postal worker,Dequavious Graves
aomarks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 17, 2026

Metro Atlanta Postal Worker Fatally Shot On The Job As Community Mourns Public Servant

Graves was a dedicated public servant beloved by his family and friends.

The Metro Atlanta community is mourning the loss of a beloved postal worker who was killed on the job.

Dequavious Graves was fatally shot Feb. 12 while completing his duties for the U.S. Postal Service in DeKalb County. Graves was delivering mail down a popular street in Decatur, Georgia, a city located northeast of Atlanta, when an unknown assailant shot and killed him.

According to 11Alive, the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the 31-year-old man died from his injuries. The news of his untimely death shocked his loved ones, who recalled his various interests and good nature.

His friends remember Graves for his love of his Postal Service career and his creative outlets. Beyond working at the USPS for three years, the postal worker also pursued the arts as a music producer. Now, they must contend with the loss of someone they considered a brother, who they lovingly called “Big Quay.”

One friend noted, “The world was robbed of a great human.” 

The U.S. Postal Service also issued a statement on the “tragic loss.” The agency will provide counseling services to co-workers grappling with their grief.

“The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a Postal family member with three years of service in a fatal incident on February 12. Our thoughts are with their family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. We will be providing counseling services to our employees at the Wesley Chapel Post Office as the investigation into the incident continues,” detailed the statement.


With an investigation underway, the United States Postal Inspection Service has offered a $250,000 reward for anyone with information on the killing. Authorities consider the suspect armed and dangerous.

The victim’s mother, Shannon Graves, also urged the perpetrator to come forward so that his family may receive justice.

“This was a very cowardly move, and I want you to please come forward and give yourself up,” said the grieving woman.

RELATED CONTENT: The Iconic Miss J Alexander Details Grueling Stroke Recovery In Netflix Doc

Brittany S. Hale Is Set To Unpack Black Women And ‘The C-Suite Crisis’ At 2026 Women Of Power Summit
by Kandiss Edwards

February 17, 2026

Brittany S. Hale Is Set To Unpack Black Women And ‘The C-Suite Crisis’ At 2026 Women Of Power Summit

As a summit speaker, Hale brings both lived insight and technical expertise to conversations on leadership, equity and growth.

Brittany S. Hale is bringing a unique blend of expertise from operational strategy, conflict navigation, and legal insight to the upcoming BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit March 11–15 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. On March 12, Hale will speak at the Thank You, Next: The C-Suite Crisis session.

In February 2026, Hale announced her new position as a pre-litigation leading attorney for the Brandon J. Broderick law firm. Additionally, she is the chief strategy officer of BND Consulting Group, where she works with leadership teams to convert internal friction into institutional clarity and growth. The firm’s advisory practice integrates litigation experience with operational design.

Before launching BND Consulting in 2017, Hale built a career at the intersection of law, leadership, and organizational performance. As an attorney who has advised companies on complex litigation, compliance, and risk management. Her multifaceted background also includes leadership roles in the public sector including Director of Partnerships & Business Development, Stackwell; Director, Strategy & Operations, InspireHR; and Senior Business Development Manager, Bloomberg.

In January 2023, Hale was named interim chief executive officer and chief operating officer of digitalundivided, a nonprofit that advances economic opportunities for Latina and Black women entrepreneurs. In that role, she oversaw operational systems and helped guide strategy while the organization conducted a nationwide search for a permanent CEO. Her leadership at digitalundivided combined operational rigor with a commitment to dismantling systems of racial and gender bias. 

At the Women of Power Summit, Hale promises to unpack the erasure of qualified and accomplished Black women in corporate leadership.

“Despite record-setting performance, Black women continue to be quietly—and sometimes loudly—pushed out of executive leadership. I’ll be unpacking why this happens, how it shows up, and how it connects to my ongoing research on Tall Poppy Syndrome, or the penalty imposed on highly ambitious women who refuse to shrink.”

