by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
It appears that Fox News is at it again. The same network that has commentators like Eric Bolling, who asked why President Obama was "inviting so many hoods to the hizzy" referenced his 50th birthday party as a "Hip-Hop Barbecue."
President Obama’s party, which was private, served typical picnic food (BBQ chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta, salad) and was held in the Rose Garden of the White House. A-list celebrities were in attendance, including Al Sharpton, Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock performed, among others.
Fox Nation, a website run by Fox News, posted a column by Mike Allen from Politico.com. The title of the column was "Obama’s Hip-Hop Barbecue didn’t Create Jobs."
Bill Shine, Fox Executive Vice President in Charge of programming at Fox Nation stood by the headline: "We used the hip-hop reference per Politico’s Playbook story this morning which stated ‘Also present: Chicago pals, law-school friends, donors–and lots of kids of friends, who stole the show by doing dance routines to the hip-hop songs, in the center of the East Room.’"
The website had to shut off the comments to the article, which were getting out of hand.
"We found many of the comments to be offensive and inappropriate and they have been removed," Shine said.
It appears that Fox News is consistently looking for ways to push the buttons of those who are already concerned about whether or not America is ready for a black president. The truth is that the country is not. By pursuing such a brilliant political strategy and navigating his way into the White House, President Obama is far ahead of his time. So, his mere presence in the White House has been a catalyst for forcing America’s racial roaches out of the closet.
The racism being shown by those on the Right serves as evidence to undermine the arguments of anyone who truly believes that American discrimination has been relegated to history. Also, these difficult moments are necessary for us to confront the demons that keep our country from moving forward. So, in some ways, Fox News is good for America – like the hypnotist who extracts things from your subconscious that you truly believed were no longer a part of your psyche.
At the same time, Fox News shouldn’t be on the airwaves, most of us can agree on this. Their commitment to such vile and disrespectful remarks makes them into a haven for those who are secretly irritated that black oppression has gone out of style. But it does have the added benefit of awakening the consciousness of those who think that there is no reason to fight against this kind of hatred. We’ve got a long way to go in the fight against racism.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and author of the book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Your Black Politics 
WHO CARES ABOUT FOX NEWS? I HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THING TO DO THAN LISTEN TO AIR HEADS. GOD BLESS THEM FOR THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DO. GET A LIFE, PEOPLE!!!
LINDA,
SHELBY, NC
They are racists…so what?! WE have dealt with it all these years before President Obama was ‘ELECTED’ to office. They were racist then and probably always will be! WE still must do what WE must do…’RE-ELECT’ him! President Obama is not ahead of his time. We are all where we are at the MASTER’S choosing! President Obama is for “NOW”! ALL of us need the leader he is NOW! Let’s continue to pray for him, so that he can get the job done for which he IS CHOSEN to do. It’s about time there was some ‘SOUL’ in the White House! No pun intended! Peace & Blessings!
President Obama is not doing anything to improve the lives of ‘blacks’ –African-Americans. In fact his position affords the Anglo-Elite ‘Racists’ that actually chose to put him into office to abuse Africans here and across the diaspora in more open and accelerated ways. Surely you are all caught up in this ‘black’ president mystique but it does us no good whatsoever, it is affecting us negatively.
White people own this country and it’s about what they choose to do, or not do. You and I are insignificant to them because we have no unified financial power like the Jews and we have no powerful country to back us like the Chinese.
Even if each and every one of us chose not to vote for Obama. I can assure you that if the Anglo-Elite and their cohorts choose to keep Obama it doesn’t matter how many votes he gets. Their media can create the appearance of practically anything, as you have seen in the past!
I’ve got something against Obama in that he is a politician without a care in the world for black people. He took the white man’s job because it advances his personal life of power and wealth..Nothing more. Under his facade of leadership the whites of this country can screw our children harder..They can murder and pillage African nations harder and easier..Under the facade of a “black” faced leadership the most racist of American power can annihilate a billion blacks!
The ignorance and naivety of the American people is only matched by that of the African-Americans who continue to hope for something good to become of a country that was built on nothing but evil,death, and human brainwashing! Check out your minds..Force yourselves to think these things out more deeply and clearly!
