Dr. Boyce: It’s Time for Black Scholars to Get Off the Academic Plantation

When I first thought about getting a PhD in Business, I found out about the PhD Project. This ground-breaking initiative had the simple goal of creating more black professors to sit in the front of the classroom. It was established by the KPMG Foundation, and from what I understand, might have been in response to a series of complaints about racism that the organization had received in the past. (Read more)

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Dr. Boyce Watkins

New chief of police eager to reduce crime – Source: The Rocky Mount Telegram

The Rocky Mount Police Department will start the new year with new management.

City Manager Charles Penny announced Wednesday that Wilmington Deputy Police Chief James C. Moore will be sworn in Jan. 2 as Rocky Mount police chief, filling the vacancy left when Police Chief John Manley retired at the end of June. Jim Thomas has filled in as the interim police chief since Manley stepped down. (Read more)

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Rocky Mount Chief of Police

It Is Better To Be Alone, Than In the Wrong Company

        
It Is Better To Be Alone, Than In the Wrong Company

Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are.

If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate
with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.

” A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind
of friends he chooses."

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom
you closely associate — for the good and the bad. The less you associate with
some people, the more your life will improve.

Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.
An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.

As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want
you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are.

Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch
your vision or choke your dream. Those that don’t increase you will
eventually decrease you.

Consider this: Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never
discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution,
because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.

Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.

Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.

Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of
life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.

Happy moments? Praise God; Difficult moments? Seek God;
Quiet moments? Worship God; Painful moments? Trust God; Every moment?
Thank God!!

** If you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours.

Author: Unknown

Believe In The Current Political System?

Believe in the political system? Well what I do know is it exist and I will not allow the system to do things that affect me without me saying something whether I affect change or not. However I do know I have affected change on the local level.

The problem is not so much as the system as it is Negroes, need to grow black folks. I have seen so many black folks who work the political system for their own self gain but claiming to be for the people. Hell I found out since I have been involved in politics since the early 90’s that black folks are the ones who help "them" hold us right where we are. And black will allow it to happen without calling them out. Well that is what I have been doing over the years calling out folks especially black folks who I strongly feel and could document was and continue to hold us right where we are. However I recognize and understand that until good black folks want to see change and will hold other black folks accountable for their actions nothing will change.

White folks ain’t crazy they know they need black folks to win elections so look at who they have running their campaigns and/or at the top of their campaigns.

Until enough black folks want to change the way we want to do politics then I have no choice but to challenge the system that is in place whether I like it or not. FACT is it exist and it ain’t goings nowhere until we make it happen so until then, it is what it is.

Online Interview With Annette Boyd Lee Author of “Attention Obama Haters; What if the bible is true?” See Response When She Visited The Republican Debate In South Carolina at Wofford College

Thank you Annette Boyd Lee for taking time out of your busy schedule to respond to my online interview.

Will you share with me why you felt compelled to write the book about President Barack Obama?

My initial reason for writing the book was frustration. I was frustrated at all the lies that were being said and how the Republicans were constantly telling lies about what the President has done and is trying to do.  I felt a strong sense of personal attack was being channeled towards President Obama.  But then I come to realize there is a much deeper problem that exist in the United States.  I believe the election of Barack Obama has unleashed hatred on a whole different level and my concern is for the people who show this behavior and think there will never be any consequences to their action.

What kind of feedback have you received from people black, white and other about your book?

Mixed in all respect.  I have had black people say they don’t agree with how he is handling things especially when it comes to black people.  I have had black people say that everyone should read this book to put things in perspective from a Biblical standpoint.  I have had white people agree with the fact that President Obama is getting a raw deal.  These people supported him in 2008 and will support him in 2012.  Then there were those who frowned at the mention of his name.  These people cannot see any good in him.  According to them, he is destroying this country and that is all to it.  There is nothing he can do to win these people over.

Do you feel your book is in tune with what is going on with how "our" current President is being treated today?

Yes, it is to the point.  I didn’t mince words in the book to appease people. The situation is heartbreaking because as I said in the book, we, as Americans, should have been proud to have elected our first African-American president.  Instead, the hatred is so strong that the people don’t really care. 

Did you attend the Republican debate that was held in South Carolina at Wofford College on November 12, 2011?

I did go to Spartanburg to Wofford College in hopes of selling my books.  While I was not interested in attending the debate, I was hoping to sell a few books. 

If you did attend, did you attempt to sell your book to anyone attending the debate and/or what kind of response did you receive from the people you approached?