As a summit speaker, Hale brings both lived insight and technical expertise to conversations on leadership, equity, and growth at a time when many organizations are reassessing culture, performance, and purpose. Be in attendance when Hale drops wisdom for the 2026 BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit. For registration information click here.

RELATED CONTENT: Rosalind ‘Roz’ Brewer Will Receive Legacy Award At The 2026 Women OF Power Summit

New Jersey, study, c-sections
(Image: iStock)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 17, 2026

Black Mothers Reveal Their Maternity Care Horror Stories: ‘The Nurse Got Angry’

Black mothers in the United Kingdom are speaking out about traumatic maternity care experiences as the country works to address its growing maternal health crisis.

Three Black mothers treated at different UK hospitals are speaking out about strikingly similar maternity experiences where their pain was overlooked, their concerns dismissed, and how their race may have been the cause of their mistreatment.

“I was told by the midwife to shut up, and then she put her hand over my mouth,” recalled Tenisha Howell, a mother of five who spoke candidly with Sky News.

One mother, Shakira Akabusi, described the response she received from a nurse after asking whether there were alternatives to morphine following her C-section.

“The nurse got angry,” Akabusi said. “She threw the morphine away, and I was then left alone for hours.”

Kadi Wilson recalled lying alone in her hospital bed recovering from a fourth-degree tear, crying in pain as she said staff showed little compassion, with some allegedly walking past and ignoring her cries.

These stories highlight the stark realities behind persistent disparities in maternity care. Despite federal efforts to address the maternal mortality crisis, which disproportionately affects Black women, they remain twice as likely to die from childbirth-related causes. By sharing their experiences, these mothers are offering a candid look at what it means to navigate pregnancy and birth in a system where race is closely tied to risk.

“I haven’t felt supported, I haven’t felt safe, I haven’t felt like my pain was taken seriously,” Howell, 33, said. “I have a lot of experiences that I can draw from, and it’s sad to say that a lot of them have been quite negative.”

Tenisha described her fifth labor and delivery as “the most traumatic,” recalling agonizing pain as the gas and air wore off, and alleging that one midwife pressured her to stay quiet as she cried out.

“She told me to shut up multiple times, and then she put her hand over my mouth to basically say, ‘be quiet,” Howell shared. “That was very disheartening. It was very sad.”

The accounts are among those highlighted by Dr. Michelle Peter, co-author of the Five X More Black Maternity Experiences Report, which surveyed 1,164 Black and mixed-heritage women in the UK who were pregnant between July 2021 and March 2025. More than half said they faced challenges with healthcare professionals, and nearly a quarter reported being denied pain relief when they asked for it.

“This kind of dismissal of black women’s pain and refusal to provide adequate pain relief when it’s requested is a common experience amongst the black women who have shared their experiences with us,” Dr. Peter said. “This is kind of linked to historical, but also ongoing, racialised assumptions about black people’s tolerance to pain, their vulnerability or their strengths.”

The UK government has launched an independent review of maternity and neonatal services, led by Baroness Amos, which has found that too many women, across all backgrounds, still receive “unacceptable care” resulting in tragic outcomes. The inquiry will examine the role discrimination plays in the experiences of women of color, even as many continue to face these challenges while reforms are being explored.

Baroness Merron, the parliamentary under-secretary for patient safety, women’s health, and mental health, said it is “absolutely unacceptable” that Black and Asian women face a higher risk of dying during childbirth than white women in the UK.

“I very much look forward to implementing what we can from that. I am already taking action in terms of tackling discrimination and racism across the NHS because it can’t wait any longer,” she said.

RELATED CONTENT: Ex-Deputy Sean Grayson Gets 20-Year Maximum Sentence For Sonya Massey’s Murder

LeBron James, nba rules
(Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 17, 2026

LeBron James’ ‘Good Things’ Under Fire As Critics Blast Perceived Support Of Israel

In “An Open Letter to LeBron James,” Mehdi Hasan highlighted all the times the four-time champion was seen as a champion for social justice matters such as the violence in Charlottesville and Black Lives Matter.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is being slammed on social media for comments about Israel and labeled a “disgrace” by MS Now journalist and Israel critic, Mehdi Hasan. 