Totally agree with you. So just Re-elect our president and continue praying so he can accomplish his plans to a better our country
Dr. Boyce: I don’t see that FOX News is any different than you in that you both seize on every opportunity to criticize our first black President. In fact, you are worst because you lay the foundation on which FOX now feels free to add their ‘white’ spin to your ‘black’ hate: “It appears that Fox News is consistently looking for ways to push the buttons of those who are already concerned about whether or not America is ready for a black president.”
You should be ashamed because FOX News gets encouragement from haters like you. Think about that the next time you look for an opportunity to criticize President Obama. Because, for you, looking at what FOX News does must be like looking in a mirror.
@Pudding. Your confusion is that you see a black politician as your friend. He is not your friend unless you have very close ties to him. He doesn’t care about the American people and he surely doesn’t care about the welfare of African-Americans or “blacks”.
He is working for the white man..The Anglo-Elite! Why can’t you see that in everything he represents? Why can’t you see that, in the greater numbers of blacks out of work and unable to get education? Why can’t you see that in the number of African countries that are not being helped, but pillaged instead? You are surely not paying attention to US news or world news. It’s obvious that you haven’t got a clue!
To make matters worse. You attack Dr. Watkins who is not a politician and doesn’t have to try to help us, but he is trying. For that you criticize him? You criticize a man who is busy trying to improve our fatal lives in this overtly racist environment and you protect a politician that is only going for power and wealth as politicians generally do. What’s wrong with you?
This should not be based on emotion, only the facts. Slick Willy is way too slick for us common folks with a slave mentality.
WizardG you act like black people weren’t unemployed and homeless befor President Obama became the President he is not responsible for the mess this country is in he inherited this mess and those who wish to see him fail as the first Black President of this country will and are doing everything they can to see that it happens. Do you think the GOP, the Conservatives and those nuts from the Tea Party care about your black behind The point hear is the comments that Fox news made about the president, he is not the only president that celabrates his birthday Bush spent most of his time as president on vacation or at his ranch. When Fox makes theses kinds of racist comments about the President they are not just being disrespecfull to the president they are making fun and being disrespectfull to all blacks.
Amen!!!
well said Pudding! I hope this criticizing of black from black will encourage more black s ypung and old to stand together for the betterment of our people.
Who the hell was he supposed to invite? Seems he would be rolling with the big leagues now…
I like to comment againt Fox news. I personally do not support anything that Fox news do. I stop supporting them long time ago. They have power to remain on the air just because they are racist and they have a lot of powerful people within the political circle who backs them up with their degrading comments. First of all, let me say that Chris Rock, Steve harvey, J-Z and some of the others arent hood rats. They are respectable comedians, hip hop artists who represents the African Americans. Even if they did come from the ghetto in times past, look at where they at now. At least they’re not robbing the American people who fought for this country, and taking from them continuously by blocking bills so they can continue to profit in their pen houses with increasing taxes and cutting programs which the Republicans do and whom the Fox news support to the fullest.
@Claudia. You must be clear that all media that is owned by corporations is negative and used to fool and brainwash the masses. Fox News is owned by Rupert Murdoch. He has been in the news lately because of the hacking of cell phones by one of his newspapers in London. His whole conglomeration was built on the backs of poor people and working class. He is only one of the Anglo-Elite group of secret society members who can do whatever they choose and never fear incarceration or loss of all wealth. With power like that he can pull all kinds of deathly attacks on people around the world. His power is so omnipotent that he will never see the inside of a jail cell. The whites and Jews like him are the “Untouchables”. They are manipulating and stealing everything that isn’t tied down!
They run con games that get covered up and paid off by all of their politicians. The same ones we consider our “leadership”. Yet the politicians are also owned by these Anglo-Elite super-rich.(The money is secretly and openly funneled into offshore bank accounts etc).
