Boyce Watkins
Encyclopedia
Boyce D. Watkins is an American
author, economist
, political analyst, and social commentator. Formerly a member of the finance faculty, and currently a Scholar in Residence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Syracuse University
, he also is a Distinguished Scholar with the Barbara Jordan
Institute for Policy Research, and was previously a Visiting Fellow at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
and the Centre for European Economic Research
(Mannheim, Germany). Watkins is also a faculty affiliate with the College Sports Research Institute at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has authored several financial advice books, including "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with your Partner in Ways that Feel Good", "Black American Money," as well as "What if George Bush were a Black Man?"; his work has also appeared in such publications as the Journal Of Small Business Management, and The Journal of Economics and Business.
In addition to publishing scholarly articles on finance and investing, Watkins is an advocate for education, economic empowerment, and social justice, and has made regular appearances in various national media outlets, including CNN
, Good Morning America
, MSNBC
, Fox News, BET
, NPR
, Essence Magazine, USA Today
, The Today Show, ESPN
, The Tom Joyner Morning Show and CBS Sports
. He is also a frequent guest on, The Wendy Williams Experience
radio program. Watkins is also a frequent contributor to theGrio
and TheLoop21.com.
, KY to a teen mother. His father left shortly after his birth, and only spoke to his son 3 times. Watkins' mother, Robin Couch, married when Boyce was 3 years old to Larry Watkins, a young Vietnam veteran
from Louisville. The family struggled for years, but worked hard for economic advancement.
Watkins' mother was a spirited woman who encouraged her children to be the best they could be at anything they did. Larry, who would become Watkins' adopted father, was a tough, stern head of the household who joined the local police force at the age of 30.
Watkins struggled in school, earning very poor grades all throughout. His teachers placed him in special education and also told him that he was not smart enough to go to college.
"When I look back on those years as a black boy in a racist state like Kentucky
, I get angry," says Watkins. "I almost lost the future that God had in store for me."
In high school, Watkins was captain of his track team. He also had a job working for Taco Bell
, along with other fast food restaurants.
Watkins' teenage years were tough. His father was a good provider, but very tough, leading him to feel abandoned and unloved. His uncle, 8 years his senior, was regularly sent to prison, which only added to his feelings of abandonment. "Those were tough years for me," says Watkins. "I honestly think my mind has blocked them out."
Watkins received a small scholarship from a group called "Black Achievers", based in Louisville, KY, to the University of Kentucky
, which was just enough to pay his tuition.
The pressure of fatherhood further motivated Watkins to work hard in school. It was during his first semester at The University of Kentucky that he earned straight As for the first time in his life.
Watkins went on to win several honors in college, including Freshman of the Year, Sophomore of the Year and numerous scholarships. He finished with a triple major in Finance, Economics and Business Management. He was selected as the Wall Street Journal Outstanding Graduating Senior in Finance and went on to begin his PhD study at Indiana University
.
and statistics
, two subjects he'd struggled with in the past.
It was during his time as a graduate student at The University of Kentucky that Watkins became more involved with political activism. The racism
he perceived in the language used in his campus newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel, led Watkins to begin writing columns himself. In his work, he challenged what he felt were the racially-divisive foundations of his campus. Watkins also battled with the University President at the time, Charles Wethington III, referring to him as "Chuck" and claiming that he was racially insensitive and unqualified to be a campus president.
, eventually transferring to Ohio State University
to finish his PhD.
Working under Rene Stulz, David Hirshleifer
and Andrew Karolyi, Watkins finished his PhD at Ohio State University. His first academic position was with Syracuse University
.
In 2004, Watkins completed his first book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College – A Guide for Minority Students". The book was a success and began his work in public scholarship. "I wrote this book for all the young kids like me who were told they can't go to college," said Watkins.
A few months later, Watkins created his second book "What if George Bush were a Black Man?", a satirical discussion of President Bush and the presence of "White privilege" in America. Watkins explores the criminal justice system, the educational system, and the economic systems of America, using statistics and anecdotes to describe likely fates for President Bush and other privileged individuals if they were poor and Black.
The book was featured on national media. Prominent African American Scholar Michael Eric Dyson referred to Watkins as "brilliant", and Fox News Analyst Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
stated that Watkins is "one of the greatest minds of our time".