During the NBA’s annual All-Star weekend, James announced he would hold a separate press conference to answer questions about the possibility of his retirement and his thoughts on Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija, the only active NBA player from Israel, according to Fox News.

When asked about having a message for fans overseas, people zeroed in on his sentiments of “hearing nothing but good things.”

“If I have fans over there, then I hope you’ve been following my career. I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but to be better in general in life,” he said. 

“So, hopefully, someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard great things. I appreciate the question.”

Hasan, in particular, took great offense to the comments made by the 22-time All-Star after reposting another social media user’s comments.

“What a disgrace LeBron is,” the journalist said on X. 

Hasan, who has received massive backlash on his hard-hitting takes against Israel following the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas terrorists, continued to slam James in “An Open Letter to LeBron James,” published on his Zeteo platform. 

He highlighted all the times the four-time champion was seen as a champion of social justice, such as the violence in Charlottesville, Black Lives Matter, and the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

But called him out for remaining silent on the issues overseas, accusing him of seemingly praising “mass killing and starving in Gaza.”

“So where has your voice been for the past two and a half years as tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been bombed, shot, and starved to death? As parents dug their children’s bodies out of the rubble with their bare hands? As doctors operated without anesthesia inside besieged hospitals?” Hasan wrote. 

“Why have we heard nothing from you?”

However, he may have misspoken. An old post on X resurfaced from James, dated Oct. 11, 2023, where the NBA legend, along with his SpringHill Company business partner Maverick Carter, openly condemned the terror, saying “the devastation in Israel is tragic and unacceptable.”  

While some advocates, like Marc Lamont Hill, claimed to be “nonplussed” by James’ “good things” comments, friends like fellow NBA legend Carmelo Anthony seemed to ask fans to give him some grace.

“He’s living long enough to be the villain… Still holding this league down. This league don’t move without Bron. I don’t give a f**k what nobody say.,” Anthony said during a segment of his “7PM In Brooklyn” podcast. 

“It don’t move without Bron. Until he’s gone. His position in this game is bigger than wins and losses throughout the season.”

RELATED CONTENT: Minding Our Own Business: Returning To Our Roots With These 5 African Nations Leading The Diaspora Repatriation Movement

Tyra Banks, Smize
Tyra Banks isn’t just a model. She has become a media powerhouse, launching Bankable Productions in 2007, producing such hit shows as The Tyra Banks Show and America's Next Top Model. An accomplished woman in fashion, television, and business, Tyra Banks has a net worth of $90 million: (Photo: VOGUE Taiwan, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons):
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 17, 2026

Tyra Banks Caught Heat Online For Not Visiting Miss J After Life-Altering Stroke

Miss J. Alexander of "America's Next Top Model" revealed a 2022 stroke that left him paralyzed, also sharing that former friend Tyra Banks has yet to visit.

Miss J. Alexander, the iconic runway coach from “America’s Next Top Model,” revealed in a new Netflix documentary about the modeling competition show that he suffered a life-altering stroke in late 2022 that left him paralyzed. His former mentee and boss didn’t see about him.

Toward the end of episode three of Netflix’s “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” docuseries, Miss J. Alexander becomes emotional as he publicly shares for the first time that he suffered a stroke on Dec. 27, 2022, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

“I had a stroke. I woke up, I didn’t know where I was, other than the hospital,” Miss J. said in the docuseries. “I spent five weeks in a coma, and I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t talk. I thought to myself, what was I going to do? I couldn’t walk, I could’t speak. It was emotional, and I cried. I’m not ashamed to say that. I cried, and then once I was in the hospital, Jay [Manuel] and Nigel [Barker] came to visit.”

