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.

King Harris, One Chip, Challenge, stand on business, druski

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 2, 2024

King Harris Takes Credit For Popularizing The Saying ‘Standing On Business’

“I ain’t create it but I’m the one that got everybody saying it, ya hear me?"

King Harris, the son of hip-hop recording artist and reality TV star Tip “T.I.” Harris, is laying claim to popularizing the phrase, “Standing On Business.” The young artist made the statement after threatening to “pull up” on comedian Druski after finding out that the comedian filmed a vide o for his song, “Standin on Bihness” in the confines of Atlanta, where he grew up, according to HipHopDx.

The comedian notified heads in Atlanta that he was filming the video to the song at the State Farm Arena on January 31. He was looking for extras to be in the video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DRUSKI (@druski)

In response to Druski putting out the song, King took to his Instagram account to claim that it was because of him that people are using the phrase more often, although he did admit that he didn’t “create it.”

With a smile on his face, he said, “I gotta pull up on Druski. Let me show y’all something.” He aimed the camera at a promotional t-shirt that said “Standing On Business,” which he put on.

He went on to pat himself on the back by stating that, although it’s been around for some time, it was because of him that people are saying it now.

“I ain’t create it, but I’m the one that got everybody saying it, ya hear me? That s**t’s been on years and years but when you ask who got the news saying it, who got ESPN saying it, who got football players saying it, who got kids saying it, who got everybody saying it. It’s me.”

He then referenced the viral moment when he and his father were at an Atlanta Falcons earlier this season, arguing, and blurted out that he was standing on business.

He then stated that he was on his way to confront Druski, since the comedian was filming the video in Atlanta.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Watch Live Bitez (@livebitez)

No word if he ever got to “pull up” on Druski.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 2, 2024

Wendy Williams Gets Candid About Money Woes, Health, And Alcohol Issues In New Documentary Trailer

A new documentary trailer has given fans an update on Wendy Williams' health and the struggles that could be hindering her potential return to television.

A new documentary trailer has given fans an update on Wendy Williams’ health and the struggles that could be hindering her potential return to television.

On Thursday, February 1, Lifetime released the official trailer for Where Is Wendy Williams? a new two-part documentary that shows the famed talk-show host breaking her silence following her abrupt exit from daytime television in 2021.

“Since I was six years old, all I wanted was to be famous,” Wendy says in a voice-over at the opening of the trailer.

It shows Wendy in her makeup chair, arriving at her former talk show, and greeting screaming fans. Another voice explains how Wendy became a consistent figure in “their living rooms every single day for 12 years.”

However, despite being at the “peak of her career,” Wendy disappeared from the limelight and spent months with her show rotating guest hosts before producers decided to pull the plug in June 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJDhf5ll70

Later shots show Wendy in a radio interview where she says “All I know is how to be famous,” before another scene shows the former radio personality turned talk show host needing help to walk.

“I want to be back on television,” she says in another clip, before her son starts to open up about her health.

“My mom has done a great job making it seem like everything is OK always, but in reality there’s something wrong going on,” he admits.

Another clip shows a producer asking Wendy if she’s “seen a neurologist,” to which she replies, “To find out if I’m crazy? Mhmm.” Other scenes show Wendy needing assistance to move around the set before a family member reveals the guardian she was given after seeing a judge.

“That was when they took her away from us,” the family member says.

Wendy, who executive produced the documentary, then looks to the camera while addressing her financial woes.

“I have no money, ” she says. “And let me tell you something, if it happens to me, it can happen to you.”

Another clip shows Wendy being confronted about her alcohol issues, with a member of her team coming into her room and grabbing an empty bottle of vodka while asking “Did you drink this whole thing today?” Wendy stares at the person and demands them to “Keep the bottle there!”

Her son returns and expresses his concern for his mother to focus on her health rather than focusing on a return to television.

“My mom, she always talks about how she wants to work, but I feel as though she’s worked enough,” Kevin Jr. says. “She has people around her that are ‘yes people’ and allowing this to continue.”

Following the trailer’s release, Wendy returned to Instagram via an Instagram Story photo showing her seated in front of a library of books.

“Welcome Everyone,” she captioned the post. The photo was shared to The Wendy Experience Instagram page, the long-awaited podcast that she’s been teasing since her show was canceled nearly two years ago.

In March 2023, Wendy’s publicist claimed the podcast was still a go, despite earlier reports claiming it was canceled.

“We are still working behind the scenes on several projects. There has been no official cancellation of the podcast,” Shawn Zanotti told Page Six at the time.

It remains unclear if Wendy’s latest social media post is a tease of what’s to come from her new podcast. With everything that’s going on in Hollywood, Wendy’s presence is most definitely missed.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 2, 2024

‘Luke Cage’ Had Few White Villains Because Creator Was ‘Trying To Keep Black People Gainfully Employed’

The creator of Marvel's "Luke Cage" on Netflix has heard viewers' concerns and wants everyone to know there is a reason most of the show's villains were Black and not White.

