by Mary Spiller

August 10, 2024

Therapist Charged With Assault After Allegedly Attacking Patient During Secret Affair

Houston-based Thaddeus Tolbert has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.

A Houston therapist has been charged with assault after allegedly becoming violent with a client he was also having an extramarital affair with when she tried to end their relationship. Court documents reveal that Thaddeus Tolbert was romantically involved with Jhyah Scales before the April 29 incident, ABC 13 reports.

Tolbert faces charges that include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.

Tolbert and Scales met for the first time when she began using his therapy services in October 2023, and they slowly became closer, escalating to giving one another hugs after sessions and sending good morning texts, court documents state. In March, Tolbert and Scales began officially seeing each other romantically.

The relationship ended in April when Scales learned Tolbert was already married with children. She stated that when she attempted to end the relationship, Tolbert drew a gun on her and began to scream “for her not to leave him.”

Scales recalled, “He was sitting on his couch, and I was sitting on his desk, and we were talking, and I just said, ‘Hey, I don’t want to continue this,’ and he snapped.”

According to court papers, he only let her go after another patient knocked on the door to his office.

After Scales left the building and returned home with her child from school, Tolbert was waiting for her in her apartment complex driveway. According to Scales, Tolbert blocked her car with his own and followed her inside her home. Scales begged Tolbert to leave, but he refused and allegedly turned violent. She claims he forcefully kissed her, choked her, and hit her.

“He pulled out his gun, like, to put to my head and pushed it down, and he, like, hit it back up, so it hit me when it came back up. And I was just, like, ‘Please just leave,’ and he said, ‘I am going to kill you. I am going to kill us both,'” Scales described.

Scales stated that Tolbert again pulled a gun when she continued to struggle, repeatedly threatening to kill them both. After allegedly hitting her in the face with his gun, Tolbert finally left.

Scales said she had extensive injuries. She told officials, “I was caught off guard. I didn’t think someone like this could be capable because he is a mental health professional, because he’s a therapist, and because he is active in the community.”

“I feel as embarrassed as I am. I have to do something because I could’ve died in there with my child.”

Looking back on their relationship, Scales said she believes that Tolbert wanted to manipulate her from the beginning of their relationship.

She said, “I just got out of a very toxic and traumatic relationship, which I had to express to him as my therapist, the reason why I was in therapy. And I feel like he used everything I just told him, what I went through, was used against me.”

According to his defense attorney, Tolbert is maintaining his innocence and has been a therapist at Discerning Minds Consulting for eight years.

Inaugural HBCU Film Festival, Black Filmmakers, Detroit

by Mary Spiller

August 10, 2024

Inaugural HBCU Film Festival To Spotlight Emerging Black Filmmakers With $10K Prize

The HBCU Student Invitational Film Competition and Festival will be held in Detroit.

Tickets are now available for the first in-person HBCU Student Invitational Film Competition and Festival, set to take place on Aug. 23 at Detroit’s newly reopened Michigan Central Station, inside the New Lab.

The festival is dedicated to creating, maintaining, and bringing a platform highlighting young Black Artists to the forefront. The HBCU festival will feature films and visual art produced by student creators from historically Black colleges and universities, The Detroit News reports.

The films will be screened for ticket holders near the end of August. Winning filmmakers will be awarded the Jury Award, which comes with a $10,000 prize and will be announced officially the day after the festival concludes.

The screenings include free panel discussions about filmmaking and artistic direction. Registration is required for the events. Tickets are available for the award ceremony and a gala afterward at Michigan Central Station at $50 and $100, respectively.

The festival is confounded by ACE, the city of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship. It is being produced by Autumn Sun, a grassroots organization dedicated to young Black artists. Detroit was selected to be the inaugural host city for the new festival because the founder of Autumn Sun, filmmaker Bruce Clifton, is a Detroit native.

ACE Director Rochelle Riley said in a press release, “Detroit is a creative arts hub for every genre, fine and performing arts, dance, everything — so it’s no surprise that our city is growing its opportunities for filmmakers.”

HBCU Student Film Festival is a weekend where “Detroit celebrates two days filled with creativity and inspiration as talented students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities showcase their cinematic skills,” she added.

It’s a “festival of amazing films, supports emerging filmmakers, and celebrates diversity in filmmaking. Then the festival wraps up with an awards ceremony and gala at Michigan Central.”

On opening night, there will be film screenings at the New Lab. Saturday will feature free morning panel discussions, the awards ceremony, and a gala later in the evening.

by Daniel Johnson

August 10, 2024

Guess All Black Men ‘Look Alike’ To Trump. Former Politician Says He Was On That Helicopter With Trump, Not Willie Brown

Will Brown said it wasn't him. 'You would have known if I had gone down on a helicopter with Trump.'

