Joseph C. Phillips, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Joseph C. Phillips' feature film credits include starring roles in Strictly Business, Let’s Talk About Sex and Midnight Blue.

 

As a writer Mr. Phillips has had essays published in Newsweek, Los Angeles Daily News, Essence Magazine, Upscale, USA Today, Turning Point, College Digest, BET.com and the Indianapolis Recorder. His column “The Way I see It” appears weekly in The Columbus Post, The Los Angeles Wave, Akron Reporter, The Michigan Chronicle, The Michigan Front Page, The Chicago Defender, the New Pittsburgh Courier, among many other publications. Joseph has also contributed commentary to BET Tonight, BET Nightly News, The Dennis Miller Show, America’s Black Forum, American Urban Radio Networks, was for 3 years a regular commentator on National Public Radio’s the Tavis Smiley Show and currently appears as a regular commentator on NPR’s News and Notes with Ed Gordon.  His first book, “He Talk Like a White Boy,” will be released in the spring of 2006 from Running Press, a division of Perseus Books.

Past articles:

Commentary: Old-Fashioned Marriage, Part IV – It’s More Than a Promise Made - It’s a Duty Fulfilled
Commentary: ‘The Growing Income Gap’ Among the Fairy Tales You’ll Hear During This Election Season
Commentary: A Boy’s Simple Act of Love a Reminder of How Precious Childhood Is, How Fast Time Passes
Commentary: A Glimpse of Zimbabwe, American-Style Offers Real Insight into Our Global Imagery and Impact
Commentary: A Lesson for Those Lacking Faith – If We Knew What God Knew, We Wouldn’t Ask Questions
Commentary: A Question for the Money-Worshipping Minister: Does God Buy Off the Rack?
Commentary: Americans Talk About Reducing Global Warming, But Are We Really Ready to Walk the Walk?
Commentary: An Increase in the Federal Minimum Wage More Likely to Harm Those it Intends to Help
Commentary: Anyone American Who Doesn’t Vote for Obama is Racist? So Much for Post-Racial Politics
Commentary: Are the Global Warming Zealots Walking the Walk on Prevention or Just Blowing Hot Air?
Commentary: As Any Diehard Athlete - or Sports Fan - Will Attest, Real Sports Don’t Have Sequins
Commentary: As Former Rep. Mark Foley’s Case Makes it Clear, a Good Sword is Hard to Find
Commentary: As the Face of America Changes, So Should Our Convoluted Notions About Race
Commentary: Barack Obama Can’t Win as Long as He Continues to Play That Tired, Dog-Eared Race Card
Commentary: Bennett Proved That He Doesn’t Get It, but Do We ‘Get It’ on Abortion?
Commentary: Bill Cosby’s ‘Come On, People’ Akin to Marcus Garvey’s Appeal, ‘Up, You Mighty Race’
Commentary: Black College Student-Athletes Aren’t the Ones Being Exploited - The Regular Students Are
Commentary: Black History Month Treats Our Contributions to America’s Narrative as an Asterisk
Commentary: Black Youth Leadership Programs Help Our Kids Crush Misconceptions of Us – and Our Future
Commentary: Building Better Communities is a Matter of Generosity – Giving of Your Time, Effort and Goodwill
Commentary: Bush Honored King, Then Set Forth a Vision of America’s Promise
Commentary: Candidates Should Take a Page From Bill And Grow a Backbone
Commentary: Check the Constitution -- Bush is Within His Rights to Listen In on America
Commentary: Children’s Laughter Reminds Us How Powerful – and Fleeting – Innocence Is
Commentary: Clinton’s Attempt to Change the Rules Midway Through the Game Smacks of the Same Old Politics
Commentary: Come Hell or Higher Gas Prices, We Must Cut Our Use of Foreign Oil
Commentary: Conservatives Must Ask Themselves ‘Whither the Republican Party?’
