Posts
Given the high cost of divorce, is there a better way? A legislator in Mexico says he has one.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Over 1,000 Millionaires Paid Zero Tax in 2009
In 2009, 1,470 millionaires paid no federal income taxes, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Friday, August 5, 2011
College Students Seeking Out Sugar Daddies to Help Them Pay Tuition
By JasmineHughes
In light of the economic downturn, female college students are taking matters into their own hands. Now instead of working in McDonald’s, or shops for $8.00 an hour, many are finding it quicker and easier to seek older men and provide sex in exchange for tuition money.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Getting the Wedding You Want with No Drama
by George James
The summer is a time for warm weather, vacation, family reunions and weddings. Many couples plan their wedding during the summer and fall months. Planning a wedding can bring a lot of stress and drama to the couple. From deciding when and where to get married, to working on the guest list and to figuring out how you will pay for the wedding. Stress and drama can also come from what other people want for your wedding and from handling major conflicts such as faith, money or where to live after the wedding. It is possible to get the wedding you want and not have any drama, even with all the possibilities leading up to the wedding.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Jumping the Broom is Fourth So Far at the Box Office
Jumping the Broom is fourth so far….click to read.
Survey: Black Women More Likely to be Single Than Any Other Group
A new census bureau survey said that black women are the least likely of all ethnic groups to jump the broom. Why is that?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Friday Flash Feature: Denise Bolds Teaches Single Black Moms How to Raise Their Sons
Leslie DeTouche, Your Black World
Many single black moms are not sure how to raise their boys. Well, Denise Bolds has some solutions that work.
“Jumping the Broom”: Just a Classier Version of Madea
"Jumping the Broom" is like a Tyler Perry movie with polish.
The ensemble comedy is about a wedding involving a bride from a family of wealthy African-American professionals and a groom from a family of working-class Brooklynites. It is well-cast, well-played and passably written.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Teen Joblessness, Violence Expected to Hit Record Highs This Summer Due to Cuts in Federal Funding
CHICAGO, Reuters — A record-low one in four U.S. teenagers will land a summer job in the coming months as a result of a still-poor job market and lost federal funding, according to a report issued on Monday.
As a consequence, urban studies experts said cities like Chicago — where summer unemployment among African-Americans aged 16 to 19 years approaches 90 percent — could experience a rise in street violence.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Black Unemployment More than Double Whites for Michigan Residents
Your Black World reports
A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute has revealed that the economic situation for African Americans is disproportionately bad for the state of Michigan. According to the report, African Americans in Michigan have had an unemployment rate above 20 percent for every quarter since the start of 2009. Their 2010 annual unemployment rate was 23.4%. White Michigan residents currently enjoy an unemployment rate of only 9.5% for last quarter.
The conditions are so bad that the lowest black unemployment rate since 2008 (12.2%) is only slightly lower than the highest unemployment conditions experienced by whites in Michigan (12.7%). So, their terrible times are our good times and our horrible times don’t get attention from political leaders whatsoever.
Perhaps we don’t live in a post-racial America after all, since the unemployment picture is clearly different for blacks and whites.
Please join the Your Black World Coalition by visiting YourBlackWorld.com
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Black Americans Not Getting Good Financial Advice
by TEWire
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspapers
Originally posted 4/27/2011
Only two out of every 10 African-Americans are on a path to achieve their retirement goals, according to a six-month-old survey of Blacks conducted by a major wealth manager.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
McJobs Are Not the Cure for An Ailing Economy
Editor's note: Annette Bernhardt is policy co-director of the National Employment Law Project, a national advocacy group for the rights of lower-wage earners. She was lead researcher on NELP's recent report, "A Year of Unbalanced Growth: Industries, Wages, and the First 12 Months of Job Growth After the Great Recession."
(CNN) -- We are starved for signs that the economy is picking up. So when McDonald's threw its doors open to hire 50,000 workers nationwide, media networks scrambled to film applicants lining up across the country for that increasingly elusive piece of the American dream -- a job.
A Black Prof Discusses Racial Bias in Financial Decisions
Your Black World reports
Have you ever tried to get a loan, and felt that you weren’t being treated the same as if you were white? What about watching that promotion at work being given to the white guy down the hall when you were the one slaving night and day for 20 years? Well, this feeling is not uncommon. A recent survey at YourBlackWorld.com showed that nearly 90% of African Americans feel that they’ve experienced some kind of discrimination in the workplace. In spite of our having a black president and attorney general, new laws have not been introduced to help people of color fight discrimination in the workplace.