Nate Holden, a former Los Angeles city council member and California State senator representing L.A., gave an exclusive interview to Politico on Aug. 9 about his memory of a helicopter ride with former President Donald Trump that nearly turned tragic.

According to Politico, Holden indicated that Trump confused him with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown despite Holden repeatedly asserting that he was not Brown.

According to Holden, he told Trump, “Willie is the short Black guy living in San Francisco. I’m a tall Black guy living in Los Angeles.”

“I guess we all look alike,” the 95-year-old Holden wise-cracked to the outlet.

Holden said he was watching Trump’s press conference on Aug. 8, where he again repeated that it was Brown on the helicopter. However, according to Barbara Res, a former executive vice president of construction and development for Trump Casinos who was also in the helicopter, it was undeniably Holden, not Brown.

According to the Washington Post, Trump said during the press conference that he was on a helicopter ride with Brown, playing up their relationship in the process. They also reported that the press conference was riddled with misleading statements and lies and the latest evidence of Trump’s desire to disparage Vice President Harris, whether or not his assertions hold up to scrutiny.

“I know Willie Brown very well,” Trump said. “In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together and there was an emergency landing.”

Trump also repeated his talking points that Brown had repeatedly bad-mouthed Harris, which Brown also denied. Brown told KRON4 that he “could not envision thinking of Kamala Harris in any negative way.”

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Brown forcefully denied Trump’s assertions.

“You would have known if I had gone down on a helicopter with Trump.”

Brown continued, saying he would never speak ill of any woman around Trump.

“Hell, no,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t say anything bad about any woman to him.”

Res agreed with Brown’s version of events, as she told Politico. “That’s the story, OK, no Willie Brown.”

According to Politico, Holden also spoke to Brown, “I said, ‘Willie, were you almost in a helicopter crash with Trump also?’ He said ‘No.’ I said, ‘I was the one, Willie,’” Holden said.

Holden continued, telling Politico, “He either mixed it up, or he made it up. This was just too big to overlook. This is a big one. Conflating Willie Brown and me? The press is searching for the real story and they didn’t get it. You did.”

According to CNN, Brown has also rejected Trump’s inclusion of him in his account, saying that Trump’s recollection is “obviously wrong,” and he told the outlet on a phone call, “I’ve never been in a helicopter with him in my life.”

by Daniel Johnson

August 10, 2024

U.S.’s Largest Latino Civil Rights Group Breaks Historic Precedent, Endorses Harris/Walz Ticket

The League of United Latin American Citizens broke its nearly century-old political tradition of neutrality in presidential elections.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) broke with its nearly century-old political tradition of neutrality in presidential elections. It endorsed the Harris/Walz ticket via a statement released on Aug. 9.

According to The Hill, the group is also expected to appear at an Aug. 10 campaign rally in Las Vegas. The endorsement follows LULAC’s report slamming Project 2025, which has been tied to Republican Party nominee Donald Trump, which they criticized for its “disproportionately” negative impact on Latinx Americans.

LULAC’s report outlines 10 ways that Project 2025 would distinctively impact Latinx civil rights; these include but are not limited to cutting off legal immigration, mass deportation, criminalizing reproductive rights, dismantling the U.S. Dept. of Education, cutting social safety net programs, and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Domingo Garcia, LULAC Adelante chair and former LULAC president, released a statement regarding the organization’s first-ever endorsement. LULAC Adelante, the group’s political action committee, officially gave the endorsement.

“Throughout her career, [Vice President] Harris has demonstrated a commitment to justice, equality, and inclusivity—values that resonate deeply with the Latino community and will move our country forward in the right direction.”

Garcia continued, “Today, we are proud to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because of the real issues facing Latino communities and all Americans across the nation; we can trust them to do what is right for our community and the country.”

According to The Hill, LULAC is expected to use its 535 chapters, or councils, and 140,000 members to canvass support for the Democratic ticket, particularly in key swing states.

Although there has been more conversation about a shift from Latinx voters away from the Democratic Party recently, similar to Black Americans, that demographic historically votes Democrat, The New York Times reports.

To that end, LULAC and several other Latinx organizations and leaders have united behind Harris ever since she became the Democratic candidate following President Joe Biden’s announcement of the suspension of his presidential campaign.

According to The Hill, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the Harris-Walz campaign manager, told NBC News that they believed the prominent Latinx civil rights organization’s endorsement aligns with the campaign’s goals and LULAC’s mission.

