The truth is that there are a whole bunch of people who want success, but they usually want it for free. These brothers understand that you usually have to pay a high price to get what you want.
We were discussing the case of Heather Ellis. Heather Ellis is a 24-year old college student now facing 15-years in prison after being accused of cutting line at a Walmart. We are planning a rally for Heather in Kennett, MO on November 16, with thousands coming from around the nation in order to save her life. Tom Joyner, Roland Martin, and Michael Baisden are just a few of the names of brothers and sisters around the nation willing to step up to tell Heather's story to the public.
After the show was done, I called my assistant and confidant Shauntay, in order to talk about the events planned for the day. Shauntay is a stern reminder to me that you are only as good as the people who work for you, and she is the greatest assistant on Earth. During our conversation, Shauntay asked me, "Did you notice how they seemed to get nervous and rush you off at the end?"
I said, "Yeah, I noticed that. But I don't blame them, I might have done the same thing."
Why was I rushed off at the end of the segment? It all has to do with Walmart being one of the key corporate sponsors for the Tom Joyner Morning Show. During the interview, I first mentioned that it was reported as far away as Memphis that Walmart employees were being asked not to discuss the Heather Ellis incident. Tom started to deflect the conversation away from the merchant.
"Well, that could have happened in any store, right?" said Tom.
I then went on to explain that, while it could have happened in any store, there was no getting away from the fact that it happened in Walmart: A Walmart employee was the one who chose not to serve Heather after accusing her of cutting line, the family reports that nearly every Walmart employee involved in the incident has been transferred to another store, and there are Walmart employees on the affidavits filed after the incident took place. There is no way to disconnect Walmart from this incident.
Unlike our supporters in Detroit, who are ready to boycott Walmart and stage a complete "black out" of the store, I have not asked for such a thing. Instead, I've only requested that Walmart use its influence to help Heather during her trial. I honestly believe that one sincere phone call from the right executive can make this situation go away. A daughter of a pastor, in college, with no criminal record is hardly the kind of thug that should be rotting away in the penitentiary. Anyone can understand that.
This discussion of The Tom Joyner Morning Show is not a negative reflection on the righteousness of Tom Joyner or his choice of having Walmart as a corporate sponsor (if it were Wells Fargo, then we might have an issue). The incident is reflective of how the power of media is driven by corporate sponsorship. Given that corporate sponsors controlled by the descendants of the historical oppressors of black people are financing most African-American media, the ability to pursue true and meaningful activism is sometimes muted. In other words, nobody disrespects their daddy, especially if their daddy is the one putting food on the table. The life of one black woman is not, to some, worth the loss of millions of dollars in corporate money (I do not agree with this assessment). One of the limitations of capitalism is that it forces us to put a dollar value on human life. I personally think human life has infinite value, and that is why I am fighting for Heather.
The audio to the Tom Joyner Morning Show appearance is below if you'd like to listen:
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (10)
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By: C. Stansberry on 11/12/2009 1:39PM
I listened to Tom Joyner this morning as I usually do and I have a slightly different perspective than the conclusion you've come to. Since I am aware, through you, about the situation I feel it was more serious than the impression I think was given. I think if either Tom or Roland had read or had more time to listen to a more detailed explanation their response might have been different. Also you are not the only one that Tom has to rush at the end of the conversation. There is apparently a time restriction. I don't think Wal Mart being a corporate sponsor had anything to do with your time being rushed, although it might have played a part in Tom Joyner's comment.
Just my opinion.
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By: monique on 11/25/2009 9:22PM
I listened to that interview. Tom was definitely putting on a serious push to get the interview over. You don't just play the music over someone's voice and then justify the behavior of Walmart that way without sounding suspicious. Tom just didn't do his homework. Also notice that he never talked about the Heather Ellis case ever again, even though almost every single black media outlet and all the major white networks were covering. That looks awfully suspicious!
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By: BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet on 11/28/2009 1:04PM
I placed this statement on your Facebook page:
"I don't think that Tom was defending Walmart AT ALL... he was merely clarifying the facts of the case. The blogosphere is putting out false information on the case to generate black support by stating that Heather Ellis is facing 15 years for cutting a line at Walmart. This is a LIE. That's not a crime and that's not what she was charged with.
Tom was absolutely right for making that point.
Also... the case where a boy was set on fire was clearly a hate crime. The employee who noticed a customer getting in front of other waiting customers IS NOT committing a hate crime.
I won't say that an employee noticing a customer stepping in front of waiting customers and saying something to the customer is committing a RACIALLY-MOTIVATED action.
The police showing up at a store when caled for a disturbance is not RACIALLY-MOTIVATED. (Now what happened next may very well be! Let's see the video and decide!)
Tom was absolutely right for pointing out that these two cases have nothing to do with each other.
A hate crime where a boy was set on fire did not occur as a result of the press on the Walmart case and has nothing to do with the Walmart incident - even if it occurred in the same region of the state.
The hate crime involving that boy was a completely different set of circumstances. It was not a retaliatory action relating to the Walmart incident at all but yet that case was being mentioned in the same discussions as the Walmart incident.
Tom was correct in pointing it out.
As for the time allotted for a radio interview, those time constraints can not be changed on the spur of the moment. I don't think it had anything to do with Walmart being a sponsor.
Tom handled the interview professionally and asked the right questions and articulated the clarifications that should have been made.
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By: monique on 11/12/2009 8:43PM
Girl, you need to stay off the pipe and stop defending racism. If the clerk had not refused to serve the girl, the situation would never have gotten out of hand. Also, the manager of the walmart even apologized to the family and said that it should have been handled differently. That was on the radio.