Commentary: Conyers’ Posturing Over Downing Street Memo Same Ol’ Anti-War Talk
Commentary: Declining Marriage Rates Aren’t Just a Black Family Thing – They're an American Thing
Commentary: Democratic Candidate John Edwards, the Boy Who Would Be King, is Instead a Hypocrite
Commentary: Despite Calling for a New Dialogue on Race, Barack Obama Sees the Issue Through Old Lenses
Commentary: Despite Media Reports to the Contrary, the Death of Marriage Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
Commentary: Despite Opposing Politics, Most of Us Have More in Common Than We Think
Commentary: Despite the Obstacles, Providing Quality Public Education Isn’t Rocket Science
Commentary: Do We Have a Right to Health Care and Social Security? They Sound More Like Privileges
Commentary: Doing the Apology Two-Step with Al & Jesse Doesn’t Help Richards – or the Rest of America
Commentary: Don’t Mean to Begrudge a Celebration of Love, But it Needs to Be Said – I Hate Valentine’s Day
Commentary: Don’t Worry if Bush ‘Cares’ -- We Should Be Asking if Black Men Care Enough
Commentary: Durham D.A. May Be Looking for Cosmic Justice in Duke Case – But is That Justice?
Commentary: Environmentalists Want You to Save the Planet? They Could Start By Helping You Save Your Green
Commentary: Even the Walking Dead – Those Lost in Addiction – Have Something to Teach Us About Life
Commentary: For National Soul Food Month, Let’s Celebrate this Uniquely American Cuisine
Commentary: For Whom Would Jesus Cast His Vote? By the Looks of It, None of the Above
Commentary: Freedom or Fairness? The Moral Right Wants One, While the Liberal Left Wants the Other
Commentary: Gay Marriage Advocates Don’t Want Tolerance, They Want Their Lifestyles to Become Mainstream
Commentary: Gen. Peter Pace Refused to Apologize for His Personal Views on Homosexuals? Good for Him
Commentary: God and Percocet Make Strange Bedfellows – and Offer Insight into Life’s Pains and Pleasures
Commentary: Happy Birthday, MTV – and Thank You for a Quarter-Century of Memories
Commentary: He Can Say What He Likes, but Obama’s Adopting the Bush Administration’s Stance on the War
Commentary: If Activist Immigrants Want to Be Americans, They Should Want to Assimilate
Commentary: If Banning Lip Balm is What Passes for Airline Security, We’re Certainly Not Secure
Commentary: If Conservatives Don’t Weigh in On the Jena Six Injustice, We’ll Continue to Lose Black Support
Commentary: If Enjoying ‘American Idol’ is Uncool, Then That’s a Label Some of Us are Proud to Bear
Commentary: If Mocking ‘Ghetto’ Life Offends Us, We Need to Stop – Or Change – That Image
Commentary: If Mocking ‘Ghetto’ Life Offends Us, We Need to Stop – Or Change – That Image
Commentary: If We Want Iran to Abandon Their Nuclear Ambitions, Like It or Not, We Must Engage Them
Commentary: If We Want to Win the War on Jihadism, We Must Show and Prove That Our Culture is Best
Commentary: If You’re Battling the New Year’s Blues, Remember Your Many Blessings – and Be Grateful
Commentary: Immigration Policy That Doesn’t Bode Well for America Certainly Isn’t Reform
Commentary: Immigration Policy, Part Two – Why’re We Rushing? Let’s Secure Borders First
Commentary: In Declining Black Families, Where Does the Buck Stop? At the Feet of Our Men
Commentary: In Immigration Debate, Politicians Shouldn’t Forget Who They Represent – We, the People
Commentary: In the Failed Dubai Ports Deal, The American People Spoke, Listened – and Prevailed
Commentary: In the Name of Serving Gays’ Interest, Outing Amounts to Bullying
Commentary: In This Case of Sexual Harassment, the Knicks Really Dropped the Ball
Commentary: Is it Comedy to Suggest That Men Can Be Virtuous? If So, I Don’t Get It
Commentary: Is Radical Christianity as Dangerous to America as Radical Islam? Absolutely Not
Commentary: Is the Phrase ‘Guest Workers’ Fair? Or Is it ‘Guests That Don’t Go Home?’