Another prominent type of discrimination is the racial bias in other kinds of financial decisions. Millions of black people were victims of predatory lending during the recent financial crisis, leading to a massive decline in black family wealth over the last decade. Additionally, the ability to build a business, get government contracts or do other things to create financial security for your family can be impacted by the color of your skin. Prof. Stephanie Yates Rauterkus at The University of Alabama Birmingham speaks on the topic in the video below.
Click here to watch the video
To join the Your Black World Coalition, please visit YourBlackWorld.com.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Deborrah Cooper Explains What It Means for a Woman to “Submit” To Her Man
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
Given the importance of the critical theme of black relationships (which we’re hitting from various angles this week on YBW), I had to get another perspective on some of the things that folks are quoting from the bible as it pertains to how black relationships need to be structured. What does it mean for a black man to “lead” in his relationship? What does it mean for a woman to “submit?” One thing that many of us can agree on is the fact that black relationships have been falling apart for a very long time. The majority of our homes are being run by a single parent, and far too many children are growing up without their fathers in shouting distance. What some don’t acknowledge is that there is a direct correlation between the break down of the black family and the growth of the prison industrial complex. Locking up men for decades for the sale of drugs that were brought into our communities has devastated many of us, and urban decay in the 1980s led to job losses with few viable alternatives to illegal activity. A recent study in The Economist showed that a one percentage point increase in the incarceration rate leads to a 2.4 percent decline in the percentage of black women who eventually get married.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Dr. Boyce: The Depth of Forest Whitaker’s Tax Problems
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Hollywood superstar Forest Whitaker was recently hit with a large tax bill after failing to pay $185,000 he owed to the IRS. The tax collectors in California have cited Whitaker and filed a lien for the balance. Both he and his wife Keisha are named in the complaint, which was filed in the Los Angeles County Recorder of Deeds.
It was reported in 2009 that Whitaker owed $1.29 million in state and federal taxes. Whitaker is not the only Hollywood megastar to have tax problems. Actor Wesley Snipes is in prison until 2013 after being charged with failing to file tax returns for three years.
Chris Tucker was hit with some very serious tax problems himself, as the LA County Records Office showed that Tucker owed over $11 million in taxes up through 2006. Actor Nicolas Cage was also found to owe millions to the IRS.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Black Women and Relationships: An In-Studio Conversation
The video below presents an in-studio conversation about black women and relationships. Enjoy!
To have Dr. Boyce Watkins commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Tom Joyner Cruise Sets Sail: How Black People Need to Network
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.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
S. Tia Brown: Supporting Your Man as an Entrepreneur
by S. Tia Brown, Essence.com
First let me say this: I am single. However, just like you don't have to smoke crack to tell "rockheads" don't do it... well, you get the rest.
Second, I'm an avid, calendar-clearing, repeat-watching fan of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." You know the type. I text my girls during the commercials. I feel like I know the "ins and outs" of the cast intimately. And, occasionally I pass judgment on their decisions.
With those two details out the way, it's time for my third assertion: When it comes to marriage, particularly to an entrepreneur, it can't always be tit for tat. Over the last few weeks I've watched Cynthia Bailey's now husband, Peter Thomas, try to pull out the dagger ripping his heart apart as his business -- their family's bread and butter-- revenue dropped lower than NeNe Leakes' cleavage line. Thomas shared his woes about picking up the pieces. Bailey worried about financing their wedding. Thomas grew angrier about not getting investors. Bailey balled about being owed her investment in his business. Thomas was forced to close his restaurant and rebuild. Bailey cried about not going on a honeymoon. All I kept thinking is, "where dey do dat at?"