“They’ve never backed away from the fight for the communities they represent, and Vice President Harris has never stopped fighting to create opportunities for Latino families,” Rodriguez told NBC News.

In June, Vice President Harris appeared at LULAC’s national convention via a pre-recorded video message regarding the shared goals of the organization and the Democratic Party.

“LULAC, there is so much at stake at this moment as we continue to fight to win paid family leave and affordable child care, to secure a pathway to citizenship including for dreamers and families, to lower rents and help more Americans buy a home. We continue to count on your leadership to energize, to organize and mobilize and to make your voices heard,” Harris said in the message.

RELATED CONTENT: The Oba mas Officially Endorse Vice President Harris

by Mary Spiller

August 10, 2024

Man Who Went Viral For Zooming Into License Suspension Hearing From Behind The Wheel Passes Driving Test

Corey Harris was previously charged with a misdemeanor for driving without a license.

Corey Harris, the Michigan man who went viral online for appearing behind the wheel of a car in virtual attendance for his court hearing for driving with a suspended license, can finally get behind the wheel legally. On Aug. 7, Harris took responsibility for a civil infraction, according to his lawyer, Dionne Webster-Cox.

In June, Harris got his driving permit, and as of this month, he has obtained his full license, according to People. Webster-Cox described the total proceedings as dragging on for nearly a year.

Judge J. Cedric Simpson, who presided over the case, waived all the associated fines and costs with the charges and downgraded it from a misdemeanor.

“It was a great day for Mr. Harris,” Webster-Cox told People. She added, “In the face of public ridicule, Mr. Harris did not become discouraged. He stayed the course and finished the race.”

In 2023, Harris was pulled over in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for having an expired license plate. When asked to produce his license, he did not have one. Webster-Cox said that Harris’ driving privileges had been suspended in 2007, so he was charged with misdemeanor driving while his license was suspended.

On May 15, Harris went viral for zooming into his court hearing from the driver’s seat of a car. The judge asked, “Mr. Harris, are you driving?”

Harris parked the car, not recognizing that driving violated his suspension.

The judge ordered Harris to turn himself in at Washtenaw County Jail that same day. The Zoom session, which was public, was seen by millions.

Harris defended himself by saying that he was confused about the status of his license, and Webster-Cox described him as being worried about people from his church judging him for his viral mistake. The embarrassment led him to get to work to conclude the trials and proceedings–and to get his license.

Americans, poll, vaccines childhood vaccinations

by Jameelah Mullen

August 10, 2024

Fewer Americans Believe Childhood Vaccinations Are Important, Gallup Poll

More Republicans and Republican leaning independents don't believe vaccines are necessary.

According to a recent Gallup poll, few Americans today think that childhood vaccines are important.

The survey showed that 40% of parents think it’s “extremely important” for their children to get vaccinated—down from 58% in 2019 and 645 in 2001.

The poll, conducted between July 1 and July 21, also found that a growing number of adults in the U.S. say that vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases they are created to prevent. In 2024, 20% deemed vaccines dangerous, nearly double the amount in 2019 (11%). Only six percent of Americans subscribed to this belief in 2001.

The study also found the decline in the belief in the importance of vaccines was mostly present amongst Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents saw very little change in their beliefs since 2001.

In previous surveys, Republicans and Democrats had similar views on the risks and benefits of vaccines. The data indicated that the gap between Democrats and Republicans widened significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2020 Pew Research poll reported that 78% of Democrats considered the virus to be a major threat to health compared to 52% of Republicans.

“This political divide reflected the tendency for Democratic elected officials and party supporters to follow guidance on COVID-19 provided by medical authorities, while Republican elected officials and Republican identifiers were often skeptical of the reliability of that information,” the report said. “Now, those doubts appear to be extending to childhood vaccines that have long been used to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, as well as the field of science in general.”

Additionally, Americans are now less likely to say the government should require children to be vaccinated against contagious diseases. In 1991, over 80% of Americans favored vaccine requirements, but today, only 51% support this view.

by Jameelah Mullen

August 10, 2024

Check Out How These Faith-Based Organizations Are Fighting Homelessness

This historical baptist church will be transformed into affordable living spaces.

The Allston-Brighton neighborhood of Boston is a bustling community that houses Boston University, Boston College, and portions of Harvard University. However, recent urban development is rapidly changing the landscape of this community.

As housing costs continue to rise, some senior residents can no longer afford to live in the neighborhood where, according to Apartments.com, the average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment is $2,777 monthly. Some faith-based organizations are stepping in to help.

The Hill Memorial Baptist Church has been a staple in the community for more than 120 years. The church closed its doors in 2023 and it will now be turned into affordable housing for the neighborhood’s older residences.

