by Stacy Jackson

February 3, 2024

Mom Returns Home After Receiving Heart Transplant Year After Delivering Son

The new mom experienced spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a rare heart condition causing tears in the arteries feeding the heart muscle.

Naiya Atkins has endured an arduous medical journey since giving birth to her son one year ago in February 2023. The first-time mother from New Jersey is heading home after receiving a lifesaving heart transplant.

Against harrowing odds, ABC News reported that Atkins received a new heart on Jan. 6 after less than three weeks on the waitlist.

The new mom experienced a condition called spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a rare heart condition causing tears in the arteries feeding the heart muscle.

“I just felt lightheaded, hot, cold,” Atkins recounted in an interview with WABC. “But you know, I’m attributing it to ‘I’m a new mom.'” Her journey began a little over two weeks — 17 days — after she delivered her son Joseph Zion Griffith, who is now one year old.

SCAD plunged Atkins into a medical rollercoaster. She was intermittently hospitalized over several months as doctors fought to preserve her failing heart. The battle reached its lowest in November when her physician delivered the grave news that a transplant was necessary. Atkins was sent to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, where she spent the next two months, according to ABC News.

“I couldn’t believe it … I had only been on the list for less than three weeks,” she said, according to the news source. While Atkins soldiered through her fight, her husband, Tristan Griffith, raised baby Joseph.

“You live your life a certain way…and then things happen,” Griffith reflected on the complications she endured after giving birth. Now, the reunited family can embrace Atkins’ return and the chance for her to experience the joys of motherhood at home finally. “I made it through,” she declared.

Symptoms of SCAD might include dizziness, pain or pressure in the chest, shortness of breath, an upset stomach, and others, according to the Mayo Clinic.

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 3, 2024

‘He’s Losing It’: Al Sharpton Thinks Trump’s Mind Is Fading

Sharpton feels it is time for Trump to wrap his reign up.

People seem to think there is something wrong with Donald Trump lately – including Rev. Al Sharpton.

While appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe,” the civil rights activist told host Joe Scarborough he thinks Trump is “losing it,” The Hill reported. Scarborough went through a timeline of Trump’s latest rhetoric and legal battles – including being ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll over $83 million and being oddly quiet on his opponent Nikki Haley – Sharpton added that Americans are seeing him decline. “I think that it is certainly that, but I also think that it goes with the fact that he’s losing it,” Sharpton said.

“Because let’s not forget, he ran against a woman in ’16 named Hillary Clinton, right? He had no problem. He’s losing it.”

.@TheRevAl: "He's losing it— The openings are there for Trump. He can’t get there. His mind is not there anymore, and they need to take him out the ring before he gets knocked out." pic.twitter.com/qYkqpMKgJK
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) February 2, 2024

Sharpton feels it is time for Trump to wrap his reign up, comparing his thoughts to a conversation he once had with the late great Muhammad Ali. Towards the end of the legendary boxer’s career, Ali told Sharpton when he knew it was time to retire. “Ali told me one day, toward the end of his career, ‘I saw the openings, and I just couldn’t get the punch there. I just couldn’t,’” Sharpton remembered.

“The openings are there for Trump. He can’t get there; his mind is not there anymore. And they need to take him out of the ring before he gets knocked out.”

He may have a point. Adamant about not dropping out of the GOP race, Haley pointed the finger to Trump’s age as a factor of why he can’t run the White House properly, according to CNN. She reminded Jake Tapper during an interview of Trump’s “temper tantrum” after his victory in New Hampshire as well as questioned her former boss’ morality.

But President Joe Biden wasn’t far from receiving Haley’s wrath either. The former U.S. ambassador said it is “absurd” for the country to be stuck with two 80-year-old candidates – Biden is 81 and Trump is 77.

RELATED CONTENT: Tim Scott Stumps For Trump In ABC News Interview

by Atiya Jordan

February 3, 2024

NYC Medical Records Show Misstep Leading To 30-Year-Old Mother’s Death After Childbirth, Family Suing For $41M

Christine Fields, who recently received her college degree in criminal justice, leaves behind her 3-month-old son, a 3 year old and a 5 year old.

