which leads to selfhelp.

WizardG

@BuckwheatsMomma:disqus With an ID like ‘BuckwheatsMomma you are showing yourself to be a sick character. You wiil always need to superimpose your antagonistic simpleton ideas on an African-American blog site which expresses truth as opposed to constant little ‘white’ lies.

This is the exact time to keep up on what Dr. Cornel West and Mr. Smiley are doing. They are doing what they can at a crucial point during Obama’s campaign. It appears that nothing will rattle Obama’s cage more than good brothers trying to squeeze some sort of relief out of him! Their efforts are timely and gallant, but I wonder if they realize how impotent Mr. Obama is and how he is not in a position to do anything for us. They should understand that Mr. Obama is only serving at the Anglo-Elite’s plearsure and these elite whites determine what we get, and how many Africans must starve, go to prison, suffer from their drug dumping, serve in their military, live in poverty, and die every year! With Obama in office they are sure to raise the social security age past the average lifespan of African-Americans “blacks”!

Surely Dr. West and Mr. Smiley understand that the message they are sending is not for Mr. Obama as much as it is for his Anglo-elite bosses/handlers. Surely Dr. West and his backers know that these Anglo-Elite can manipulate the voting numbers or use the supreme court again to trump their constitution and give Obama the extra time they need to ransack America and the world!

If Dr. Watkins can help to spark clear thinking in the “black” community he should continue his work by all means!

Kofi

Right on Wiz!
Kofi

Right on Wiz!

Anonymous

Black people we need to educate ourselves with more in politics. Lil Wayne..Beyonce Chris Brown and Rick Ross will be here after 2012. But if we are going to ensure that our career is safe guarded, we had better turn off BET and MTV. Basket Ball wives and all that other nonsense…And try at least try to see what is going on at MSNBC. I was very illiterate about politics in 2008. I now know so much, and I am still learning. Let’s not allow racist white people to beat us, because they are more concerned about their future, so they do what they need to do.
B-ROC 4 EVER

with all of the negative talk about Obama…I’m just curious if your not going to vote for him…Who are you voting for Perry? Bachman? Mitt? or will you sit at home and not vote at all? I have never seen what a black president would do in a second term… have you? Most presidents are different in their second term and we have seen what the past have given or taken away. Some of us are so caught up in the republican media hype and we might just let a chance for change slip away because we did not see it during Obama’s first term… that’s a real same if we don’t re-elect him. Does that mean as a black president you have less than one term to please everyone? wow good thing Reagan, Clinton and Bush are white or they never would have gotten a second term.

Jlolover6917

Black has nothing to do with..Barry has done nothing to get another 4 years.

Anonymous

Your response let me know you follow the hype instead of the facts.

JanetL

Tavis Smiley conducted Seminars for the Wells Fargo Bank to get Black Folk to buy Sub[Prime Loans millions have lost these homes. Remember the rescession was primarily caused by the Sub-Prime Housing Crisis.

Just Google Tavis and Wells Fargo Bank. Tavis was paid a handsome sum for duping Black Folk

No one want to talk about how he also Duped Texas Souther University promised to pay them $1 Million Dollars and they Placed His Name On one of their “Buildings” Unfortunately, Tavis reniged on his promise and the University called him on his lie and “Renamed” the Building. Tavis just blamed the University

Tavis set up a website for The State Of Black America and asked the community to contribute suggestions for the book of which any Profits were to go to the Black Community that’s my and some others understanding otherwise why contribute. That never happened. Tavis printed a Second Book on the State Of Black America Same Rules, to date no accounting to the community of the Profits.

Tom Joyner released a colum about Tavis and West, Tavis he’s known for decades, and it’s not pretty, just google Tom Joyner comments on Tavis Smiley, I believe Mr. Joyner also stated that Tavis makes his living off basically using the community

Just google Tavis.

Why Dr. Watkins is on a crusade for these two is mind boggling. He is fast loosing respect from many who actually thought he was above this kind of none-sense.

If Tavis loves the community so much why is he always at the bottom of hurting the Black Community what appears to me for a BUCK!

Finally, The Willie Lynch Theory” is alive and well. Getting the Black community to work together, to produce a healthier family, trust, Christian up-bringing, why is that so hard.