His next books were "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good", "The Parental 411: What Every Parent should Know about Their Child in College", and "Quick and Dirty Secrets of College Success: A Professor Tells it all".
from Fox News. Watkins referred to Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity
as "UnAmerican borderline Klansmen who graduated from the Rush Limbaugh
School of Arrogant Self-righteousness". During one CNN
episode, after Bill O'Reilly made controversial statements about African Americans during his visit to Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem
, Watkins referred to Juan Williams
as "Bill O'Reilly's happy little Negro", in reference to Williams' insistence that O'Reilly did nothing wrong.
In response, Williams wrote a scathing piece about Watkins in Time Magazine. O'Reilly spent a week on his show calling for Watkins to be fired from his post at Syracuse University. Watkins referred to Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh as "The Axis of Ignorance" for what Watkins believed to be racist attacks against the Black community.
Later in the spring of 2008, Watkins formed an online protest through his website YourBlackWorld.com. In response to Fox News criticism of Senator Barack Obama
and Pastor Jeremiah Wright
, Watkins asked his supporters to write to Bill O'Reilly's corporate sponsors and complain about O'Reilly's behavior.
Watkins' protest led O'Reilly to spend a week during May 2008 calling for Watkins to be fired. He also sent reporters to question the Chancellor of Syracuse University, Nancy Cantor, and ask her why she had not challenged Watkins for his words. In his comments, O'Reilly claimed that Watkins accused him of wanting to lynch Michelle Obama
, the wife of Senator Barack Obama
and that he was "smearing the good name of Syracuse University by spreading these kinds of lies".
Keith Olbermann
, host of "Count Down with Keith Olbermann" came to Watkins' defense, stating that O'Reilly did in fact joke about lynching Michelle Obama
. He also mentioned that O'Reilly's lash at Watkins stemmed from his protest against O'Reilly's corporate sponsors. Others, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson
backed Watkins as well, with Rev. Jackson inviting Watkins onto his show over 15 times in 2008.
As it turned out, O'Reilly had made a remark about Michelle Obama and lynching on February 21, 2008; "I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there’s evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that’s how she really feels — that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever — then that’s legit." He later, after pressure, apologized, saying; "I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody." on his Feb 22, 2008 program.
In his work, Watkins has appeared on several national media outlets, including CNN
, ESPN
, Fox
, and CBS Sports
explaining why athletes should be compensated. He has also challenged the tax exempt status of the NCAA, stating that the United States Congress
should step in and conduct an anti-trust investigation into the NCAA.
In op-ed pieces opposite NCAA President Myles Brand
, Watkins has argued that students' rights are being violated on a regular basis by the NCAA and that a fairer compensation model should be used by the league. He cites that the revenues from NCAA March Madness exceed that of the Super Bowl
and the World Series
combined. Watkins also cites the fact that many coaches are made into millionaires by a system designed to keep star athletes and their families in poverty. At the conference for the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS), Watkins cited the work of Harry Edwards during the 1968 Olympics
as a spring board for Black athlete activism.
"Like hookers kept dazed on drugs, the Black athlete is kept ignorant by his coaches so they can continue to rob him blind," says Watkins. "Coaches in college are given little incentive to increase graduation rates, and even choose the classes for the athletes. It's a sham."
and rap artist Lil Wayne
. After reading the lyrics to Wayne's song "We Be Steady Mobbin', Watkins said that he was "ditching Lil Wayne completely" and that Wayne had "positioned himself as an enemy of the black community" who can be linked to "the holocaust occurring within the black community today". He has also said that Black Entertainment Television
has a similar agenda as the Ku Klux Klan
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, political analyst, and social commentator. Formerly a member of the finance faculty, and currently a Scholar in Residence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, he also is a Distinguished Scholar with the Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives...
Institute for Policy Research, and was previously a Visiting Fellow at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics , founded in 1917, is a national university located in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. According to China's University and College Admission System, SUFE's economics program was ranked sixth in 2010, giving it an A+ rating.-History:The university...
and the Centre for European Economic Research
Zentrum für europäische Wirtschaftsforschung
thumb|ZEW headquarters in MannheimThe Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim is an economic research institute and a member of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Franz, president of the Institute, and Thomas...
(Mannheim, Germany). Watkins is also a faculty affiliate with the College Sports Research Institute at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has authored several financial advice books, including "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with your Partner in Ways that Feel Good", "Black American Money," as well as "What if George Bush were a Black Man?"; his work has also appeared in such publications as the Journal Of Small Business Management, and The Journal of Economics and Business.