The New York City Health Department has released a document uncovering the highly sought-after details leading to last year’s death of a 30-year-old mother, The New York Times reported.

Christine Fields was a mother of three. She died last November at Woodhull Medical Center in the Bedford–Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, shortly after going into labor. When doctors performed a last-minute cesarean section on Fields due to the baby’s dropping heart rate, everything seemed fine, and the baby was born hours later. Then, events turned tragic when Fields died. The incident was shrouded in mystery as the hospital did not offer any medical records to provide a reason for Fields’ death. Seeking answers, the Bed-Study community rallied in Fields’ name.

This cannot continue. #JusticeforChristineFields #StandForChristine pic.twitter.com/fl1PGEeiDx
— Irth (@IrthApp) November 17, 2023

According to The Times, the medical examiner’s office revealed that Fields bled to death and ruled the manner of death as a complication. A new document, provided to the news outlet, reported a miscommunication between members of the surgical team who conducted the C-section. The surgeons did not accurately note the complications that had arisen during surgery. The report pointed out complications such as a “uterine arterial injury,” which “resulted in maternal death.”

Fields’ fiancé, Jose Perez, told The Times that the doctors rushed Fields into a recovery room after he noticed she was unwell. Doctors performed CPR, but it was too late to address the complications.

Consequently, Fields’ family has filed a $41 million lawsuit against Woodhull Hospital and the New York City Health and Hospital system, ABC 7 New York reported. The complaint accused Woodhull and the health department of being “careless and negligent in the medical care and treatment rendered” to Fields and her baby son.

“I’m angry, I’m hurt, I’m upset,” Fields’ mother Denene Witherspoon told ABC 7. Witherspoon remained adamant about her daughter’s choice about not wanting to have a surgery. Fields had planned to have a natural birth.

Fields, who recently received her college degree in criminal justice, leaves behind her 3-month-old son, Anuel Perez, a 3-year-old, and a 5-year-old. Her untimely passing immediately after giving birth in November highlights persistent inequities in maternal mortality.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 3, 2024

Target Pulls Book Mislabeling W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Carter G. Woodson In Black History Month Gaffe

“I get it, mistakes happen. But this needs to be corrected ASAP.”

In an attempt to celebrate Black History Month, Target was selling a book that got it completely wrong when labeling historic Black figures.

According to The New York Daily News, the retailer committed a huge mistake while trying to sell a book that misidentified several of our Black luminaries. The store didn’t catch the error found by someone who filmed a TikTok post to chastise Target for allowing the mistakes to be in the book. The book titled Civil Rights Magnetic Learning Activity needed to learn who they were labeling in their book.

The TikTok user who caught the glaring errors, @Issatete, made a video pointing out the mistakes. She brought attention to the fact that the book’s publishers did not correctly identify W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Carter G. Woodson in their book. As she went through the illustrations, she pointed out the blunders made by the bookmakers.

“This is not Carter G. Wilson. This is W.E.B. Du Bois,” @Issatete verifies as she refers to the illustration showing the error. “Peep the ‘stache. They got the name wrong.”

She gives them a little grace after calling out the other figures they labeled incorrectly, but she also said, “I get it, mistakes happen. But this needs to be corrected ASAP.”

@issatete Idk who needs to correct it but it needs to be pulled off the shelves nontheless. Any person could have missed the mistake but it just takes one person to point it out and ask for corrections #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #blacktiktok ♬ original sound – Issa tete

The young lady, who stated she was a teacher, posted a second video informing everyone that she had not heard back from Target or Bendon Publishing, the company that released the book. However, she did thank TMZ and the people who tagged Target to try to get the book removed.

“I’m a U.S. history teacher,” she said. “I was not going to let that slide.”

Target eventually released a statement assuring people that the products were no longer available for sale and that the book’s publisher had been contacted about their mistakes.

“We will no longer be selling this product in stores or online. We’ve also ensured the product’s publisher is aware of the errors,” Target said in a statement to The Daily News.

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 3, 2024

Fani Willis Admits To Relationship With Prosecutor Hired In Trump’s Election Case – Will It Affect The Case?

