For the second time in less than two weeks, schools are objecting to a reform measure sought by university presidents and endorsed by NCAA president Mark Emmert. More than 75 schools are asking to override a plan approved in October to allow multi-year athletic scholarships rather than the one-year renewable awards schools currently provide. That’s the minimum number of dissenters needed for reconsideration by the Division I Board of Directors…
December 28, 2011


The other day, I logged into my YouTube account and noticed a video on my homepage entitled, “No More Relaxers”. It was posted by an African American man; username, Kaizen9. I clicked on it to satisfy my curiosity. The video was a slideshow of pictures and footage of dozens of women with beautiful natural hair. There were women with locs, ‘fros and twists. I must admit, I was messmerized by…

by Dr. Boyce Watkins – Scholarship in Action I was on 1380 WAOK in Atlanta for an interesting interview this morning. The conversation revolved around child support payments and the “Financial Abortions” concept that my Senior Editor, Kirsten West-Savali, brought to my attention just a couple of months ago. The conversation expanded to child support in general, and I can say that I am clearly concerned about deadbeat parents who choose not to support…

Kimora Lee Simmons approves of her ex’s new flame. A source in St. Barth tells us that the feisty fashion designer and her husband, two-time Oscar nominated actor Djimon Hounsou, were hanging out with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and his date, Australian actress Melissa George, at the BBQ that producer Lawrence Bender and businessman Amir Benesh threw on the exclusive island. Kimora, 36, who was married to Simmons…

A New York director’s video poking fun at black women has bcome a YouTube sensation – and made many female viewers angry about the skit. Elijah Griffin’s “S–t Black Girls Say” starring a black comedian in drag is only two weeks old and has already clocked more than one million views. On Facebook and Twitter pages black women are debating whether the farce is funny, flippant, or both. “When your…

According To TMZ, Deion Sanders’ wife says the former NFL star didn’t have the stones to personally tell her he wants a divorce … shockingly, she learned about the move by checking TMZ.com. Pilar Sanders’ lawyer, Larry Friedman, tells us she was “heartbroken and surprised when [she] read … that Deion announced his decision, on his own, to end their marriage.” Pilar’s lawyer adds, “Pilar’s sole focus and…

When Thomas Jefferson died, scores of slaves were sold from his Monticello plantation to settle his debts. Peter Fossett, 11, was among them, recalling that he was ‘born and reared as free, not knowing that I was a slave, then suddenly, at the death of Jefferson, put on an auction block and sold to strangers.’ Fossett’s story is one of many included in several new projects launching this…

A massive brawl in Mall of America was caused by a rumor that popular rappers, Drake and Lil Wayne, were visiting the mall, a local news station is reporting. At least 9 people were arrested after a huge fight broke out in a food court of the massive mall. Several witnesses said the fight started after a rumor that Drake and Lil Wayne were coming to the mall,…

Deadline.com is reporting that filmmaker Abel Ferrara and screenwriter Christ Zois are working on a feature script partly inspired by this summer’s sex scandal surrounding former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. On May 14, 2011, a 32-year-old maid at the Sofitel New York Hotel, Nafissatou Diallo, alleged that Strauss-Kahn had sexually assaulted her after she entered his suite. Following a lengthy investigation, prosecutors filed a motion to…

Ron Paul (pictured) has a lot of racist supporters, including white supremacist website Stormfront, conspiracy theorist group the John Birch Society and neo-Confederates who believe that the South was right during the civil war. And the support is mutual. While Paul would like you to believe that his connection to racism ended with his newsletters, he has continued to address this group well into the 21st century. Take…

The Los Angeles County Corner’s Office has finally released Heavy D‘s official cause of death. After collapsing on November 9 in from his home, the rapper-actor, born Dwight Arrington Myers, was rushed to the hospital where it was speculated that he died from pneumonia. That has now been ruled out and the cause of death is officially a pulmonary embolism — a blood clot in his lungs. Other factors that could…

There isn’t a more powerful directing force in human behavior than a belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. Your B.S. (Belief System) either empowers or limits you. Let me clarify here, I’m not talking about your degree or your bull “crap” instead I’m refering to your Belief System (which in a lot of cases is just “bull” or “full of it”). Have you…

On a steamy evening in Orlando Florida a capacity crowd at the Amway Arena got to witness what very few in the public ever get to see! At around 9:56pm the phenomenon simply known as Bee took a tumble down a flight of stairs on her set while signing her chart buster Ring the Alarm. Of course I am talking about the Mrs. Beyonce Knowles–Carter herself. The date…

A man confessed to police he murdered a prostitute in a rage after finding out she was really a man. Kenyan L. Jones, 26, from Kansas City, faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Darnell D. Pearson, 31. He told police he picked up the prostitute on Christmas Eve and paid to have sexual relations with her, believing she was a…