Commentary: It’s Time to Stand Up, Black Man! Find a Way to Make a Difference in a Young Boy’s Life
Commentary: Jews and Arab Extremists, How High is the Price of Peace in the Middle East?
Commentary: Keeping Marriage Together with the Glue of Faith
Commentary: King Memorial – Nestled Between Lincoln and Jefferson – a Monument to American Idealism
Commentary: Let’s Not Allow Partisan Politics to Divide Us When Unity is Needed Most
Commentary: Life’s Long Walk is Hard, but - as Native American Wisdom Says – All Roads are Good
Commentary: Like a Bad Penny, Obama’s Links to Rev. Wright Will Continue to Revisit Him in the Campaign
Commentary: Look Around, and You’ll See How Many Regular, Working-Class Folk are Everyday Heroes
Commentary: Looking for Christmas Magic? It’s in People Stoking the Fires of Love, Laughter
Commentary: Looking for Hope in Our Future? The Cliche’s True -- It’s in Our Children
Commentary: Lynching Re-Enactment Gave Voice to Voiceless While Seeking Justice
Commentary: McCarthy’s ‘No Country for Old Men’ is a Great Book, a Great Movie -- and a Great Lesson
Commentary: Men as the Head of the Household Doesn’t Mean Relegating Women to Second-Class Citizenship
Commentary: Message to the NAACP on the Subject of Immigration – Hello, Is Anybody Home?
Commentary: More Notes on Old Fashioned Marriage – Walking Together, Committed to Each Other, is Key
Commentary: More Notes on Old-Fashioned Marriage – Understanding The Numbers Game That Most Men Play
Commentary: More on the Federal Minimum Wage – Doesn’t a Vibrant U.S. Economy Make It Irrelevant?
Commentary: Most Americans Think Blacks Can Succeed Without Affirmative Action; That’s Why It’s Ending
Commentary: My Resolution for 2006? Keeping the Counter – and My Life – Clutter-Free
Commentary: Need to Change Your Stress Level? Start with Changing Your Attitude and Perspective
Commentary: None of Us Relishes the Idea of Waging War, But Thank God for Our Heroes in the Military
Commentary: Obama May Be a Great Communicator, But the Jury’s Still Out On If He Could Fill Bush’s Shoes
Commentary: Obama’s Success Demonstrates That the American Ideal of Equality for All Still Holds True
Commentary: Old Fashioned Marriage Part III: A Community Project
Commentary: Old School vs. New School? When It Comes to the Lost Art of Courtship, There’s No Contest
Commentary: On Immigration, Republicans Should Stick to Their Core Principles Instead of Symbolism
Commentary: On Kids’ Achievement Gap, Biden May Have Been Correct Before He Became Politically Correct
Commentary: Our Current Social Security System is Little More than A Pyramid Scheme
Commentary: Pointing the Finger at Our Problems Does Precious Little to Solve Them
Commentary: Public Education vs. Government Schools – Who’s Responsible for Teaching Our Children?
Commentary: Public Schools Should Be More Like Businesses, Where the Consumer Comes First
Commentary: Punishing Golf Channel Anchor Kelly Tilghman Doesn’t Further the Cause of Racial Justice
Commentary: Racial Identity Initiatives in Schools Take Away from Basic Education
Commentary: Ruling on Random Searches on NYC Subways Underscores What We’re Fighting For
Commentary: School Diversity May Be a Noble Aim, But Does it Help Our Children Improve in the Three R’s?
Commentary: Searching for Joy? It’s Got Two Ingredients – Purpose and Gratitude
Commentary: Senators Should Skip Abortion and Ask John Roberts About Eminent Domain
Commentary: Should a Candidate’s Private Indiscretions Matter as He Seeks the Public’s Trust? Absolutely
Commentary: Should Getting Married Be the Price a Man’s Willing to Pay for a Woman’s Passion? Absolutely
Commentary: Should the Court Uphold the Brown Decision’s Ambiguity or Truly Put an End to Racial Bias?