We're still rooting for you, Fani!

The cat is out of the bag – Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has admitted to having a personal relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade.

But will it affect her role in Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case?

Willis argued no in-court filings on Feb. 2. There are no grounds to dismiss the case or to remove her from the prosecution. This was the first time Willis and Wade addressed the allegations head-on since being accused in early January 2024. According to the affidavit and the filing, Wade said his and Willis’s relationship started in 2022 as an add-on to their “professional association and friendship.”

The DA hired Wade in November 2021 to help in her investigation into finding out if Trump and other lawmakers broke laws by attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Since Wade’s hiring, the duo indicted Trump and 18 others named in the case.

In defense of his relationship with Willis, Wade claimed he never shared a home, financial accounts, or household expenses with her. He described both himself and Willis as “financially independent professionals; expenses or personal travel were roughly divided equally between us.”

He argued all funds paid to him pertaining to the job were never shared with Willis, as a defense lawyer pushed claims of conflict of interest. “I have no financial interest in the outcome of the 2020 election interference case or in the conviction of any defendant,” Willis said.

But Trump case co-defendant Michael Roman claims something different. Roman “wildly speculates” that Willis “benefited financially from the investigation and prosecution of this criminal case, but provides no support to justify that conclusion,” according to NBC News.

The filings continue to argue that motions to disqualify Willis and Wade “are salacious and garnered the media attention they were designed to obtain.” However, accusations made by Trump and Roman were dismissed. “District Attorney Willis has no financial conflict of interest that constitutes a legal basis for disqualification,” the filings read. “District Attorney Willis has no personal conflict of interest that justifies her disqualification personally or that of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”

In response to the news, Trump jumped on his social platform, Truth Social, adding pressure to the Fulton County prosecutors and calling the case against him “a scam” that is “totally discredited & over!”

“Apparently, the DA believes she can make public out-of-court statements about race, this case, and the defendants whenever she wants, and the Court is powerless to punish her by disqualification,” Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, said.

“Such hubris for all to see. Nothing has changed. Our requested remedy remains clear: dismiss the case and disqualify the DA, together with her team and office, from any related matters.”

by Selena Hill

February 3, 2024

“The Harlem Hellfighters,” A New Documentary About Unsung Black WWI Heroes, to Premiere on the HISTORY Channel

Executive produced and narrated by “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, the documentary tells the story of a brave African American military unit that faced grueling battles both abroad and in their homeland

One of the greatest untold Black American World War I stories will be featured on The HISTORY Channel on Sunday. Titled The Harlem Hellfighters, the one-hour documentary explores the little-known history of the extraordinary leadership, sacrifice, and courage of the 15th New York National Guard – an all-Black military unit that later became part of the 369^th Infantry and one of the best military regiments of WWI.

The Harlem Hellfighters played a pivotal role in helping France, an American ally, defeat Germany in 1918 and preserve democracy. The Black soldiers served 191 days in front-line combat, fearlessly fighting the Germans longer than any other American regiment of WWI. They never lost ground to the Germans or had a man taken prisoner. However, the regiment lost 1,400 men – nearly half of their unit – and endured severe causalities. Their fearless fighting earned them France’s highest military medal and the nickname “Harlem Hellfighters” by their terrified German enemies. Yet, despite their tremendous sacrifice, the servicemen did not receive the recognition or respect they deserved. Instead, they were met with racially charged violence, discrimination, and segregation when they returned home to the United States.

“The story of the Harlem Hellfighters is one that showcases tremendous courage and sacrifice that has been largely overlooked. That changes now,” said Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, who executive produced and narrated the documentary. After recently becoming aware of their rich history, Roberts says she wanted to bring the story to life.

“My father was a Tuskegee Airman, and I’m very proud that many people are aware of what they did in World War II. When the History Channel approached me about the Harlem Hellfighters, I did not know who they were. And when I did more research and found that these incredibly brave courageous men, what they did in World War I, I felt just as a proud military brat that I am, I wanted more people to celebrate them, to know about their heroism, and know their story,” Robins told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

The Harlem Hellfighters features archival footage and imagery from the period as well as interviews from notable historians, professors, authors, and descendants of key figures of the military unit, including Sergeant Henry Johnson and James Reese Europe, a prominent American bandleader-turned-soldier who is largely credited for bringing jazz to France.