After experiencing a significant decrease in membership, the church considered downsizing, but they ultimately decided to sell the land so that it could be used to provide affordable housing for seniors. In an email to The Christian Science Monitor, Rev. Catherine Johnson said the congregation is “giving back to the Allston community “by helping to provide affordable housing for its senior citizens.

John Woods is the executive director of Allston Brighton Community Development Corp., the developer overseeing the project.

“This project really exemplifies the importance of collaboration in affordable housing development,” Woods said in a press release. “By working together with some amazing partners, we are expecting to fill a pivotal gap in the continuum of affordable housing by creating more opportunities for folks to age in place in the community that they call home.”

Religious organizations in other cities, such as San Diego, Atlanta, and San Antonio, have created similar initiatives.

The Yes in God’s Backyard Act was introduced to the U.S. Congress in March of this year. If signed into law, the bill would allow faith-based organizations nationwide to address the housing crisis by providing affordable living spaces to low-income residents.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who introduced the act in March, says that it will provide a solution for the growing housing crisis in the United States.

“Housing is too expensive and too hard to find in almost every community in America,” Brown said in a press release.

“This is a common-sense solution—families need more housing, and churches, synagogues, and other religious organizations want to put their faith into action by developing housing on land they already own. By helping these institutions cut through red tape, we can lower the cost of housing and expand options in Ohio and around the country.”

by Shanique Yates

August 9, 2024

Are Claims About Resurfaced 2015 Video Of Planned Parenthood Execs Selling Fetal Tissue True?

A resurfaced clip from 2015 shows Planned Parenthood executives discussing the use of fetal tissue following abortion procedures, however, are the claims around it true?

A recently released video shows Planned Parenthood executives allegedly discussing the handling of body parts from fetuses aborted in the late second trimester, particularly fetal tissue, which is sparking concerns on social media.

In the clip, captured in 2015 by anti-abortion activist David Daleiden, Planned Parenthood executives can be heard allegedly describing measures to avoid “prosecution under the federal partial-birth abortion ban by dismembering the fetus while it is partially outside the womb.”

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While allegations that Planned Parenthood’s overall goal was to preserve internal organs for harvesting continue to swirl, the nonprofit maintains that it “does not profit commercially from fetal tissue.” Moreover, at the time that the initial videos were released, Planned Parenthood claimed that their staff members were discussing legal, not-for-profit donations of fetal tissue to research firms.

A previous study conducted by the Committee on Oversight and Accountability Democrats also debunked the allegations. While the claim is that Planned Parenthood engages in “the illegal sale of aborted baby parts” and that the organization is “selling baby parts,” the site maintains that the released video does not include any “credible evidence” that the organization “profits from its fetal tissue donation program.”

“Despite Daleiden’s three-year effort to entrap Planned Parenthood, he ‘failed to succeed in convincing even a single affiliate to enter into a procurement contract with his fake company,’” read a letter from Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards, addressed to Speaker John A. Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Minority Leader Harry Reid on Aug. 27, 2015.

Moreover, the study presented by the Committee on Oversight and Accontabitly Democrats also maintains that only a small amount of Planned Parenthood affiliates actively participate in fetal tissue research and that donation is not available at 99% of Planned Parenthood health centers.

“Few women have the opportunity to donate fetal tissue to Planned Parenthood affiliates because ‘researchers have not requested tissue from the local affiliate or because the local affiliate has chosen not to participate,’” read the claims from the site.

Since its inception in New York in 1916 by Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood has become the largest provider of reproductive healthcare services in the United States, providing those in need with everything from birth control and contraceptives to pregnancy advice and abortion.

by Mitti Hicks

August 9, 2024

3 Friends Launch Black-Owned Prosecco Brand Don Luchi

Co-founders Andre Grundy, David Kinloch, and Justin Wages sold out of the first shipment of bottles just five weeks after launching Don Luchi.

Three friends are behind the newest Black-owned prosecco brand on the market. Co-founders Andre Grundy, David Kinloch, and Justin Wages sold out of the first shipment of bottles just five weeks after launching Don Luchi. Luckily, there’s more on the way.

Andre Grundy (left), David Kinloch (center) and Justin Wages (right) are the Charleston-based trio behind Don Luchi Prosecco — (Photo courtesy of Don Luchi Prosecco)

It’s been an incredible journey for the group of friends who wanted to shake up the wine and spirits industry with a Black-owned brand. They officially launched Don Luchi in June 2024, but sparkling wine was not the original plan.