It’s ok to Critize the President, however, I as many others find that when the last 42 presidents were in place Tavis and West were not making Bus and Media tours Blasting those Presidents.

One thing about the White Community they look after each other and we always have some that they know they can use to further divide the Black Community.

Our children are hurting in many families, jobs are in distress, it’s time we worked together to build the community, not continue to tear those within the community down. By all means make your comments known, just don’t get distracted because the State of America now is fast returning to 200 years ago.

Just watch the news, most important read the news and keep abreast of current events in the politicla arena. Our President has been called everything but a child of God and they will stop at nothing to make sure that the Black President is out of the White House and make sure that none of our kids will ever have a chance to become President of the US. Is this what we want?

Less set an example for our children and future generations and show them that the community knows how to solve our problems in our house! No matter how hard the problem solving might get.

Other ethnic groups stick together and solve their problems in house or simply refuse to take them to the media, it’s time the Black Community learned to do the same. There are millions of Black Folk start Talking to each other and get the message to the right people. It can be done we see this demonstration every day in other communities.

We are capable so Let’s Get To Work and stop being known for that community that will always have a Sell Out against their own community for the almighty GREED
JanetL

When the President of the US is called Barry or any other name that’s not his you know “Trolls” are working this site.
Anonymous

Dr. B. Watkins all of you need to stop bashing Obama. You need to tell the truth about how this man is being treated. The Republican, some Democrates and some in the Black Cacus have really let America falter all because they dislike the President, all of which having different reasons I sure. Just explain to me, when you bash the President before our people’s eyes and they are so confused and don’t get out and vote because they are not sure who should receive their vote. What the hell are you going to say when the Republican nominee is elected or maybe the is the plan.
Anonymous

Prior to 2009 I was a big fan of Cornell West and held him in high esteem. Every book he has authored either alone or with others, I have read and have as apart of my personal library. I often watched Tavis Smiley on PBS and thought he did a fair job, but wondered how did he manage to get such a publicized show on PBS? He is not very articulate and does not appear to have an original idea.

Thanks, Steve Harvey, for speaking out on an important issue: West/Smiley disrespect and maligning of President Obama. It is clear that neither West nor Smiley opposed publicly the GW Bush administration regarding its lack of promoting programs for African Americans during his tenure in the White House. What did Bush do during the aftermath of Katrina? How many wars did he lie his way into promoting for this country to enter? How many students were harmed by No Child Left Behind? One in 5 children live in poverty and this did not occur in 2009 upon the inauguration of President Obama. It was there long before and West and Smiley were not there to raise this issue with the administration at the time.It appears as long as West is able to keep his place in the Ivory Tower of Princeton University he has the right to criticize what the Obama Administration is not doing (in his opinion). He has completely overlooked the importance that the President is not in a position to make the laws that govern the nation. He is a part of the system that delegates lawmaking to Congress. What has West done to promote the policies that can be advance in Congress? He is in the perfect place to promote research and grass roots actions through the students that he teaches.For Smiley, as long as he keeps his JOB at PBS, he is satisfied. During all of his time in the public eye, he has not accomplished anything to remove poor people (black or white) from the roles of poverty. He has padded his pocket. Bus Tour to address poverty is a scam by West and Smiley! What did it accomplish? How much revenue did it generate for the poor? How much for West and Smiley? What will West and Smiley do in the near future to educate students and feed the poor?
Anonymous

Prior to 2009 I was a big fan of Cornell West and held him in high esteem. Every book he has authored either alone or with others, I have read and have as apart of my personal library. I often watched Tavis Smiley on PBS and thought he did a fair job, but wondered how did he manage to get such a publicized show on PBS? He is not very articulate and does not appear to have an original idea.