Robins said that she hopes viewers walk away with a sense of “celebration of the act of bravery of the Harlem Hellfighters.”

“They were claiming a stake to this country. They were loving it when it didn’t love them back,” she added.

This marks the second time that Roberts partnered with the HISTORY Channel to executive produce and narrate a documentary about Black war heroes. In 2021, the channel released Tuskegee Airmen: Legacy of Courage, a documentary that explored the legendary group of African American pilots who helped end segregation in the military.

Watch The Harlem Hellfighters on the HISTORY Channel on Sunday, February 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary will stream the next day on history.com, The HISTORY Channel app, and across major TV providers’ VOD platforms. For more information, visit: https://www.history.com/specials/harlem-hellfighters.

Cleveland Council, Tanisha's Law, Mental Health Crises, police

by Stacy Jackson

February 2, 2024

25-Year-Old Mother Still Missing After Jan. 14 911 Call

Marissa Carmichael, 25, was last seen at an Exxon gas station in Greensboro, North Carolina at 3:46 a.m.

A 25-year-old mother identified as Marissa Carmichael is still missing after making a “distressed” 911 call from an Exxon gas station in Greensboro, NC on Jan. 14.

In the call obtained by ABC News, the woman said a man had driven off and left her stranded without her phone or any contacts, according to the news source.

She was last seen at 3:46 a.m. Though officers from the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) arrived at the scene located at 809 East Market St shortly after, Carmichael was already gone.

According to the incident report, Carmichael told the dispatcher during the two-minute phone call, “I don’t know where I am in Greensboro.” The resident of High Point, which is located 25 minutes from Greensboro, also said: “I just got all my stuff threw out the car, he took off with my phone. I have no clue where I’m at.” She referred to the man who allegedly left her only as “he.”

Carmichael’s mother, Sara Kay Carmichael — who filed the missing persons report — identified a potential suspect to police. But his name has not been released at this time.

A GPD spokesperson said, “Detectives are continuing to actively pursue all leads” but details are limited due to the ongoing investigation. Though two weeks have passed since her disappearance, the GPD said its officers are “actively attempting to locate Ms. Carmichael.”

Carmichael was previously described as being five feet and four inches tall, weighing 260 pounds. The missing woman was also described as having long black and blonde braids. She has a heart face tattoo and a butterfly near her eye. She was last seen wearing a white Tweety Bird shirt, jeans, and yellow sneakers.

Authorities urge anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. The public pleas for help locating Carmichael continue, as her mother and police search for answers to her sudden disappearance.

fibroids, OB/GYN, uterine fibroids, clinic, Atlanta

by Stacy Jackson

February 2, 2024

Black OB/GYN And Clinic Founder Sheds Light On Uterine Fibroid Disparity

Black women are 80% more likely than white women to develop uterine fibroids by age 50.

According to a statistic from the National Institutes of Health, by the age of 50, Black women are 80% more likely than white women to develop uterine fibroids.

Dr. Kameelah Phillips, a Board-Certified obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) and founder of Calla Women’s Health center, spoke to CBS News and explained that doctors don’t know exactly why fibroids happen to women. Moreover, while there may be a genetic component, Dr. Phillips also admitted that healthcare professionals are not sure why a disparity exists with Black women.

For Black women seeking answers, Dr. Phillips said, “Doctor-patient relationships aren’t always a perfect match. So if you feel that you’re not being seen or heard, it’s time to get another opinion.” As a professional, Dr. Phillips said that she regularly encourages her patients to get a second opinion. “I often encourage patients: ‘We’re talking about fibroids but now I’m going to send you to another doctor because I want you to hear an alternative opinion,'” so that patients can “choose what’s best for them.”

She further urged Black women to show up to doctor’s office visits with a list of questions and to get an ultrasound if they feel like something is going on in their pelvis.