Stop trying to send black college students to prison!
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By: kingdavidlives on 11/13/2009 3:27PM
"I've only requested that Walmart use its influence to help Heather during her trial. I honestly believe that one sincere phone call from the right executive can make this situation go away."
If WalMart doesn't want any more negative press, they should take your "advice."
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By: z on 11/15/2009 12:31AM
Monique thank you for checkin BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet. With all the hot air she blew, and tryin to get brownie points with Tom who was protecting his money, she totally ignored the point of the comparison of boy set on fire and this incident in that this town breeds and supports racism against Blacks which is why these incidences are continuing to occur.
What is more sad is the increasingly misguided mentality of BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet and some blacks like her who continues to give passes to prominent blacks and corporations unwilling to make a deserving sacrifice to stop racism and hold those accountable for the acts of racism.
The rate of Black college students and upcoming young promising athletes being arrested who had no previous criminal records are enormous and rapidly increasing. This is definately an issue that need to be on Obamas' agenda and any other who has the voice and power to stop these racist injustices being openly and increasingly practiced against Black people.
BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet, educate yourself before you pickup that trumpet again! You're doing a huge disservice to all but especially your own people with your shortsided, misguided ramble.
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By: Friday Foster on 11/14/2009 2:17PM
My comment is to the the question: Where are the state officals: I have lived in the bootheel of Southeast Missouri for many years. So when I tell you that Jim Crow is alive and living well. I'm first qualified to make such a statment and can documend those facts.
Our State Officals only show up in our area when they want our vote. It is not like our State Representive (Joann Emerson) or our Senator (Clara McCaskill) doesn't know about this case. I know this beacuse I made a special trip to Washington DC back in June and delivered the material personaly to each of these individuals. Joann even came to a NAACP Round table discussion in Sikeston Missouri. She gave a lot of false promises and left the same way that she came in private, hidden and uncover. She did not want anyone to know that she was meeting with the NAACP or the black leaders in the area. This was in September it is now November and we have not heard one word from either of them on the racism or police burtaliy that is going on here.
It is also important that everyone understands, that Wal Wart stores in major cities are not operated or ran in the same manner as the ones in the rural counties of missouri. This is whre I fault the Wal Mart Corporation. They are ran by racist individuals, that hirer friends and family members. They take care of each other and will stick together even if it means making false statments against blacks or low income whites. To them they are one in the same. This also means that they are not above embellishing the truth if it means keeping the brotherhood safe.
With that being said Wal-mart might not have filed a charge against Ms. Ellis but make no mistake about it Wal Wart is helping to build a case against her and driving the nails in her coffin. The fact that the employees have been instructed not to say a word on this case leads me to believe that they have something to hide.
To Ms. Trumpuet blower, You are correct. Jumping in line is not a crime. This is why a lie had to be introduced into evidence by the police officer to make sure that a jail term follows. A tacted that has been used to dealth here in the bootheel because it works so well and the police, procuters and Judges have gotten away with it for every. It is also important to note that in this police station there are no Blacks employed.
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By: Isaiah B rock Jr. on 11/17/2009 1:09AM
No matter how this situation may look, the young lady can get out of this situation if she would file her UCC 1-207 State Financial Statement. At present they are charging her "STRAWPERSON" who she think is really her, but they are not the same, and this is something that all blacks should take advantage of.
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By: Kirk on 12/10/2009 6:53AM
looking for Chris Paul web page if u can help
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By: beatrice woodward on 1/21/2010 10:10PM
Hi Tom, this is a copy of my response to the story of kanye being baned from participating in the program to rais money for Hati. Please read and respond. To all racists people, especially these in the Media. You are all so ready to Blacklist every black person you can. Look at what you are doing to Chris Brown, Tiger Woods and now Kanye West and every black person you can destroy-you destroy for every little mistake they make. On the other hand, you deliberately overlook just how Kanye's remarks sky rocketed Tyler Swift to the top. She got recognization that she would not have gotten if Kanye had not opened his big mouth. Yes Kanye has a big mouth but he is not evil as you all are. Black people everywhere should stand up for Kanye and Chris Brown, but NO, everyone is totally afraid of the Racist White Media and all you Hate filled people out there who join in every hateful mean thing the media spouts out regarding black people.
As for Chris Brown, he gets Blackballed for finally, in a moment of having a few drinks, losing his temper and hitting someone back who had repeatedly hit him in the past. And what happens to Charlie Sheen who threatens his wife with a Knife-NOTHING. In our society people hit each other all the time without being blackballed from making a living. I am not suggesting that it is right to hit anyone, but I don’t know of any who would allow someone to strike them in the face without instinctively hitting them back. But just as many things happen in our society that are not right it is not right how you deliberately set out to destroy every black person possible. AS IF YOU ARE ALL SO PERFECT-YOU ARE TEN TIMES WORSE THAN ANY OF THE PEOPLE YOU SET OUT TO CONDEMN AND DESTROY. I wish you all the worst the world can bring. Kanye is a young man who just lost his mother and I know he has not gotten over that, I know he is still grieving. And although he was right about what he said about George Bush, he should not have said it because now look what has happed to him since that. First his mother is murdered and now he is blackballed from doing what he was born to do-entertain just because he drank a little too mach and said something he most surely should not have said. He is very young and very talented just as Chris Brown is and they should not be silenced from sharing their talent and music with the world. Speak Up Black People! Help these young men out (Chris Brown and Kanye West) I know that Tiger Wood can take care of himself.
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