I initially parked on the campus and we walked as close as we could to where the debate was going to be held.  I explained to the kids what was going on as they asked a lot of questions.  We did pass out a few flyers on the campus to the dressed up people who had tickets to attend the debate.  I had my own ‘debate’ with a Ron Paul supporter.  A guy came up to me and asked my why I supported President Obama.  I told him that I believe he really wanted to help all the American people and not just the rich, but the Republicans are blocking everything he tries to do.  He made the comment that President Obama should have done more when the Dems controlled the Senate and the house.  I told him, he was still blocked by Republicans.  They filibustered on everything. Of course we disagreed, but then I said, that’s what’s good about the US, we can disagree with each other without being ugly towards one another.  I sold  a few books, but we passed out over 100 flyers.  With the exception of one person, everyone took the flyers and gave a ‘smile’.  Some may have thrown them away after they passed us, but we did pass them out.  The one person who wasn’t very nice was a representative from the Ron Paul campaign.  Three of my foster children were passing the flyers out.  The oldest girl gave a flyer to a female who balled it up and gave it back to the child.  When my child informed me of this, I asked her who did it.  She pointed to the female.  I went to her and said if you didn’t want to keep the flyer, you could have just given it back to the child, you didn’t have to ball it up.  She said, ‘my bad’.  I proceeded to tell the people in the group, who had given me some Ron Paul literature, that even if I didn’t agree with your candidate, I would never disrespect them by balling it up and giving it back to them.  If the female wasn’t embarrassed, she should have been.

So do you have anything else you would like to add?

I used to think ‘white’ people/republicans were sophisticated people who were upper class with class.  Now, I see many of them as nasty hateful people who would say and do anything for GREED.  In my opinion, the bottom line of all this is that people must own up to the fact that one day we will all have to answer to everything, EVERYTHING we have said and done in this life….well only if the Bible is true.  But, you know, Curmilus, what’s wrong with the principles of the Bible?  Even if a person doesn’t believe in the Bible, what’s wrong with being kind to one another?  What’s wrong with showing respect to one another?  Why can’t we work as hard to love one another as some do to hate one another?  For me, it’s heartbreaking. 

Annette Boyd Lee

Author of 2 books:

    When Words Hurt  – www.stickandstonesbookseries.com

Attention Obama Haters; What if the bible is true?

    Will your hate of this man be worth the price you may have

    to pay? – www.booksbyannette.com 

See related:

Annette Boyd Lee

Westerville police criticized for handcuffing children after school-bus fight–Source: The Columbus Dispatch

The Westerville Police Department handcuffed a 7-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother and locked them in a holding cell after a fight on a school bus in October.

Charges were filed after the two children became unruly, pushing the bus driver, swearing and threatening to punch the school principal, according to records describing the Oct. 19 incident. (Read more)

Response: This is quite interesting. If the children were disruptive then they needed to be dealt with. I do not support bad behavior especially children being disrespectful. Now the part about the handcuffing is another subject. If the police department did not follow policy and procedures then I have an issue with that too.

So what do you think? Curmilus Dancy II – The Political Agitator

Herman Cain Accuser Says Gloria Cain “Doesn’t Know Her Man” – Source: Your Black Politics

Former GOP front-runner, Herman Cain’s, campaign continues to implode as his arrogance, ignorance on foreign issues and his alleged tendency to sexually harass blonde women have led him to a significant drop in popularity.

When he trotted out wife of 43 years, Gloria Cain, to calm the rising tide of criticism, she voiced her skepticism that her husband could have possibly groped an unwilling woman. In an interview that aired Monday on Fox News, Mrs. Cain spoke with Greta Van Susteren, explaining that: (Read more)

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Herman Cain

Education

EDUCATION

“Education is your passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” Malcolm X

Education is not limited to the classroom. It takes place in the kitchen, on the corner, as you ride or walk to any destination, when you listen or speak to others and in the silence of your bedroom. Education springs forth from books, songs, children, elders, women, and men. It rises from victory, tragedy, joy and suffering. Education does not take place when you learn something that you did not know before. Education is the ability to use what you have learned to be better than you were yesterday. No matter how much you know or how you learn it, the ultimate goal of education is to give “you” greater insight to “yourself.”

I am educating the world about me.

–Iyanla Vanzant

Princeville Board has mixed views on ‘Survival Day’–Source: The Daily Southerner

TARBORO — PRINCEVILLE  – The town’s sponsored three-day event, which is set to begin today, received negative feedback from two commissioners Monday night during Princeville’s monthly meeting.

