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The Daily OrangeEdit | The wayward words of Boyce Watkins
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Posted: 10/18/07, 12:41 AM EST Section: Opinion
When Boyce Watkins described Fox News panelist Juan Williams as a "happy negro" during a Sept. 26 edition of CNN's "Newsroom," Watkins stooped to the level of the man he came on the show to criticize - Bill O'Reilly.
Watkins, a Syracuse University finance professor, intended to disapprove of comments made by Fox News' O'Reilly regarding the good behavior of black customers at a restaurant in Harlem. His initial criticism seemed reasonable, aside from a comment comparing O'Reilly to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
However, in responding to a comment from blogger and fellow CNN panelist La Shawn Barber about how she and Williams were not offended by O'Reilly's statements, Watkins failed to appropriately articulate why he disagreed with Williams' opinion. Instead, he took a cheap shot at Williams.
Watkins was certainly entitled to say what he thought about Williams on the show. But calling another black man a "happy negro" hardly displayed the kind of intellectualism that Watkins proudly boasts. His talk radio remark actually undermined any of the notable comments he made during the program.
The juvenility of such a comment could easily be forgotten if both the media and Watkins in particular let the incident disappear. Neither O'Reilly's nor Watkins' opinion carries enough notoriety to merit continual analysis and discussion.
Despite the two men's overall irrelevance, the professor - an excellent self-promoter - and cable stations like CNN and Fox News continue to make the non-news an ongoing controversy.
SU fueled the fire, too.
The university released a statement, reported today in The Daily Orange, declaring that Watkins' comments did not represent the university's beliefs. The statement may ease the nerves of parents who now worry about their children majoring in finance at SU, but the public relations maneuver wasn't necessary. Watkins does not represent SU to the public.
Jim Boeheim, Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Greg Robinson are faces people in the Syracuse area can certainly identify. On a national scale, Boeheim may be the only readily identifiable figure.
Granted, Watkins is typically identified as an SU professor by media outlets, including CNN. Furthermore, his screen shot did have him sitting in front of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. However, most people probably know identification alone does not suggest that Watkins speaks for the university.
The public quickly forgets Watkins' specific background. To a national audience, he just looks like a talking head taking part in the screaming contest that typically appears on 24-hour news channels these days.
Watkins, a Syracuse University finance professor, intended to disapprove of comments made by Fox News' O'Reilly regarding the good behavior of black customers at a restaurant in Harlem. His initial criticism seemed reasonable, aside from a comment comparing O'Reilly to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
However, in responding to a comment from blogger and fellow CNN panelist La Shawn Barber about how she and Williams were not offended by O'Reilly's statements, Watkins failed to appropriately articulate why he disagreed with Williams' opinion. Instead, he took a cheap shot at Williams.
Watkins was certainly entitled to say what he thought about Williams on the show. But calling another black man a "happy negro" hardly displayed the kind of intellectualism that Watkins proudly boasts. His talk radio remark actually undermined any of the notable comments he made during the program.
The juvenility of such a comment could easily be forgotten if both the media and Watkins in particular let the incident disappear. Neither O'Reilly's nor Watkins' opinion carries enough notoriety to merit continual analysis and discussion.
Despite the two men's overall irrelevance, the professor - an excellent self-promoter - and cable stations like CNN and Fox News continue to make the non-news an ongoing controversy.
SU fueled the fire, too.
The university released a statement, reported today in The Daily Orange, declaring that Watkins' comments did not represent the university's beliefs. The statement may ease the nerves of parents who now worry about their children majoring in finance at SU, but the public relations maneuver wasn't necessary. Watkins does not represent SU to the public.
Jim Boeheim, Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Greg Robinson are faces people in the Syracuse area can certainly identify. On a national scale, Boeheim may be the only readily identifiable figure.
Granted, Watkins is typically identified as an SU professor by media outlets, including CNN. Furthermore, his screen shot did have him sitting in front of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. However, most people probably know identification alone does not suggest that Watkins speaks for the university.
The public quickly forgets Watkins' specific background. To a national audience, he just looks like a talking head taking part in the screaming contest that typically appears on 24-hour news channels these days.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 15
Boyce Watkins
posted 10/18/07 @ 6:25 AM EST
This commentary is not only incorrect, but it is reflective of the fact that SU needs to force all students to take a course in black history.
It is also reflective of the fact that many members of the white media, some of whom have incredibly undiversified staffs, are very quick to judge black people while they know nothing about us or our culture. (Continued…)
Exposure
posted 10/22/07 @ 11:06 AM EST
I'm utterly disgusted that you have the audacity to sit and pick out a grammatical error in an attempt to invalidate his comment. How dare you. There is nothing wrong with self-reflection! That's usually the goal of academia-to expose and expand your mind. (Continued…)
Ravi
posted 10/22/07 @ 11:34 PM EST
In response to "Exposure":
Congratulations to you on receiving a well-rounded education from SU. If Boyce is the true author of comment number 1 above, and I think he may be, let the record show that Boyce didn't just suggest that SU students study Black history, he believes they should be forced to do so. (Continued…)
Ravi
posted 10/23/07 @ 12:35 AM EST
correction to comment 5: criticism
I should have proofread it better.
Exposure
posted 10/23/07 @ 3:42 PM EST
Wow I'm surprised that I'm even responding, but I love the dialogue that comes out of free speech.
Ravi, enough about Boyce Watkins and what he knows. (Continued…)
Ravi Saini
posted 10/23/07 @ 4:39 PM EST
To "Exposure" (Who apparently wishes to remain anonymous by hiding behind a silly pseudonym):
Thank you for your response. I appreciate being insulted and misquoted. (Continued…)
zhiaglasgow
posted 5/15/08 @ 4:50 PM EST
on coast to coast radio program sunday night, may 11th, after 12m on wsyr, the host ian ponnet's guest was a doctor named hazlen
he wrote a book on dr. (Continued…)
Chip
posted 5/16/08 @ 1:25 PM EST
I would like Watkin's to define "happy negro"? At the time, I suspect he used it to describe Juan Williams and any black who does not agree with his very liberal point of view. (Continued…)
martin vogt
posted 5/18/08 @ 1:10 PM EST
As a 1967 business school graduate I was dismayed to hear Nancy Cantor's lame response to the Fox News reporter's queries last week. It seems that Syracuse University is no different from the majority of our institutions of higher learning that have become incubators for ultra liberal propaganda being spewed to our youth ad nauseum. (Continued…)
Michael (MBA)
posted 5/24/08 @ 3:22 PM EST
The rel issue is tenured faculty.
Unlike any other profession, tenured faculty are bullet proof. Intellectual light weights such as Boyce Watkins are able to throw verbal bombs with impugnity. (Continued…)
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