“I taught models how to walk. And now I can’t walk,” Miss J. added, in a clip shared online. “Not yet. I’m sure you’re gonna see me again. I’m sure.”

The documentary later reunites Miss J. with Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker, who take their first selfie together since 2019. The trio who served as judges alongside Tyra Banks on “America’s Next Top Model” reflect on their 2011 departures from the show and past tensions with Banks. While Manuel and Barker visited Miss J during his hospitalization, he revealed that Banks had not.

“Did Tyra come and visit you?” a producer is heard asking Miss J, who replied, “No, not yet. She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me. But, no, not yet.”

Amid the revelation and a wave of troubling stories shared by former contestants throughout the doc, Banks is under fire online from viewers who feel she failed to take accountability in the series.

“Miss J knew Tyra since she was 16, and she didn’t even visit him in the hospital when he had a stroke….sent him a damn text like some distant co-worker smfh. NASTY WORK! TYRA YOU ARE A NOT A GOOD PERSON,” one X user wrote.

https://twitter.com/RobynDMarley_/status/2023532631971762371

“The documentary for ANTM on Netflix made Tyra Banks look worse. Now, it’s no longer just about the show, and it being dated culturally, it’s about her being a bad person in general. She did the contestants bad, and she did her friends Miss J, J, and Nigel terribly too,” another person tweeted.

“The fact that she couldn’t put her pride aside and go visit Miss J, knowing he can’t walk anymore, really shows how cruel she is,” added another user, who accused Banks of “using” her former friends and judges.

“Girl at this point #TyraBanks is EXACTLY Who they say she is! You will never get me to believe otherwise! Everyone took accountability except her,” one user exclaimed.

Banks ended the three-part documentary by teasing plans for Cycle 25 of the iconic modeling competition, but those comments came before the series premiered and sparked backlash from frustrated fans.

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Jamaica, Jamaican patois, Parliament
Photo by aboodi vesakaran: https://www.pexels.com/photo/flag-of-jamaica-13913322/
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 17, 2026

Former Children’s Home Resident In Jamaica Asks National Leaders For Help Finishing Law School

Vanessa Wright has called on Jamaica's leaders to assist her in finishing law school.

A former children’s home resident in Jamaica had made an appeal to her country for help finishing law school.

Despite her upbringing as an orphan in Jamaica, Vanessa Wright has worked hard to build a bright future. The former ward of the state is now studying at the University of the West Indies, in her third year of law school.

While Wright has been able to succeed on her own, the lack of support has made her journey more difficult than others. Navigating what she deems “limited resources,” Wright has remained steadfast in her goals to become a lawyer.

“Despite facing instability and limited resources, I have remained dedicated to my studies and to gaining the practical experience needed for law school and bar preparation,” she explained, as reported by the Jamaican Observer.

The directors of Crisis Support Charity gifted Wright $500,000 in Jamaican dollars, roughly $3,200 USD, to help her complete school. The philanthropic leaders, Stephen Joseph and Luke Joseph, remembered Wright from when she was a child at Maxfield Park’s Children’s Home. Since meeting her, they have kept their promise to help her finish this academic journey.

“I know it is 1.5 million and we know you need more…but I know corporate Jamaica will come on and support this good story,” Stephen said.

However, Wright still needs more financial support to ease her school balance. As she hopes to finish her law degree, she has asked her home country to get her to the finish line.

Now, she and the Joseph family have also made a public appeal to the leaders of Jamaica to support her in this final stage. In total, she needs $1.5 million in Jamaican currency to fulfill her bills.

With the money, her financial strain would ease, allowing her to focus on graduation and internships. Upon completing her degree and passing the bar, she hopes to use her legal services to help people overcome their circumstances, just as she did.