Obama is connected to the Anglo-Elite as a sort of “house N” sort. He does exactly what they say. He puts his ‘black’ face out there for the world to see while he represents the rich and powerful Anglo-Elite in their sly attempts at robbing the weaker nations of the world, and now that this country has been weakened by them it is being ransacked too! Blacks will always be kept on the bottom rungs of this white supremacist racist social structure. The whites have made sure that their media continues to portray us as nothing among the eyes of the world. Very few people in other nations have any respect for African-Americans because the whites have made sure that we be made to look like the worst of the worst. They use their great numbers of media chains very effectively.(We have no collective power to get anything done).
And here is something you probably don’t know. The citizens of the US own the airwaves, but make no profit from the wealth the rich whites create from using them and to make matters worse they have been able to get themselves out of paying any taxes.
The Anglo-Elite own Everything! They have cornered great numbers of corporations in the world! Everything they have is connected in one way or another so that no matter what happens in the world, they get paid! People have asked what war is good for? Now we know that wars create wealth for the Anglo-Elite. And always at the expense of the people! Our children are forced into the military for lack of jobs and some suffer and die because of these fake wars concocted by these racist Anglo-Elite! And remember that Obama works for them!!! These Elite are so powerful that they can demand the leaders of weaker nations to turn over massive resources and wealth that should have gone to benefit the people of those nations. It’s no wonder these people are left poor.
If you look close enough you can see the hands of these Anglo-Elite in every nation that is failing and suffering today! Pay close attention .
I quess if Obama and his staff would have invited only white hip hop and white pop artist Fox news wouldnt have anything to criticize about. I am pretty sure that in the past Bush, Reagan and many more presidents celebrated their birthdays with their favorite artist. But Fox news didnt degrade and make racist comments about them because Fox news is definetely a pennicle hut for the White Supremist. Fox news is terrible and should have been taken off the air long time ago. You are the worse people to represent what our society should be about.
Obama is not favorable to the well-being of the African-American “blacks” in this country because the Anglo-Elite put him in office to cover their attacks on us here and abroad, he is however still ‘black’ and can enjoy the qualities of the black pseudo-culture. We created this culture from the remnants of our African Ancestors mixed with the brainwashed conditioning of our ‘white’ racist benefactors. You might say that we are a confused mixed race with a hodgepodge of a culture.
Obama may be in the position of power as we are led to believe it is, but his white friends will still be few, especially up there in the sky where the rich and powerful elite whites live. It’s no wonder the British crown wouldn’t invite his family to their wedding. I’m almost certain most of the whites in power in this country will block him from their lives also. Look. He’s being used in this position of fake president to allow the Anglo-Elite racist warmongers to pillage and murder African people at a higher rate with ease.(Who can point the finger at the Anglo-Elite if they can hide behind the black man who was installed by them?)
I have observed that every community black people moved into in this country with a generally white makeup the whites would eventually move out. That is whether it’s housing, schools, or workplaces. Not only would whites move out in mass but the quality of the places would be diminished. GW Bush was placed into to the facade of the president to do his part, which was to be stupid and do what he was told. He helped diminish the presidential position in the minds of whites enough that they were ready to accept anybody including Obama, who was by the way, jettisoned to the position at light-speed! Now the Anglo-Elite can easily manipulate practically everything concerning blacks and the welfare of the nation. (Blacks have generally counted on welfare and government when private white-owned accesses are denied). The Anglo-Elite have been ransacking Social Security for years, but now they can topple it if they choose to. They have been threatening African nations like Libya for years, but now they can attack them outright Although the are using their fake NATO configuration to do it on a sly.
Back to the party! Obama is not a good ‘black’ for our leadership and he is not trying to be, but he does have black in him and because of that he is an outcast to whites but more an easy blend for the soul-brother set. He can have a fancy bar-b-que, and still be down. Whites are going to shred him regardless because whites are generally racist ignorant and cannot help themselves. Although they use religion as their sordid attempt at trying.(Yet very few white churches have cohesion with black churches etc.)
If the whites in power and their media power calls Obama names out loud you can imagine what they feel about “blacks” here and around the world. And remember that they hold the ultimate power in this country and they are using Obama, as he is very willing to be used for the power and wealth he obtains for his family…But we will suffer as black people because the whites are using him in that position in order to attack us!
Believe it or not!