The creator of Marvel’s Luke Cage on Netflix has heard viewers’ concerns and wants everyone to know there is a reason most of the show’s villains were Black and not white.

The series follows the superhero origins of Luke Cage (portrayed by actor Mike Colter), an ex-con man who gains super strength and unbreakable skin following a botched science experiment. After taking claim of his superpowers, Cage works to protect the streets of Harlem, NY, all while grappling with his suppressed history that surfaces through memories he tried to bury.

With it serving as as the third installment in the Netflix-original Defenders series, the Marvel show has acquired quite the fanclub. One viewer of the series raised a debate on Twitter last week after noting the lack of white villains compared to Black villains.

“Obviously Luke Cage was created in the 1970s, but did y’all peek how the Marvel series depicted him having to fight MORE Black people to SAVE Harlem than white villains?” they asked. “I did.”

https://twitter.com/silentpartner80/status/1750364785940795824

Other fans offered their explanations, which included basing the villains on the fact the comic book series was based in Harlem, a historically Black neighborhood.

“Harlem population is mostly black, therefore its a logical conclusion that bad guys there would be mostly black,” one person wrote. “That would be like complaining a superhero in montana is fighting mostly white people lmfao.”

“Who else lived in Harlem back then? Lmao. Clearly you never been there,” added someone else.

Cheo Hodari Coker, the show’s creator, caught wind of the Twitter debate and explained why there were very few white villains, and it wasn’t solely to match the racial dynamic of Harlem.

“I was trying to keep Black people gainfully employed. LOL. Just saying…,” he wrote.

He received a swarm of support for his response and even replied to one fan who offered their take on the debate. Coker explained how unintentional it was that the series took so long before a white character even spoke.

“If [Cage] was only fighting white people, they would complain that there are too many white folks in Harlem,” the X user wrote.

“A white person didn’t have a speaking part for 13 minutes and major dialogue until minute 29,” Coker replied. “People actually complained. Scarfe’s scene in the club got cut, so it wasn’t even intentional.”

One excited fan asked Coker “What’s next,” which he teased “Working on a few things now.”

Working on a few things now…
— Cheo Hodari Coker (@cheo_coker) January 31, 2024

issa rae, angelica ross, Cory Booker, TIME, closers list

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 2, 2024

Issa Rae, Angelica Ross, Cory Booker, And More Make TIME’s Inaugural ‘Closers’ List

Issa Rae is the cover profile for TIME's first-ever "The Closers" list. The magazine's new annual catalog highlighting 18 leaders working to close the racial wealth gap.

Issa Rae is the cover profile for TIME’s first-ever “The Closers” list, new annual catalog highlighting 18 leaders working to close the racial wealth gap.

The list was unveiled on Thursday, February 1, and includes actress, writer, producer, and Hoorae CEO Issa Rae, along with actress, president of Miss Ross Inc., and founder of TransTech Social Enterprises, Angelica Ross, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, and other notable honorees. It was created in response to a recent Federal Reserve report that found the median wealth of white households in the U.S. was approximately six times higher than that of Black families in 2022.

In her cover profile, Issa shared how she manages to juggle the broader pursuit of equity alongside her creative and entrepreneurial commitments. She also revealedher 2024 agenda, which includes two new projects for HBO, one in which she’ll create, write, and star in like she did on Insecure.

The new show will be set in an “alternative present,” and be created in partnership with Southside creators Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin.

Meet the Closers: 18 leaders working to close the racial wealth gap https://t.co/UOCn6sHTY8
— TIME (@TIME) February 1, 2024

The profile comes weeks after her HBO Max series Rap Sh!t was canceled by Warner Bros. Discovery, which she seemingly credited to Hollywood’s backsliding on diversity pledges made during the heightened racial tension of 2020.

“I’ve never seen Hollywood this scared and clueless, and at the mercy of Wall Street,” she quipped.

As a result, Issa knows it’s up to her to continue to do well and profit to extend a ladder to other diverse creatives in this continued fight for equity.

“I recognize that I have to do well economically to be able to make change,” she said. “That’s frustrating, that’s ugly. But I recognize that money moves things faster—and so much of what I do is with the intention to help make those moves.”

Also included on the list are Adriana Barbosa, president and CEO of PretaHub; Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons, leaders at the Fearless Fund; Aurora James, designer and founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge; Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator; Darrick Hamilton and William Darity, economists at the New School and Duke; Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, chief of membership, policy and equity at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition; Erin Horne McKinney, national executive director of the Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship; and Imani Ellis, founder of CultureCon.

Closing out the list includes John Hope Bryant, founder and CEO of Operation Hope; Leandris Liburd, acting director for CDC’s Office of Health Equity; Lisa Rice, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance; Ramogi Huma, executive director of the National College Players Association; and Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell, CEO of 10000 Interns Foundation.