In addition to publishing scholarly articles on finance and investing, Watkins is an advocate for education, economic empowerment, and social justice, and has made regular appearances in various national media outlets, including CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Fox News, BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, Essence Magazine, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, The Today Show, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, The Tom Joyner Morning Show and CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. He is also a frequent guest on, The Wendy Williams Experience
The Wendy Williams Experience
The Wendy Williams Experience is a gossip show on Vh1. Wendy Williams was mainly shown hosting her radio station . Charlamagne was the co-host. On the show, Wendy spoke about gossip, fashion, the latest Celebrity news, and gave advice to callers. She also interviewed celebrities. and is noted for...
radio program. Watkins is also a frequent contributor to theGrio
The Grio
TheGrio.com is a black and African-American video news site that focuses on underrepresented stories in existing national news that are important to the African-American community....
and TheLoop21.com.
Early life
Watkins was born in LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, KY to a teen mother. His father left shortly after his birth, and only spoke to his son 3 times. Watkins' mother, Robin Couch, married when Boyce was 3 years old to Larry Watkins, a young Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
from Louisville. The family struggled for years, but worked hard for economic advancement.
Watkins' mother was a spirited woman who encouraged her children to be the best they could be at anything they did. Larry, who would become Watkins' adopted father, was a tough, stern head of the household who joined the local police force at the age of 30.
Watkins struggled in school, earning very poor grades all throughout. His teachers placed him in special education and also told him that he was not smart enough to go to college.
"When I look back on those years as a black boy in a racist state like Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, I get angry," says Watkins. "I almost lost the future that God had in store for me."
In high school, Watkins was captain of his track team. He also had a job working for Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
, along with other fast food restaurants.
Watkins' teenage years were tough. His father was a good provider, but very tough, leading him to feel abandoned and unloved. His uncle, 8 years his senior, was regularly sent to prison, which only added to his feelings of abandonment. "Those were tough years for me," says Watkins. "I honestly think my mind has blocked them out."
Watkins received a small scholarship from a group called "Black Achievers", based in Louisville, KY, to the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, which was just enough to pay his tuition.
Early adulthood
During his senior year in high school, Watkins met his first girlfriend. Six months after high school graduation, she gave birth to their first and only child. He was a freshman in college at the time, and the child was born during Fall break.The pressure of fatherhood further motivated Watkins to work hard in school. It was during his first semester at The University of Kentucky that he earned straight As for the first time in his life.
Watkins went on to win several honors in college, including Freshman of the Year, Sophomore of the Year and numerous scholarships. He finished with a triple major in Finance, Economics and Business Management. He was selected as the Wall Street Journal Outstanding Graduating Senior in Finance and went on to begin his PhD study at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
Beginnings of his career in social activism
Watkins left the PhD program soon afterwards, deciding to return to his alma mater, The University of Kentucky, in order to study mathematicsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, two subjects he'd struggled with in the past.
It was during his time as a graduate student at The University of Kentucky that Watkins became more involved with political activism. The racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
he perceived in the language used in his campus newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel, led Watkins to begin writing columns himself. In his work, he challenged what he felt were the racially-divisive foundations of his campus. Watkins also battled with the University President at the time, Charles Wethington III, referring to him as "Chuck" and claiming that he was racially insensitive and unqualified to be a campus president.
Syracuse University
After leaving The University of Kentucky, Watkins spent a year at The University of RochesterUniversity of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, eventually transferring to Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
to finish his PhD.
Working under Rene Stulz, David Hirshleifer
David Hirshleifer
David Hirshleifer is a prominent American economist. He is a professor of finance and currently holds the Merage chair in Business Growth at the University of California at Irvine. He previously held tenured positions at the University of Michigan, The Ohio State University, and UCLA. His work...
and Andrew Karolyi, Watkins finished his PhD at Ohio State University. His first academic position was with Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
.
In 2004, Watkins completed his first book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College – A Guide for Minority Students". The book was a success and began his work in public scholarship. "I wrote this book for all the young kids like me who were told they can't go to college," said Watkins.
A few months later, Watkins created his second book "What if George Bush were a Black Man?", a satirical discussion of President Bush and the presence of "White privilege" in America. Watkins explores the criminal justice system, the educational system, and the economic systems of America, using statistics and anecdotes to describe likely fates for President Bush and other privileged individuals if they were poor and Black.
The book was featured on national media. Prominent African American Scholar Michael Eric Dyson referred to Watkins as "brilliant", and Fox News Analyst Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
Marc Lamont Hill
Marc Lamont Hill is an American academic, commentator, author, activist, and television personality. He currently serves as an Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Hill is also an affiliated faculty member in African American Studies at the Institute for Research in...
stated that Watkins is "one of the greatest minds of our time".