"Princeville Survivor Week" Celebration starts today with a job fair at the town hall. Thursday and Friday, federal and state government officials are scheduled to speak and workshops have been arranged on the Tarboro Campus of Edgecombe Community College inside the Thomas S. Fleming Building. The event is open to elected officials for a fee of $100 for both days, $50 for citizens. (Read more)

Response: It is a damn shame how they operate in Princeville. The Princeville 3 the mayor and her 2 flunkies do whatever the hell they want to do as the other 2 board members does not exist. One day. Curmilus Dancy II – The Political Agitator

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Princeville NC

Former Romney advisor: Obama health care reform law is ‘the same f**king bill’ as Romney’s MassCare – Source: Daily Kos

Via Greg Sargent, Jonathan Gruber, the MIT professor who helped both Mitt Romney and President Obama draft their health care reform plans, unloads on Romney for claiming his plan is different than Obama’s: (Read more)

Bullet That Hit White House Recovered Days After Shooting Incident & AK-47 Found–Source: The Blaze

WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — The Secret Service says a bullet hit an exterior window of the White House and was stopped by ballistic glass.

An additional round of ammunition was also found on the exterior of the White House. The bullets were found Tuesday.

The discovery follows reports of gunfire near the White House on Friday. Witnesses heard shots and saw two speeding vehicles in the area. An AK-47rifle was also recovered. (Read more)

NC NAACP Statement on Efforts by District Attorneys to Repeal the Racial Justice Act

RACIAL JUSTICE ACT UNDER ATTACK

News Conference to be held Thursday, November 17 at 1:00 pm 

Legislative Press Room  at the NC General Assembly 

16 W Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2011

For More Information:     Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President, 919-394-8137

Amina Turner, Executive Director, 919-682-4700

Jennifer Marsh, Legal Redress Coordinator, 919-682-4700

It is time North Carolina’s elected District Attorneys spend their time and resources upholding the law instead of waging a campaign to destroy it.

DURHAM – When the N.C. Racial Justice Act (RJA) became law in 2009, the North Carolina NAACP, which has urged abolishing the racist death penalty for over a century, stood with proponents of the death penalty to pass the RJA.  This coalition helped pass a law that has been hailed nationally as a major breakthrough in exposing the racism that pervades southern courthouses.

Before the ink was dry on the Governor’s signature on the law, ultra-conservative Tea Party forces began a campaign of mendacious race-baiting against the legislators who supported the law, and against the law itself. Now, the extreme right wing forces who pander to base white prejudice are joined by North Carolina’s elected district attorneys.

Why would elected District Attorneys, who have an ethical duty to be "ministers of justice," rather than "convicters at any cost", want to deny the courts another tool to ensure no person is sentenced to death with even a shadow of a doubt that race was used during the trial? 

"The extreme right wing leaders in the NC General Assembly parroted the same lies to attack the Racial Justice Act during the main legislative session," says Rev. Dr. William J Barber. "When they were unsuccessful, they are now trying to sneak through the back door, with a "Repeal the RJA" bill that has never been seen or debated by the Senate. Representatives in the House and the Governor must be ready to stop these extremists, who see nothing wrong to pandering to base racial prejudices to accomplish their narrow agenda of helping the richest 1%, and trying to fool the rest of us. 

The Racial Justice Act is the law in North Carolina. If the District Attorneys in our state want to open the path for North Carolina to go back to the Acts of Racial Injustice, they should say so.  The rest of us will continue to work for Racial Justice. We will not go backwards. We urge all legislators of good will and Governor Bev Perdue to take NOT ONE STEP BACK on the Racial Justice Act and preserve it in its entirety."

The Declaration of Rights in the North Carolina Constitution guarantees all persons equal protection under the law.  While the District Attorneys enter into the political battlefield against the Racial Justice Act, they would do well to examine the evidence of systematic corruption, perjury and incompetence in the criminal justice system, such as:

1) The 2010 Swecker Report revealed systemic perjury within the State Bureau of Investigation crime labs. It found the SBI, which works for the DA’s across the state in difficult cases, had a policy of perjury. SBI agents routinely misrepresented SBI lab results when examined by the DA’s in case after case.  Even if the DA’s did not know at the time their star witnesses were lying to the juries (which we find hard to believe), how can the DA’s now, since this policy of perjury has been widely publicized, be against a law that gives death row inmates a chance to have their sentences changed to life if there were evidence of racial bias in the perjury?  When the Swecker report was first released, the DA’s said they looked at the 268 cases where intentional perjury by SBI witnesses helped gain convictions, and found that in every case, the DA’s still believed there to be no question of  the guilt in those cases.  The DA’s also found 75 more cases, where SBI perjury was a part of the State’s case.  Still, the DA’s insist everyone they convicted was guilty, and that there is no need to check for racial discrimination post-conviction.