While the exact figures of the Federal Reserve report have fluctuated over time, it remains undeniable that the racial wealth gap continues to spread far and wide.

“Oftentimes the frame is, ‘Oh, we’re not where we want to be, but we’re getting there,’” Asante-Muhammad said. “And for 20 years I have been trying to highlight, ‘No, we aren’t.’”

Those featured on the list are doing their part in combatting this growing wealth gap through business, policymaking, health care, entertainment, and more.

James Clyburn, The First Eight, Black History Month

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 2, 2024

James Clyburn Emphasizes Voting Importance In Black History Month Address

Clyburn ties celebrating Black History to voting for the.Biden-Harris ticket.

For Black History Month, Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC) reminds voters why celebrating history is more important than ever during an election year.

The iconic lawmaker released a statement via press release as the co-chair for the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign, pushing the importance of exercising your right to vote. “Black History Month offers us an opportunity to celebrate the rich history and contributions of the Black Americans who continue to play significant roles in our nation’s pursuit of ‘a more perfect union,’” Clyburn wrote.

“It was the genius of Lewis Latimer that made Thomas Edison’s light bulb work as intended, and in 2020, it was Black America’s mobilization that helped send Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House.”

Today we embark on #BlackHistoryMonth, a time for us to reflect on the contributions of Black Americans to the history and progress of our great nation.

Black history is interwoven into the fabric of America. It's critical that we embrace this history, not erase it.
— James E. Clyburn (@RepJamesClyburn) February 1, 2024

Clyburn, who has served in Congress since 2011, has been a pivotal asset in campaigns for President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden. Highlighting the strides Biden and Harris have made in their first term, the South Carolina leader is prepared to continue making history. “Exercising our power at the ballot box has produced good fruit, including the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, a record-breaking number of Black women to the federal appellate court, and appointing the most diverse Cabinet in American history, including the first African American to serve as Secretary of Defense,” Clyburn said.

With a second term in the air for Biden, the seasoned congressman is making strides to ensure Black voters understand what is at stake in November 2024 — considering the number of Black voters still on the fence.

According to Politico, during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Clyburn said he was “very concerned” about the President’s reputation with Black voters. He knows the President is doing all he can, but the concern is MAGA’s hold on the country. “I have no problem with the Biden administration and what it has done,” Clyburn said. “My problem is that we have not been able to break through that MAGA wall in order to get to people exactly what this president has done.”

From affordable healthcare to HBCU funding, James Clyburn continues to shine a light on the positive decisions made by the Biden White House. “The Biden-Harris administration has ushered in a 50-year low for Black unemployment,” he continued in his letter. “Health insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs are down for millions of Americans, over $7 billion has been invested in HBCUs, and – despite Republicans’ efforts to the contrary– over $136 billion in student loan debt has already been forgiven.”

Regardless of what polls indicate, Clyburn doesn’t believe that polls are a “true reflection of where voters are.” He shared that he hopes the Biden-Harris Administration can carry on beyond 2024. “As we celebrate Black History Month, we should remember: the end of Reconstruction and the beginning of Jim Crow were decided by just one vote,” he ended with. “The power is in our hands to choose freedom and prosperity over chaos and vitriol.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 2, 2024

Samuel L. Jackson ‘Pretended To Be Security’ For Magic Johnson While On Vacation

"During COVID I could have my hat, my sunglasses, and my mask on and I pretended to be security. So I would actually take pictures for other people with him."

Samuel L. Jackson appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, Jan. 31, where he gave an insight into his vacation time with Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, according to People. He revealed that, at times, he acts as if he is the NBA Hall of Famer’s security.

Jackson told Kimmel that he and Magic vacation together yearly. Sometimes, while they are out and about, fans recognize the former basketball player, and during the coronavirus pandemic, he went unrecognized, and they didn’t typically approach him.

“When COVID was happening, that was kind of like the best for me in a way,” Jackson expressed to the talk show host. “I’d be with Earvin. Everybody knows him. He’d take a picture with the worst person on the planet.”

The fact that they wouldn’t recognize him, and while he was with Magic, they, instead, would ask Jackson if he could take a photo of the fans with Magic.

“During COVID, I could have my hat, my sunglasses, and my mask on, and I pretended to be security. So I would actually take pictures for other people with him.”

He also stated that the two of them have a friend who is also Black and has a bald head, and he gets away with signing autographs because people think that the friend is actually Jackson.

“We have another friend who travels with us, John Palmer. He’s Black and bald, so they think he’s me,” Jackson said. “So he signs a lot of autographs and takes a lot of pictures, too.”

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Magic spent $7.5 million last summer on a 42-day vacation with Samuel L. Jackson, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and Judge Greg Mathis. The group took some time on a luxury yacht cruise and stopped by France, Italy, Greece, and Montenegro before ending the journey in Croatia.