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sil lai Abrams: How to Deal with Financial Insecurity
by Sil lai Abrams – Sepiaprocess.com
When times are difficult for us financially, we can become paralyzed by fear. As the fear grows in our mind we often get stuck focusing on the problem and not actively searching for a solution. Our attention becomes fixated on our creditors and as we look at our mountain of debt we can become weighed down in despair and shame. “I’m never going to get through this” or “This is more than I can handle” begins to play on a constant loop in our brain. Some of us respond to our problem with denial. Instead of facing our lack of money, we spend as if we have unlimited resources, compounding our original financial instability. Or, we may isolate from others and numb ourselves with food, alcohol or television. Sometimes we avoid dealing with our situation by throwing ourselves into a relationship that takes up all of our time. None of these counterproductive behaviors do anything to bring us closer to a solution. They only keep us stuck in our problem by postponing or delaying our eventual day of financial reckoning.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Condoleeza Rice Asked on CNN: “Why Are You Not Married?”
by Alexis Stodghill, AOL Black Voices
Condoleezza Rice, the first black woman to become a U.S. Secretary of State, was interviewed recently on the newly minted CNN show, 'Piers Morgan Tonight,' to be asked of all things: Why are you not married? That question no successful African American female can escape. The single, black (semi-successful) woman that I am couldn't help but shrink in insecurity as this ubiquitous puzzler was posed even to one of the most prominent black women alive. Why the embarrassment?
Yes, such questions make for great ratings. It's a question Piers Morgan might have asked any single V.I.P. Watching a woman who used to wield massive diplomatic and military power talk of cooking fried chicken was a hoot. But despite the innocence of the utterance, for black women everywhere that question is the articulation of aGreek tragedy-style family curse: An unsolvable source of suffering for black women that just keeps getting passed down. Piers may not have known that, but refering to it even obliquely is enough to make one's heart hurt.
Can You Stay Fly and Keep In Your Budget? The Frugalista Says You Can
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Natalie P. McNeal is onto something. Under the name "The Frugalista," she has come up with a set of concepts that allow us to balance our need to save with our desire to enjoy life. Black people, on average, tend to be first-class consumers, second-class savers and third-class investors, leading many of us to a life on the edge of financial ruin. Even those of us who have high incomes can end up with debt up to our eyeballs and bills that we can barely afford to pay. So, when unemployment or financial crisis hits our households, we are the first to be bankrupt or in foreclosure.
The Frugalista lays out her own experience with debt and how she found a way to save money without forcing herself to live a Spartan life. She teaches that saving money should not be the only important thing in your life, but that financial responsibility can be a key to having a better life experience. It is for that reason that Natalie P. Mcneal is today's Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight on AOL Black Voices:
Thursday, January 13, 2011
How Mass Incarceration Affects the Marriage Market for Black Women
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
In a very compelling article, The Economist Magazine stepped away from its standard delivery of international political updates to dig deeply into the experience of the African American woman. In the article, economists analyze dating for black women as a market, where men and women enter the market to search for a suitable mate.
The author starts off with a simple example to help make his point. He says "IMAGINE that the world consists of 20 men and 20 women, all of them heterosexual and in search of a mate. Since the numbers are even, everyone can find a partner. But what happens if you take away one man?"
Then, citing the work of Tim Harford, an economist in England, the author says that because one out of the 20 women faces the possibility of never finding a husband, she tries harder to get a man, perhaps by dressing more seductively or doing things the other women might not do. She may even steal a man from someone else. This then affects what other women do to find and keep their own men, and also the behavior of the men themselves.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight: The Duchess of Black Scholars
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
The role of Super Woman in Black America can be readily applied to a woman who can balance the relentless pursuit of academic achievement, professional success, and outstanding motherhood, all at the same time. Miriam Harris (a.k.a. Duchess) is a textbook example of what we all want our daughters to become. She is a mother of three, and has both a PhD and a law degree. The Ivy League educated supermom is not only "about her business," she is deeply committed to the business of using her vast intellect to make the world a better place for both women and people of color. In other words, she's not just a Black PhD, she is actually a "Ph-Do." AOL Black Voices was able to catch up with Professor Harris for the Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight:
1) What is your name and what do you do for a living?
My name is Duchess Harris and I am an Associate Professor of American Studies at Macalester College.
2) What is your area of expertise and what made you pursue this particular area of study?
Monday, December 27, 2010
Gap Between the Rich and Middle Class Keeps Growing
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
It turns out that the gap between the rich and the middle class is larger than it's been in recorded American history. Much of the growth in the gap is due to the recent housing crisis taking place over the past three years.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the wealthiest 1% had an average net worth that was 225 greater than the average American. That's higher than the previous record, which was 190 times in 2004.
An intriguing aspect of the divide is that it occurred while the wealth of all Americans declined on average. The richest households lost 27% of their wealth between 2007 and 2009, while middle class Americans lost 47% of their wealth during the same time period. So, the growth in the gap was mainly due to the fact that the middle class and poor suffered more during the recent recession than the wealthy.