Thanks, Steve Harvey, for speaking out on an important issue: West/Smiley disrespect and maligning of President Obama. It is clear that neither West nor Smiley opposed publicly the GW Bush administration regarding its lack of promoting programs for African Americans during his tenure in the White House. What did Bush do during the aftermath of Katrina? How many wars did he lie his way into promoting for this country to enter? How many students were harmed by No Child Left Behind? One in 5 children live in poverty and this did not occur in 2009 upon the inauguration of President Obama. It was there long before and West and Smiley were not there to raise this issue with the administration at the time.It appears as long as West is able to keep his place in the Ivory Tower of Princeton University he has the right to criticize what the Obama Administration is not doing (in his opinion). He has completely overlooked the importance that the President is not in a position to make the laws that govern the nation. He is a part of the system that delegates lawmaking to Congress. What has West done to promote the policies that can be advance in Congress? He is in the perfect place to promote research and grass roots actions through the students that he teaches.For Smiley, as long as he keeps his JOB at PBS, he is satisfied. During all of his time in the public eye, he has not accomplished anything to remove poor people (black or white) from the roles of poverty. He has padded his pocket. Bus Tour to address poverty is a scam by West and Smiley! What did it accomplish? How much revenue did it generate for the poor? How much for West and Smiley? What will West and Smiley do in the near future to educate students and feed the poor?
A Sojourner’s Truth

What Tavis Smiley and Cornell West are doing is not new in the black community! Just as Nat Turner, Denmark Vessey, John Brown, and many other freedom fighters attempting to rid us of slavery and were turned on by the very slaves they were trying to lead to freedom, so it is today. President Obama’s greatest sin is that he did not kiss the rings of the foisted “leadership” in the black community. He did not beg their acceptance or ask their permission to run for president. How dare he run and even worse, win. Many blacks had gotten behind Hillary Clinton and kept telling Barack that it was not his turn. By the way, they said that to Martin King, Jr., too.

Tavis is a rejected pissed off Clinton supporter who it was rumored had been promised some position had she won. And the fact that Obama did not show up for his farce of “The State of the Black Community” or whatever it was called, really upset Tavis. Who the hell is Tavis anyway? And what has he done for us lately or at all? Not a damn thing. The fact that he and Cornell just discovered poverty in the black community during the Obama Administration is disturbing to me. I am working in the community quite a bit and I can tell you that the only time I have either seen or heard of them in our community was to come to Barnes and Nobles to sell their books.

Many Black folks are so easily fooled by public figures, I guess it’s that need to identify with and rub shoulders with them. As for me, I wouldn’t go outside my door to see nor hear them if they were in the middle of my street. If anything, I would call to complain about loitering. It is high time we stop being fooled by the foolish.

Kofi

But the real issue here not who supported obama during his election campaign (by the way dr west did in fact do so with 65 or more events). This has to do with the fact that there are specific policy issues for which many people are critical of obama. Whether or not he visited black towns during his bus tour is irrelavent. The heart of the matter is the fact that he not only bailed out wall stree with no conditions the money was interested free. Thats yours and my money. Currently there are still 30,000 troops in Iraq, 100k or more in afganistan. In addition we have a black president bombing black people in libya, yemen and pakistan. If bush were doing these things negros would be all over him as would I. Moreover, you should consider the fact that the numbers of poor are increasing, pricies of everything are going up. Are you sleeping? Things are getting harder for people under this man. And finally as far as the notion of ”getting behind” this presidents plans for job creation, dream on! I sincerely hope you have a job because jobs are not comming back. In a deindustrialized fractional reserve economy there will inevitably be a collapse. I suggest your google “the D’Avignon Plan” for deindustrialisation. These people are killing this country. Please wake up

Aaron

I have the utmost respect for Mr. Steve Harvey and agree 100% with his bringing Tavis Smiley and Cornel West to explain their hatred for the most intelligent President of this era. Tavis and West in my opinion are Uncle Tom Featherbedding! The question remains to be answered, who is paying Tavis and West to act as Republicans to do the bidding of Mitch McConnell and John Boehner? Tavis and West will never benefit financially for any cause from my account. They are the true black snakes in the weeds pretending to help our people when everything is self serving for themselves. Exercising my Constitutional Rights of “Free Speech”! Brother Steve Harvey, I’ll support you and Tom Joyner in your efforts.
Tavis and West are junk yard dogs wannabe’s absence soap and water!
Aaron

”If Dr. Watkins can help to spark clear thinking in the “black” community he should continue his work by all means! ” President Obama, 2012!!
Yes Sir and a big Amen to that needed suggestion!