2) Seven North Carolina men, locked up for decades on death row have been found not guilty and released in the past few years. Five African Americans; a Latino; and an European-American. These are men who are alive today only because the system did not work fast enough. Why would District Attorneys, who are bound to be ministers of justice and guarantee a fair trial for all, not insist that the taint of racial prejudice and discrimination should not enter the court room?  Do they want to return to the day when there were two standards of justice?  One for white defendants, and one for defendants of color?  

3) Recently, Cumberland County’s DA tried to get the Court to recuse African American Judge Gregory Weeks from hearing the first Racial Justice Act case.  The DA claimed he may need to call Judge Weeks as a witness to testify that prosecutors do not use racially-motivated tactics when they seek a death penalty conviction. The motion was denied, but it serves as further evidence that the DA’s have not accepted the fact that the State (and the NAACP) are serious bout removing racism from all 100 Court Houses in the State, and that the RJA is a vital tool in this effort.

4) During the 2010 campaigns, right-wing extremists, with their unlimited advertising budgets from ultra-rich conservatives, designed and distributed racist ads and mailers to inflame voters’ racial fears and prejudices.  See attached.*  The NAACP protested, and every North Carolina major newspaper condemned the racist and dishonest ads.  One editor called it: "The Big Lie."  Despite the universal condemnation, the right wing extremists, refused to retract their lies.

5) A recent study by Michigan State University found that potential African-American jurors who believe in the death penalty (the majority of African-Americans do not) are more than twice as likely to be dismissed from the jury than their white counterparts.   A defendant’s right, whether Black, Latino, or White, to an impartial jury of his or her peers requires a cross-section of our communities.  By denying African-Americans and other minorities the right to sit on juries, the prosecution and judges deny Black, White, and Latino defendants their right to a fair trial.  Nearly half of the men and women on Death Row now were convicted by juries with one person of color or less.  All-white juries convicted 33 of the people on death row. The Racial Justice Act has revealed what the Racial Justice movement has argued for hundreds of years: Racism hurts white people too.  

###

*

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4 Presidential Candidates Running for God – Source: Business Pundit

4 Presidential Candidates Running for God – (Read more)

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Herman Cain

Salavation and Deliverance Church Choir’s Christmas & How Sweet the Sound Victory Concert Special Guest Tamela Mann (Cora-Meet the Brown) December 9, 2011

Salvation and Deliverance Church (Tarboro, NC)

You’re invited to our Choir’s Christmas & How Sweet the Sound Victory Concert! Our special guest will be TAMELA MANN (Cora-Meet the Browns)! The Event is Dec. 9th, 2011 at 7pm at The Keihin Auditorium located on the campus of Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro, NC. Tickets are: $20/adv; $25/door; $35/V.I.P., which includes a private reception. We would love to see you at our Celebration!

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Salvation & Deliverance

Nehemiah Smith Says, The DCN Got It All Wrong It Was Not He Who Responded To A Previous Comment

Charles Darwin said, "ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."  I believe that this is the case with Mr. Dancy’s response to Nehemiah53 who posted a response to Mr. Dancy’s blog entry about Herman Cain’s harassment issues.  Mr. Dancy’s profanity laden response to Nehemiah53 was puzzling. This is so because he addresses Nehemiah53 as Nehemiah Smith, Jr., me.  There’s one problem; I (Nehemiah Smith, Jr.) am not Nehemiah53.  I don’t even know who that is.  I asked my dad if he had posted anything on the blog, but I remembered that he doesn’t use a computer.  I called Nehemiah Jones and asked him if he had posted the reply, but he no longer lives in North Carolina and wasn’t even aware of the blog.  I tried to call the people at the Nehemiah Project in Rocky Mount to see if they had posted the comment, but was unable to reach anyone.  I tried to find out if there was an OES chapter that uses Nehemiah as a designation for their lodge, no luck.  I did find a person named Gary Vinturella who uses the screen name Nehemiah53 but that’s on twitter.

Then I had an opportunity to read "Presidential Candiate, ‘Why Big Daddy Cain?’ Sexual Harrassment Not One Woman But 2!!! Damnit Now!" for the first time.   Above Mr. Dancy attached my name to the comment.  On the original blog, it only says Nehemiah53. 

Mr. Dancy, you assumed that I was Nehemiah53; I’m not and I never will be.  Anyone who knows my writing style will tell you that I would never use square brackets because they are mainly used to enclose explanatory or missing material usually added by someone other than the original author, especially in quoted text.  Also, anyone who is familiar with my writing style knows that I ALWAYS capitalize "Black" when referring to my people. 