Visit Your Black World for more black news, black politics, and black celebrity gossip!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Dr. Boyce Video: Black Economic Empowerment
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Zachary Rinkins is serious about money. He's been running a very popular financial blog for the past several years, and has positioned himself as one of the most respected financial bloggers in the black community. I love what Zachary is doing because he reflects a generation of young people who are interested in seeing themselves empowered through economic success.
Visit Your Black World for more black news, black politics, and black celebrity gossip!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
From AOL - Should You Be able to Sue Someone for Dumping You At the Alter?
Dominique Buttitta, a lawyer in Chicago, is taking her ice-footed former fiancé to court for bailing on their big dayjust four days before the ceremony was supposed to go down. The jilted bride claims that by calling it quits, the groom "intentionally inflicted emotional distress" on her. She's reportedly seeking more than $95,000 from her ex -- money, she says, that she'd already spent on the wedding.
I think she may have a case, and not just because people sue for less than this every day. I've had neighbors sue other neighbors when their dog crapped on the lawn. Buttitta's fiance crapped on her life. Not only is she now being portrayed as a bitter, spurned woman, she's in the hole for a whole lot of zeros.
Planning a wedding is a big, long, intricate process. I know; I'm in the middle of planning mine. Pick up any issue of "The Knot" and they'll tell you: planning a wedding takes about nine months to a year. And those are a packed nine to 12 months of making lists, touring venues, tasting cakes and spending thousands of dollars in nonrefundable deposits. There's the dress, the rings, flowers -- Buttitta says she spent over $12,500 on those -- invitations, escort cards and a ton of other things that take up a whole lot of time and even more of your money. It's ridiculous.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Singer Jermaine Jackson Loses Drivers License Over Back Child Support Payments
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Jermaine Jackson, brother of the late Michael Jackson, is having his driver's license confiscated due to his inability to pay back child support. Jackson allegedly owes his ex-wife, Alejandra Jackson, over $91,921 in child support payments.
According to court documents filed in the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department, Jackson won't be allowed to drive again until the child support is paid in full.
Back in September, Jackson told the courts that he can no longer afford to pay $3,000 per month in child support for his two sons, Jaafar and Jermajesty. He has asked the judge to cut his payments down to $215 per month, arguing that his ex-wife makes more money than he does.
Currently, Jackson lives with his mother, rent free. He married Alejandra in 1995 and divorced her in 2004.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Should You Be Able to Sue Someone for Taking Your Fiancee?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Former NBA star Antoine Walker is being sued for $5 million dollars by a man who claims that Walker stole his fiancee. Kevin Jenkins says that he caught Walker and his fiancee in an "intimate moment," and confronted Walker about it. He said that Walker laughed in his face to deliberately cause him emotional distress.
Jenkins then says that he became so emotionally distressed that he thought about killing himself.
To date, I haven't heard of anyone being sued for cheating with another person's fiancee. However, I do know that in some states, you can be sued for cheating with someone else's spouse. These "alienation of affection" lawsuits are legal in several states: Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.
Visit Your Black World for more black news!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Dr. Boyce Watkins on TheLoop21.com - 12/2/10
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Cyber Monday Isn't Shopping, It's Mind Control
Thu, 12/02/2010 - 01:00
Black Friday, Valentine's Day and 'Sweetest Day' are all contrived to empty your wallet ...
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Four Loko and the Crazy Money-Making Machine
Mon, 11/29/2010 - 09:46
The dangers of the caffeinated alcohol in a can are a perfect example of why we need consumer protection ...
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Will Your Parents' Golden Years Be Paid By Plastic?
Thu, 11/25/2010 - 23:14
More retired Americans are relying on credit cards to live out the end of their life ...
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Getting rich and giving back, the Magic Johnson model
Fri, 11/19/2010 - 17:40
Johnson has become a glowing model of black entrepreneurial success ...
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Michael Vick re-emerges as the greatest quarterback in the NFL
Fri, 11/19/2010 - 10:48
Vick is proving himself to be an exceptional player, but he's still seen as a financial risk ...
Saturday, November 27, 2010
How are Black Women Making It in the Workplace?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
When a very important member of my management team told me that she was going to take time off to have a child, my brain stopped in its tracks. I wondered how we were going to remain fully productive, how long she would be gone, and how I should respond to such a sensitive situation. I then realized that, like so many American business owners, I was thinking like a man. Once I came to my senses, I let go of my personal concerns and focused solely on supporting her in this important step. I then realized that this interaction happens in workplaces across America, and the results are not always so amicable.