When asked about symptoms, Dr. Phillips provided that painful periods, fertility issues, a noticeable bulge, or heavy bleeding during or outside of a woman’s menstrual cycle are common signs that a woman might have uterine fibroids. She urged women experiencing these symptoms to consult with an OB-GYN as early as possible. More severe symptoms may require surgical treatment, but Dr. Phillips shared that medical management might make it possible not to remove uterine fibroids.

Besides genetics, other factors that may impact a woman’s likeliness to develop uterine fibroids include obesity, consumption of red meat, estrogen exposure, and vitamin D levels. Overall, Dr. Phillips noted that a combination of influences from genes and the environment may influence fibroid development in persons assigned as females at birth.

The Cleveland Clinic defines uterine fibroids as noncancerous growths in the uterus that can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pressure and pain, and other symptoms.

by Stacy Jackson

February 2, 2024

Fearless Fund VC Firm Disputes Injunction Stopping Grant Program For Black Women

In September 2023, the 11th Circuit Court granted an injunction halting Fearless Fund's grants pending the lawsuit outcome.

Attorneys representing the Black and women-owned Fearless Fund venture capital firm argued in Miami before a federal appeals court on Jan. 31 to overturn an injunction prohibiting them from awarding grants exclusively to entrepreneurs identifying as Black women.

The firm’s attorney, Alphonso David, argued at a press conference that if the venture capital firm cannot give grants to Black women, “it calls into the question every other charitable organization doing the same thing,” CNN reported.

The attorney also said the case “should be important to everyone.”

Fearless Fund is defending itself against the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) — headed by Edward Blum, who was involved in the Supreme Court case that eliminated affirmative action in college admissions.

A lawsuit filed by AAER alleged the Fund’s Black women-only entrepreneur grants discriminate against the group’s unnamed members who weren’t Black. AAER attorneys argue this is illegal racial discrimination that causes “additional harm.”

Fearless Fund Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Arian Simone said the organization remains “undeterred by this relentless, concerted attempt to set economic equity back,” the news outlet reported. In fact, since the last court hearing, Fearless Fund expressed that it has expanded services to be a “one-stop-shop for women of color entrepreneurs.”

In September 2023, CNN reported that the 11th Circuit Court granted an injunction halting Fearless Fund’s grants pending the lawsuit’s outcome.

by Stacy Jackson

February 2, 2024

Harvard’s Chief Diversity And Inclusion Officer Accused Of 40 Instances Of Plagiarism

An anonymous 37-page complaint filed accused Sherri Charleston of plagiarizing in her dissertation and a co-authored journal article.

An anonymous 37-page complaint filed this week accused Harvard’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sherri Charleston of multiple instances of plagiarism.

The extensive complaint alleges that Charleston committed plagiarism 40 times, including in her 2009 University of Michigan doctoral dissertation and a 2014 co-authored journal article, according to The Root.

It claimed Charleston lifted “whole sentences and paragraphs from other scholars’ work without quotation marks” in her dissertation.

According to the outlet, the complaint mentioned a 2014 paper Charleston co-authored “appears to be entirely counterfeit,” constituting “research fraud, pure and simple,” according to Peter Wood of the National Association of Scholars. According to The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative media website, Wood used to conduct academic integrity probes as a former associate provost at Boston University.

Furthermore, Charleston allegedly presented her husband’s 2012 research findings as new. The Washington Free Beacon reported per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Research Integrity that this amounts to “duplicate publication” and could violate copyright law.

Wood also commented on Charleston’s alleged use of her husband’s research in the journal article, according to The Washington Free Beacon, “Because the second paper, on which Sherri Ann Charleston is one of the three co-authors, recycles so much of the text of the original paper by LaVar J. Charleston, this does have the earmarks of plagiarism, but the plagiarism is compounded by an even larger effort to deceive.”

Charleston was appointed as Harvard’s first Chief Diversity Officer in 2020 after holding a similar role at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Root noted. She had been on the committee that selected former Harvard President Claudine Gay, who recently resigned over separate plagiarism allegations.

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that a subcommittee found Gay’s “conduct was not reckless nor intentional and, therefore, did not constitute research misconduct” when presented to Harvard Corporation on Dec. 9.