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Chris Paul, retires
(Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 17, 2026

Chris Paul Explains To Carmelo Anthony Why He Retired From Basketball

The former LA Clippers point guard spoke with his friend during the live taping of the '7PM in Brooklyn' podcast

During the NBA All-Star Weekend, at a live taping of the Carmelo Anthony-hosted “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, the NBA Hall of Famer spoke with one of his “Banana Boat” buddies, Chris Paul, about his latest career move after announcing he was retiring from professional basketball. 

On Feb. 14, Complex debuted its Complex Market at Ace & Mission Studios in downtown Los Angeles, billed as a curated fusion of vintage sportswear, streetwear, and sneakers for sports fans and sneakerheads. Paul, known to NBA Fans as the “Point God” for his exceptional skills on the basketball court, announced his retirement from the league after over 20 years. This was the first time he spoke publicly about his retirement.

Anthony, who was recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (Where Paul may join him in three years if he doesn’t return to the court), spoke with Paul and his co-host, Kaz, during the event.

The former New York Knicks forward introduced his close friend (the duo, along with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, is affectionately referred to as the “Banana Boat Crew”) as “one of the greatest point guards ever,” before Paul stated why he felt it was time to move on from the game he has played all his life.

The former Los Angeles Clippers point guard said that making the decision “feels a little lighter.”

“I set a personal deadline that if I wasn’t on a team by a certain point, I would be done by All-Star,” Chris told Anthony and Kaz. He also stated that he knew last season he was about to end his career, but later in the season, he felt “too damn good” to retire. 

Before the season started, he announced to the world that this was it, before he signed his last deal with the Clippers, whom he led on the court for six seasons. The franchise stated that he was coming “home” after leaving it at the end of the 2017 NBA season. The future NBA Hall of Famer played with the Clippers from 2011 to the end of the 2016-17 season. Sadly, he did not last the entire season, when on Dec. 3, the team sent the point guard home in the middle of the night during a road trip in Atlanta.

At 3 a.m., the veteran posted on his social media account that he was being “sent home” by the Clippers.

Chris Paul has played for seven teams throughout his NBA career. His first team was the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11). He played for the Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24), and San Antonio Spurs (2024-25) before making the short-lived return to the Clippers.

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stroke, Tyra Banks, Miss J Alexander, ANTM, America's Next Top Model, documentary, Netflix
Photo: Baltimore, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
by Keka Araújo

February 17, 2026

The Iconic Miss J Alexander Details Grueling Stroke Recovery In Netflix Doc

We are rooting for you, Miss J!

J. Alexander, the iconic runway coach affectionately known as “Miss J,” has revealed the harrowing details of a 2022 stroke that left him in a coma for slightly over a month and fundamentally altered his mobility. The former runway model also shared a shocking revelation about his former boss during that time.

The health crisis was documented on the new Netflix docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which premiered Feb. 16.

“On December 27, 2022, I had a stroke,” Alexander disclosed during the series’ final installment. The 67-year-old former runway model described a grueling recovery process that began with a five-week coma. “I didn’t know where I was other than in the hospital. I couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t talk.”

The documentary features candid footage from Alexander’s hospital room, where he remained for 17 months. While the series chronicles the cutthroat nature of the reality competition that made him a household name, the focus shifts to the former runway model’s current reality as he navigates life in a wheelchair—a detail revealed only in the final minutes of the docuseries.

Long before becoming the “Queen of the Catwalk,” Alexander’s path was nearly a corporate one; he originally attended school to become an accountant. However, Miss J’s life changed at 16 when he met Monique Pillard, then the president of Elite Model Management, while performing in drag.

Pillard recognized his potential and sent him to Tokyo, where he modeled for three years before settling in Paris and eventually walking for Jean-Paul Gaultier in New York City.

By 1991, Alexander transitioned backstage, becoming one of the industry’s most sought-after casting directors and runway coaches. He is credited with refining the walks of legends like Naomi Campbell, Kimora Lee Simmons, and a young Tyra Banks.