Then there is the issue of me bragging about my college education.  When have I ever done that?  Please, name an instance.  It is and always has been uncouth to tout one’s own accomplishments.  Who cares where I went to college or, for that matter, if I did?  But for the grace of God and parents who stressed education, I could have been just another ne’er-do-well walking the streets.

As for what I’m doing in Rocky Mount (not that I have to respond), I was asked by my mother to come home in order to help her out with my ailing father.  I agreed and came home.  That’s what obedient children do.

Then there’s this:  " You come back here and made all kinds of accusations that were far from the truth spending time on a local Gospel Station Talk Show and then you begin to publish a sorry a… newspaper. It appears you connected with the local white folks who have a problem with the black majority city council. It appears you are connected to the local Tea Party as well. This has lead folks to contact me asking me who were financing your sorry a… newspaper. I refused to do a story about you because I was not going to promote you and your sorry a… newspaper."  Curmilus "Butch" Dancy II 

In a previous post entitled “Open letter to the Reverend Nehemiah Smith Jr. Who Has Been Attacking The Rocky Mount City Council About The High Utilities” you wrote, "I see that was not enough because you have begin to publish a well formatted and beautifully laid out weekly newspaper.

Boy is this newspaper what the black community needs in the local area. I have been telling black folks for years that we needed our own newspaper and those (who could a should a) made it happen did nothing. Well I was doing an internet newsletter until a former local newspaper reporter turned me on to blogging and it has worked for me. I receive several hundreds hits per day.

Back to your beautifully laid out newspaper. When I heard about it I said okay he is going to sure nuff attack the councilmembers now especially Rev. Andre Knight. Every paper has actually done such and then in the edition about 3 Thursdays ago you basically said you were out to get the council.

Well sir black folks can’t get a damn simple letter to the editor in the local newspapers at all and if we do they reword, leave out crucial words and etc. so that our real message be lost and will not go out to their subscribers. So sir your paper could give us that outlet that has been much needed in this area whereby we can get our messages out. We could wake up black folks because there is a force out there that do not want the truth to be made known.

Sir I have no problem with you challenging the council and/or Rev. Andre Knight but do your homework. I find some of the things you say to be downright disgusting but that is because I know the councilmembers and Knight and the issues especially the utilities thingy."

Wow!  What a turnaround. 

I have NEVER written on your blog site until now; and, I’m glad I did.  As for Nehemiah53 (not me), I want to know how you came to the conclusion that it was me.  Was it because the person used the name "Nehemiah?"  I hope not.  That would make you guilty of the same ignorance that you accuse me of.

If I had written on your blog in response to the Herman Cain posting, I would have agreed with you.  The Weekly Defender is no Herman Cain supporter nor do we support the Tea Baggers.  I have and always have been a happily registered Democrat.

As for me being a puppet for white folk, do you really believe that?  And if so, you don’t know me very well.  I run me. 

This year marks my 20th year as a licensed minister and my 19th as an ordained Baptist minister.  During this time I have been afforded the opportunity to study the Bible extensively.  Did you know that there are more than 20 people in the Bible with the name Nehemiah?  Also, did you know that none of them are me.  Did you know that there are 9 Nehemiah Smiths in the United States besides me?  I have spoken to all them by phone.   (It’s funny to call a number and ask for yourself.)

Oh yea, tell Nehemiah53 to stop masquerading as me.  At least if you’re going to do that you should study my style a little bit closer.  LOL!

The one thing that did come out of this is that now I know how you really feel.  It only took Nehemiah53 (not me) to bring it out.  As for you responding to me and getting in contact with me, again you assume that I wanted you to.  Sometimes we say things to be cordial.

Response: You should have already known how I really feel because I had posted an open letter to you here so if you read it sometime ago or you just recently read it, you know!!

Cordial? Not!! You know I was talking some good stuff on the radio that day so not buying that one. However it does not matter. Curmilus Dancy II – The Political Agitator
 
Be blessed Mr. Dancy and keep doing what you do.  We need dissenting voices like yours in our society.

Response: I must apologize to Nehemiah Smith Jr. because after doing some research I can verify that it was not he who responded. Thank you sir for bringing this to my attention. However I do stand behind all that I said in regards to my response although I regret that I thought you had finally posted here.

I guess we are on the same level, I have never purchased one of you newspapers however it didn’t cost you to read The DCN Online News Blog/Internet TV.

You be blessed too my friend and until we meet again.

Curmilus Dancy II – The Political Agitator

See related:

Ignant Column – Rocky Mount NC: Nehemiah Smith Jr. Has Finally Had The Audacity To Post Some Ignance On My Blog