“We wanted to get into beer,” the trio tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We just couldn’t get distribution based on the type of beer we had because it was a fruity beer. By the time we finished the beer, distributors said our fruity beer wouldn’t work in the winter.”

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The friends didn’t let the naysayers stop them. Wages convinced Grundy and Kinloch to invest in sparkling wine after he fell down a rabbit hole after a friend introduced him to quality sparkling wines.

“When I went out and ordered champagne before, I never looked at what I was ordering. If the champagne was bad, I would just deal with it,” he says.

But the variations his friend introduced him to were something he hadn’t experienced or tasted before. It left a lasting impression—one that would kick start their purpose and dreams of diversifying the space. Wages began researching different flavor profiles and digging deeper into why some brands were better quality than others.

Getting The Greenlight From An Italian Vineyard

After successfully getting Grundy and Kinloch onboard with sparkling wine, their next task was securing a supplier. They contacted suppliers in Champagne, France, but they met some challenges. Wages says there’s a lot of gatekeeping in the region, which makes it a tough market to tap into.

A vineyard in Italy, however, was willing to hear them out when they inquired about the prosecco.

“We told them about our vision, which is to bring a quality product back to the United States, introduce it, and educate more people on it. I also told them how the Black-owned market was untapped here for sparkling wines. The only people with ownership are celebrities,” he says.

The vineyard was more than happy to work with the co-founders. They flew to Italy in March 2024 to close the deal, and by June 30, it was on shelves across South Carolina^.

Wages says Don Luchi has an intense and fragrant flavor profile, with notes of golden apple, peach, roses, and hints of almonds. It’s dry and lively, clear yet complex, and according to Wages, pairs with everything nicely.

“This is one of those proseccos that you don’t have to put juice with it if you don’t want to,” he says.

Wages says he hopes their journey in launching a Black-owned prosecco brand inspires others to pursue their dreams, even if they seem unattainable.

“We came into this space knowing absolutely nothing. We’ve been working on this for more than a year, and we’ve learned so much about wine. Now, we can walk into any room and speak highly of our product and the region the wine is from.

Don Luchi can currently be purchased in stores across Charleston and Florence, South Carolina. Wages says the team plans to launch shipping nationwide by the fall.

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 9, 2024

Here’s Why Banks Are Blocking Employees From Donating To The Harris-Walz Campaign

Well that doesn't seem fair....

Democratic-leaning banks are blocking employees from donating to Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s campaign to avoid complications with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Business Insider reports.

If financial service employees donate, they risk violating the agency’s “pay-to-play” rule, which keeps firms from attempting to sway politicians for favors like managing their state’s pension fund — since Walz is a state official. The rules have changed since the 2020 election when Wall Street donors submitted more than $74 million to President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

To guarantee their employees don’t slip up, Citigroup advised US employees on Aug. 6 to seek pre-donation approval if they’d like to support the Harris-Walz campaign. Similar restrictions also apply to employees who work for all but one of the bank’s five business units, including investment banking and wealth management. The US consumer banking division is exempt.

Bank employees that support the Trump-Vance campaign don’t have to worry about getting approval unless they are labeled as a “Municipal Finance Professional,” “Covered Associate,” or members of a “public-sector facing business.” Those same employees, however, will have to get permission to donate to the vice president and her running mate.

A professor of political science at the University of New Haven, Patricia Crouse, thinks the policy is sneaky and only caters to one campaign. “To sort of single out one campaign over the other, whatever the reason is — and there’s regulation in place there — it looks very political,” she said.

“You want to be able to support your candidates. And if you can’t do that, I think it makes you feel left out.”

While the regulations seem strict, even the smallest donations can result in hefty penalties. In 2017, a private banking company, Pershing Square, was forced to pay a $75,000 fine four years after a former analyst donated $500 to a Massachusetts gubernatorial governor. At the time, the state’s pension plan was an investor in the company, and since Pershing wasn’t made aware of the donation, the former employee was able to get his money back, according to a spokesperson.

The SEC’s “pay-to-play” rule was adopted in 2010 and applies to big banks such as JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. Citi embedded its policy in 2016 when former President Donald Trump selected then-Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate.

According to Time, the progressive Democratic vice presidential nominee seems to be a man for the people over standing tall with big businesses like financial institutions. During his first term serving the people of Minnesota, Walz gave tax cuts and raised taxes for some corporations and high earners. The father of two also gave “Walz checks,” which were rebates, to low- and middle-income families, worth up to $1,300 in several cases, and advocated for a statewide child tax credit of up to $1,750 per child.

There are ways to bypass the “pay to play” rule. Those who are eager to donate can give to a political action committee (PAC) or Super PAC with no ties to a particular candidate.