Alexander served as a mainstay on America’s Next Top Model from its 2003 inception through cycle 18. His 2012 firing, alongside creative director Jay Manuel and photographer Nigel Barker, marked a controversial era for the franchise. However, the health crisis appears to have mended old professional fractures.

Manuel and Barker are both shown visiting Alexander during his lengthy hospitalization. Barker described the visit as a “terrible shock.”

“When he saw me, he was happy to see me and the two of us cried together, and I held him,” Barker recalled. Manuel further reflected on the gravity of the situation, adding, “I can only imagine where he was in his mind.”

The documentary also addressed the notable absence of series creator, Tyra Banks, at Alexander’s bedside. When asked in archival hospital footage if Banks had visited, Alexander replied, “No, not yet. She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me.”

Banks, who participated in the docuseries separately, did not discuss Alexander’s health on camera. She did, however, address the 2012 dismissals of the trio, claiming the decision was made by network executives.

“I cried myself to sleep that night,” Banks said. “But bosses have bosses… the big boss was very clear. There are no sacred cows.”

Despite the physical limitations imposed by the stroke, Alexander remains defiant. The man who taught the world’s most famous models how to glide across the stage is now focused on reclaiming his own ability to walk. The experience has been deeply humbling for the fashion legend, who admitted to the internal struggle.

“I cried. I am not ashamed to say that I cried.”

“I miss being the queen of the runway,” Alexander said. “I am the person who taught models how to walk, and now I can’t walk. Not yet. I am determined to walk. I am sure you are going to see me again. It’s not over for me yet.”

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Aisha Tyler, CDC, Hypertension Bites
Photo courtesy of
by Kandiss Edwards

February 17, 2026

Aisha Tyler Partners With CDC Foundation To Shine A Light On Hypertension Awareness

Tyler encourages adults, especially Black adults, to understand their blood pressure, recognize stroke risk and adopt manageable habits that support long-term heart health.

Aisha Tyler is turning personal experience into public health advocacy through her partnership with the CDC Foundation’s Hypertension Bites campaign. The national initiative encourages adults, particularly those in midlife, to understand their blood pressure, recognize stroke risk, and adopt manageable habits that support long-term heart health.

Both of Tyler’s parents have inspired her health journey. She describes her mother as a thriving salsa dancing “spitfire” at 80-years-old. She aspires to be like her elder, engaging in life as an octogenarian in a fulfilling and healthy way. Conversely, her father’s experiences also inform her decisions as she walks through mid-life. The comedian’s father suffered a health crisis a decade ago tied to heart health. Though the multi-hyphenate talent is booked and busy, her father’s ordeal has shifted how she approaches balance, discipline, and self-care.

Tyler is sounding the alarm for Black people who are twice as likely to experience a stroke as opposed to others. She took a moment to speak with BLACK ENTERPRISE about the ways she has implemented CDC Foundation hypertension guidance into her real life by taking practical steps she believes can help people take control before a crisis forces them to.

What made this campaign personal for you?

I’m really, really excited that the CDC Foundation approached me about this campaign because I have hypertension. This is really about helping people who may actually not even know that they are at risk for a stroke, find out about their status, their physical status, their heart status, and start to kind of track these factors.

How did your father’s stroke shape your perspective?

My father had a stroke about 10 years ago, and he was lucky enough to be able to recover from it, but it’s had a lasting effect on his life. He was a guy who went salsa dancing all the time. He’d always been a really vibrant kind of very muscular guy, and it just proves to you that you just don’t know. You can’t tell by looking at somebody, you can’t tell by looking at yourself in the mirror, honestly, whether you might be at risk for stroke.

You were an athlete growing up. Were you always tuned in to your health?

I was a track athlete in high school and college and then I switched to rowing crew in college. As an athlete you’re not really paying attention to your body other than thinking about it from a performance standpoint. “Can I push myself harder? Can I push past pain?”