His next books were "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good", "The Parental 411: What Every Parent should Know about Their Child in College", and "Quick and Dirty Secrets of College Success: A Professor Tells it all".
Bill O'Reilly and Juan Williams
Watkins has an on-going feud with Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
from Fox News. Watkins referred to Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
as "UnAmerican borderline Klansmen who graduated from the Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
School of Arrogant Self-righteousness". During one CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
episode, after Bill O'Reilly made controversial statements about African Americans during his visit to Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, Watkins referred to Juan Williams
Juan Williams
Juan Williams is an American journalist and political analyst for Fox News Channel, he was born in Panama on April 10, 1954. He also writes for several newspapers including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal and has been published in magazines such as The Atlantic...
as "Bill O'Reilly's happy little Negro", in reference to Williams' insistence that O'Reilly did nothing wrong.
In response, Williams wrote a scathing piece about Watkins in Time Magazine. O'Reilly spent a week on his show calling for Watkins to be fired from his post at Syracuse University. Watkins referred to Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh as "The Axis of Ignorance" for what Watkins believed to be racist attacks against the Black community.
Later in the spring of 2008, Watkins formed an online protest through his website YourBlackWorld.com. In response to Fox News criticism of Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Pastor Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
, Watkins asked his supporters to write to Bill O'Reilly's corporate sponsors and complain about O'Reilly's behavior.
Watkins' protest led O'Reilly to spend a week during May 2008 calling for Watkins to be fired. He also sent reporters to question the Chancellor of Syracuse University, Nancy Cantor, and ask her why she had not challenged Watkins for his words. In his comments, O'Reilly claimed that Watkins accused him of wanting to lynch Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, the wife of Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and that he was "smearing the good name of Syracuse University by spreading these kinds of lies".
Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
, host of "Count Down with Keith Olbermann" came to Watkins' defense, stating that O'Reilly did in fact joke about lynching Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
. He also mentioned that O'Reilly's lash at Watkins stemmed from his protest against O'Reilly's corporate sponsors. Others, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
backed Watkins as well, with Rev. Jackson inviting Watkins onto his show over 15 times in 2008.
As it turned out, O'Reilly had made a remark about Michelle Obama and lynching on February 21, 2008; "I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there’s evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that’s how she really feels — that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever — then that’s legit." He later, after pressure, apologized, saying; "I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody." on his Feb 22, 2008 program.
Watkins' challenge to the NCAA
Watkins is an advocate for the rights of college athletes. In his work as a faculty affiliate for the College Sport Research Institute at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Watkins has challenged the NCAA on its refusal to compensate college athletes, stating that the NCAA exploits Black families by using young men for their athletic ability and refusing to share the wealth with their families.In his work, Watkins has appeared on several national media outlets, including CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, and CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
explaining why athletes should be compensated. He has also challenged the tax exempt status of the NCAA, stating that the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
should step in and conduct an anti-trust investigation into the NCAA.
In op-ed pieces opposite NCAA President Myles Brand
Myles Brand
Myles Neil Brand, Ph. D. was the 14th president of the University of Oregon, president of the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association , and 16th president of Indiana University.-Personal life:...
, Watkins has argued that students' rights are being violated on a regular basis by the NCAA and that a fairer compensation model should be used by the league. He cites that the revenues from NCAA March Madness exceed that of the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
and the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
combined. Watkins also cites the fact that many coaches are made into millionaires by a system designed to keep star athletes and their families in poverty. At the conference for the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS), Watkins cited the work of Harry Edwards during the 1968 Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
as a spring board for Black athlete activism.
"Like hookers kept dazed on drugs, the Black athlete is kept ignorant by his coaches so they can continue to rob him blind," says Watkins. "Coaches in college are given little incentive to increase graduation rates, and even choose the classes for the athletes. It's a sham."
Financial activism
Through his position at Syracuse University and YourBlackWorld.com, Watkins also provides regular financial advice to a largely African American audience. He argues that African Americans should consider their financial independence to be part of their spiritual and social independence. He also argues that African Americans should find a way to "own the land on which you stand", in order to be truly liberated in America.BET and Lil Wayne
Watkins has been highly critical of hip-hop, Black Entertainment TelevisionBlack Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
and rap artist Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
. After reading the lyrics to Wayne's song "We Be Steady Mobbin', Watkins said that he was "ditching Lil Wayne completely" and that Wayne had "positioned himself as an enemy of the black community" who can be linked to "the holocaust occurring within the black community today". He has also said that Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
has a similar agenda as the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
.