Commentary: Shouldn’t Free People Be Allowed to Choose – or Opt Not to Choose – Their Own Health Insurance Needs?
Commentary: Sickle-Cell Disease Affects Whole Families, Not Just Individuals Who Suffer from It
Commentary: Snoop, Hollywood Left’s Support for Tookie Props Killers Up as Heroes
Commentary: Sporting a Che Guevara T-Shirt? Chances are You’re More Concerned with Fashion than Facts
Commentary: Talk About Independence is Meaningless if We Lean on the Government for Health Care
Commentary: That Inevitable ‘Birds and the Bees' Talk a Big Reminder Just How Fast Our Kids Grow Up
Commentary: The ‘Seven R’s Pledge’ Reminds Us What Kind of Men We Should Be
Commentary: The ‘Seven R’s Pledge’ Reminds Us What Kind of Men We Should Be Striving to Raise – and Become
Commentary: The Arrogance of Public School Bureaucrats Gets in the Way of Common Sense
Commentary: The Battle Over Childhood Obesity is One That Parents Must Fight - and Win
Commentary: The Elephant in the Room While Black Kids Misbehave? Single Parent Homes
Commentary: The Generous Spirit and Soul of Thanksgiving Time Should Extend Beyond ‘Turkey Day’
Commentary: The King Memorial Needs Support – From Cosby, Winfrey and All of Us
Commentary: The Most Effective Anti-Poverty Program Ever Created? Marriage
Commentary: The True Crisis for Poor Black Men Lies in the Destructive Choices They Make
Commentary: The Use of Race Ratios in America’s Schools Helps Encourage Stereotypes, Not Real Diversity
Commentary: The Violence in Schools is Rooted in a Crisis of the Spirit, Not Just Lack of Security
Commentary: There’s No Proof that Oil Companies Fix Their Prices, So Why Do Democrats Still Say Otherwise?
Commentary: Through Education and Philanthropy, We Can Beat Sickle Cell Anemia – and Save Lives
Commentary: To a Nation Hungering for Hope, Barack Obama’s Serving Up the Same Ol’ Liberal Rhetoric
Commentary: To Coach or Not to Coach – That is Every Football-Loving Father’s Inevitable Question
Commentary: Want a Recipe for a Solid Marriage? Mix the Basics with Lots of Fun - and Share the Chores
Commentary: Want a Shocking Dose of Reality? Try Listening to the Songs on Your Child’s MP3 Player
Commentary: Want to Explain to Kids the Significance of Our Culture? Start with Mac & Cheese
Commentary: Want to Know the Major Difference Between the Religious Right and the Christian Left?
Commentary: We Can’t Have An Honest Debate on Iraq if Democrats Keep Rewriting History
Commentary: We Must Develop Attitudes That Better Reflect How We’re Each the Masters of Our Own Fates
Commentary: What a Shame That Police Are Seen as Part of the Problem and Not as a Force for Good in the ‘Hood
Commentary: What Makes Our Country A Nation Worth Loving? American Idealism
Commentary: While We Count Our Blessings This Week, Let’s Honor Those Who Bless Others All Year Long
Commentary: Who’s Better Equipped to Love and Raise Kids in America -- The State or Their Parents?
Commentary: Why Did the GOP Front Runners Skip Morgan State? It Was a Black Liberal Forum on Race
Commentary: Why Don’t Americans Want Democrats in Charge? ‘Cause We Like Winning
Commentary: Why Must Today’s Hollywood Movies Be Free of Yesteryear’s Values?
Commentary: With All Their Fuss Over ‘Daniel,’ Christians Should Create Family Programs
Commentary: With the Return of Youth Football Comes the Inevitable ‘Football Father’
Commentary: Yes, Michael Vick Should Be Punished for Breaking the Law, But Jail Time? That’s Excessive
Remembering Luther