It’s with a different kind of care that I am taking care of my body now. It’s much more honest. It’s more loving. When you’re young, you think you’re going to live forever and you’re a little machine. Now it’s more about how this body has to carry me through the next 50 years of my life.

You’ve described yourself as a foodie. How do you balance indulgence with heart health?

I love to eat. I love drinking. I love celebrating. But for me, it’s really a life of moderation. It doesn’t have to be super challenging. I walk. I monitor my blood pressure on a daily basis. When you know your numbers, then you can figure out how to improve them.

What are your nonnegotiables for your health when your schedule gets hectic?

I’m an 8 hour a night person. I can’t perform at my best if I’m not well rested. It has meant that I’ve cut back on my socializing. l used to be, I used to be a last girl out of the club woman, but I am now somebody who’s like early for dinner so that I can get home and wind down. Women of color are juggling so many things, we’ve got to put the mask on before helping others so sleep and exercise are non-negotiables.

What are three simple steps people can take right now?

The first thing is to move. Second, manage stress. Stress and blood pressure go hand in hand. It could just be some cleansing breaths or five minutes alone. Third, know your numbers. If you don’t know, you can’t do anything about it. Go to your doctor, be proactive in that process.

Through Hypertension Bites, the CDC Foundation and Aisha Tyler are reframing heart health as a daily commitment rather than a reaction to crisis. Tyler’s message is practical and direct, move consistently, manage stress, prioritize sleep and know your numbers. For her, those habits are the foundation for staying present, independent and fully engaged in the decades still to come.

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Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rainbow coalition, Black men xcel
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 22: Jesse Jackson poses for a portrait during the 55th Anniversary of Ben's Chili Bowl on August 22, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 17, 2026

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Profound Civil Rights Leader and Philanthropist, Dies At 84

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition founder is known as a history maker, not only to the Black community but the world.

After battling sickness, Rev. Jessie L. Jackson Sr. has “died peacefully” at the age of 84. 

In a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE, his family announced his Feb. 17 passing and called him “a servant leader.”

“Our father was a servant leader -not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family,” the Jackson family said.

“His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.” 

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition founder is known as a history maker, not only to the Black community but to the world. Following the 1968 assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University graduate picked up where he left off, continuing the fight for justice. 

He penned famous pleas such as “keep hope alive” while running for president twice, giving speeches that captured the hearts of advocates and elected politicians, uplifting the Democratic Party during times of defeat. According to The New York Times, his 50-minute speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention was labeled as a “high point” when the party felt defeated against then-Republican candidate Ronald Reagan. “My constituency is the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected and the despised,” Jackson once said.

“They are restless and seek relief.”

While he never sat in the Oval Office, Jackson was a known leader in the fight for equality, being celebrated on the cover of publications like BLACK ENTERPRISE three times. Born in the small, segregated Black community of Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson couldn’t hold back tears when he was present to see former President Barack Obama make his acceptance speech after being elected as the first Black president of the United States — a feeling felt around the world. 

In a matter of hours, an outpouring of support and love has flooded social media, with kind words and remembrances from those he mentored and inspired over the years. Rev. Al Sharpton shared a throwback image of him alongside Jackson and the late James Brown, calling Jackson “his mentor” and saying, “During #BlackHistoryMonth, we are reminded to honor the giants who paved the way and to keep pushing forward.”

The new generation of elected officials also celebrated what the civil rights leader meant to them, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who remembered him as a man who “challenged America to live up to its promise for freedom and justice for all, always advocating for unity over division.” 

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and children, Jesse, Jr., Santita, Jonathan, Yusef, Ashley, and Jacqueline, and grandchildren. One of his granddaughters, who goes by @j_donatella on X, posted a touching message saying she is “thankful to have known you in this lifetime.”

https://twitter.com/j_donatella/status/2023713633889611858

While Rainbow PUSH will release final arrangements for Rev. Jackson’s life, public observances will be held in Chicago.

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