Wizard G seems to be full of hate and anger for Barack Obama and seems to want blacks to join in his futile efforts to denigrate. Thank God that many of us see him for what he is. I am a 75 year old black woman and have seen the demon the demon that Wizard G is many times in many others…
Thrugh experiences and ecucation I know the demon when it presents itself.
Racism had tbecome masked, clandestine, and hidden in the recent past. Now thanks to Fox News, The new “Tea Party” and other such entities, racism has become more overt in some circles, mecia and otherwise. One positive side of that is when we see it for what it is we are better able to eradicate it. Hopefully we will be able to determine for ourselves the true causes and effects of what is happening in OUR country without claiming knoledge of the inner thoughts of anyone. We can stick to the facts of the contributions of an individuals but we cannot determine the thoughts and the reasons. There are those of us that know all white people are not demons though some might be, but not just because they aliy with Barack Obama. We also know that all black folks are not unlearned and shallow thinking just because they ally with Barack Obama.
Plenty of us are well aware of “Divide and Conquer ” tactics.
black people kill me saying our country. a country that has in its constitution that you are considered 3/5ths of a man until this day. this is not our country, we are in captivity for our disobedience to the convenant of the Most High. until we return back to the convenant, we will remain in this state of our condition. no matter what you say or what ideals you come up with, they will all fail. return back to the convenant, then and only then will we be redeemed.
after reading some of the rants, it’s easy to see why we are so confused as a people. i don’t believe in President Obama, but if I am dying and need help, I prefer him instead of a republican.
Democrats and Repub are both devils, but it’s better to go along with the one that you are familiar with instead of the one you know hates you to make ends meet.
wizard g, i understand where you are coming from, but like so many of our black leaders, you have no solutions to your rhetoric!
Both parties are devils, but if i must deal with the devil, I prefer the one that I am familar with oppose to the one that I know is trying to destroy me. Therefore, i have to bet on black for now unitl there is a better option.
Black folks can never have an intelligent conversation without some brainwashed sheep pulling out a BIBLE; the cause of all our problems. The bible wasn’t written for black folks….wake up!
things. sorry
Fox who?!?!?! Fox what?!?!? …
Oh, but that’s what you get from tacky journalist … all the gook that comes from bottom feeding! Let’s just hope they’re able to get off their lazy butts long enough to find and report something relevant … instead of going live … just speaking their minds! This is tacky, tacky, and tacky! And to be fair, we all have had those days where we think some jacked up crap BUT thank goodness that is never published or broadcast for the public. Words can either build you are tare you down. It depends on how you choose to use your words and what you’re saying.
Here’s a news flash … keep your opinions to yourself! … Nobody cares what you think, just do your job and please try to do it with some class. Hopefully, their will be some pink slips given out behind this … it has to be corrected one way or another. Huh? …
Let me speak for the President. For all the racist Tea-partiersand other bigots whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who were Grand KKK’s, White Citizen Council or “terrorist” calling themselves Christians in the name of a blond-haired, blue-eyed Jesus, President Obama celebrares 50 years of life because in 1961, lynchings, burnings, murders, the lying crying of the white womam, where Jim Crow thrived, but today fear of white is no longer here, today. tommorrow and onward should every black individual who made it through racist American then should celebrate a birthday or anniversary in racist America today!
Fox your ignorance is showing again. Because this President is black he is not allowed to have Birthday Parties, or go on Vacations, but when Bush was President he spent more time away from the Whitehouse than he did in it. I guess white folks don’t have BBQ’s and I guess only white Presidents can celebrate their Birthdays and invite celebrities to attend.
I am sick and tired of those racist from Fox, the GOP, the Conservatives and the Tea Party Nuts, who I lovingly refer to as the new KKK, treating President Obama like he is some kind of House N—-, on the Plantation. When Fox News makes these type of remarks about the President they are making them about all Blacks not just Ptresident Obama and all blacks, no matter how you feel about President Obama, should be highly offended by their actions.
It behooves me to no end how a network that racist is allowed to stay on the air. Well I tell you one good thing that Fox News has done, it woke those people up who thought that because we had a black President racism was going to just disappear. Now you know racism is alive and well and living in the United States of America.