The United States is among the worst of industrialized nations when it comes to comes to making allowances for the professional challenges that women face relative to men. A woman who stops working in order to have children and/or raise a family may find that when she returns to the workforce, her opportunity set has diminished significantly. This doesn't even consider typical gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and other daunting barriers to advancement.
You may already know that according to the US Department of Labor, women now outnumber men in the workplace (64.2 million to 63.4 million). This takes us a long way from the days when women weren't allowed to vote, or female attorneys couldn't be more than legal secretaries. Given that we have grown so much as a society, our nation has to step into the 21st century when it comes to equalizing the employment landscape.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Jack Johnson, DC County Exec and Wife Arrested for Corruption: What Can We Learn from This?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I was saddened to hear about the recent arrest of Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife Leslie. Both Jack and his wife are well-respected in the DC area. Both have served their communities for decades, and both of them represent the essence of Prince George's County, the most affluent county in the United States with an African-American majority population.
Johnson was once an important ethical and legal protector of the county, serving as its lead Prosecutor. His wife has served the community for over 30 years in numerous capacities. He was also the first African American to become County Executive in the DC area. So, why are Johnson and his wife facing up to 20 years in prison for evidence tampering and destruction of evidence, among other charges? In fact, the story is quite bizarre, with reports of the FBI allegedly recording Johnson telling his wife to put nearly $80,000 in her underwear.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Former NFL Player Married to Two Women at Once
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
A judge in Pennsylvania recently ruled that former NFL running back Tom Sullivan's death benefits should not go to the wife he was allegedly married to after his death. Instead, the benefits should go to a woman he married years earlier, but never divorced.
Tom Sullivan's ex-wife Barbara Sullivan has two daughters with the player from their 16-year marriage. Since Tom's death in 2002, Barbara and their two daughters were receiving $2,700 per month under the NFL's spousal benefit policy. Under South Carolina's bigamy law, the benefits do not legally belong to her and were stopped immediately.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Cutting Taxes for the Rich? Yes, that’s Bad for the Economy
Watch Dr. Boyce Watkins explain on CNBC that extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy is bad for America. Click here to watch
Black Men See Biggest Dip in Unemployment
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
How one analyzes the black unemployment numbers for the month of October really comes down to whether you see the glass as being half empty or half full. On one hand, most of the indicators of black unemployment went down, but they still remain remarkably high relative to the numbers for white Americans.
According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, black unemployment dropped by .4 percentage points, from 16.1 percent to 15.7 percent. The number is still nearly double that of white unemployment, which lies at 8.8 percent.
Black male unemployment actually saw the steepest decline among all race/gender groups, dropping from 17.6 percent to 16.3 percent. The number is still 83 percent higher than white male unemployment (which is 8.9 percent).
Black women saw a slight increase in their unemployment rate, which went from 12.6 percent to 12.7 percent. The unemployment numbers for black women are 74 percent higher than those for white females (at 7.3 percent, lower than any other group in America).
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Is Racism an Occupational Hazard for African Americans?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Most of us know Hanes Brands as the company that has Michael Jordan peddling underwear. The company is also responsible for other leading brands such as Champion sports apparel and Playtex, among others.
The company is now in the middle of controversy after an African American employee, Yunusa Kenchi, filed suit for discrimination. An embarrassing email has allegedly surfaced in which Kenchi was referenced using the n-word. The employee has taken the case public, and Hanes has yet to respond.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Why Do Black Athletes Go Broke? Let’s Figure Out Why
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I am participating with MSN in a project called "The Invested Life." The program represents the launch of a series of web-based episodes that teach the fundamentals of investing to regular, everyday people. I've worked on the show for months, and I'll be engaged in the project for the rest of the year. It's been an interesting jump into the world of film making, with scripts, production schedules and all that good stuff. I've gained a newfound respect for how hard real actors and actresses actually have to work.
A guest on the show is a man named Winfred. Winfred is a former NFL athlete who found himself done with sports and trying to make sure that his wealth lasted until retirement. He made an interesting point that for many athletes, the challenge of retiring young with virtually no skill set can be a one way ticket to the poor house. As a man who is concerned about the plight of the black athlete, I constantly see men who've traded away their entire educational future in exchange for a very short and meaningless life of glamor in professional sports.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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