• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 10, 2022

Black Purdue University Student Accuses Police Officer of Using ‘Excessive Force’

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Cellphone footage captured a Purdue University police officer’s alleged excessive force against a Black male student.

Adonis Tuggle, a junior in Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences, was arrested for resisting law enforcement. But Tuggle denies the charges claiming he never tried to resist officer Jon Selke, Purdue Exponent reports.

In video footage reportedly captured by Tuggle’s girlfriend, the student can be seen struggling in the snow with Selke while the officer holds his forearm over Tuggle’s face and neck. Tuggle’s girlfriend can be heard begging Selke to take his arm off Tuggle’s neck.

“Stop,” Tuggle’s girlfriend says in the video. “Get off of him! Get off of him!”

Police were responding to a call from an eyewitness who reported a “domestic disturbance of a couple arguing during a breakup,” police spokesperson Capt. Song Kang said. Selke arrived two minutes later and said he was trying to figure out what was happening.

 

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“He didn’t follow instructions,” Selke said. “It was a simple resisting case.”

But, Tuggle claims he wasn’t resisting arrest, and Selke ordered him to “get away from the car.”

“I tried to explain to him, ‘Nothing’s going on,’” Tuggle said Wednesday. “‘I’m not attacking her. This is my girlfriend. We’re having an argument.’”

Tuggle says he told his girlfriend to explain their disagreement to the officer, but Selke “screamed at her, ‘Shut the f*ck up and back up!’” Tuggle said. The student says it was at that point when he got in between Selke and his girlfriend and told him, “There’s no need to be disrespectful.”

Police Chief John Cox released a statement announcing an internal investigation, WLFI reports.

“Any time a PUPD officer uses force in connection with an arrest, the department conducts an internal review,” Cox said.

“The investigation will include input from all witnesses to the arrest and take into account all available evidence, including video from officers’ body-worn cameras.”

From revolutionizing breweries to epic festivals, Chicago’s craft beer movement has made its mark. This Black History Month, Chicago’s four Black-owned breweries are coming together for a very special collaboration.

The veteran West Loop brewpub is hosting a 6-week residency at the Haymarket Pub & Brewer until March 13. The residency will unite Funkytown Brewery, Moor’s Brewing, Turner Haus Brewery, and Black Horizon Brewing to incite education, collaboration, and celebration.

This collaboration between the breweries has already given new life to a variety of beers, including a Chicago Uncommon Ale — which will debut Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. at a Super Bowl viewing party. Haymarket will also feature up to eight beers available from the four breweries.

Co-founder of Moor’s Brewing, Jahmal Johnson is no stranger to early success, having launched last Juneteenth. He acknowledges the impact of the residency—sharing and spreading the stories of Black brewery owners.

“Haymarket putting this program together gave us all the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and get to know each other’s history and motivation,” he said.

Johnson continued: “Everyone has their own story and vision, and it reminds me of a revolutionary time. I’d compare it to when hip-hop started. Hip-hop in its purest form was just a cool thing to do, and it turned into this multibillion-dollar industry.”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 10, 2022

Colorado Springs to Pay Nearly $3 Million Settlement in Police Shooting Death of De’Von Bailey

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The family of 19-year-old police shooting victim De’Von Bailey is set to receive nearly $3 million from a civil lawsuit settlement related to his death.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Springs City Council approved the $2.97 million settlement and called for anti-bias training for the department’s police officers, NPR reports. It comes two and a half years after the August 2019 shooting that sparked a series of local protests against the use of excessive police force.

Bailey and his friend were approached by officers and questioned about a nearby armed robbery. Bodycam footage shows Bailey running as he was about to be searched before an officer could be heard yelling “Hands up!” three times before firing his weapon. Bailey’s cousin was later acquitted in the alleged robbery.

Neither cop involved with the shooting was charged, and both still work on the force.

“Nothing in this nightmare could ever make what happened to my son ok or justifiable,” Greg Bailey, De’Von Bailey’s father, said.

“There is no amount of money that will bring him back. He was running away, and they shot him in the back like an animal. I miss De’Von every day.”

While addressing the settlement, Mayor John Suthers and the Colorado Springs Police Department both said the payout does not reflect wrongdoing from the police, KKTV reports.

“It is important to note that in the conduct of the civil case, neither the judge who mediated a possible settlement nor the insurance adjusters assigned to the case suggested at any time that the officers acted unlawfully or contrary to department policy. Rather, the insurance carrier cited the ‘anti-law enforcement climate around the country,’ and much larger settlements in other cases in support of its desire to settle this case,” Suthers said.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Springs Police Department made sure to note that the shooting was found to be justifiable by the Department of Justice and FBI.

MOBE, Marketing Opportunities in Business and Entertainment Symposium, the leading advanced marketing conference and one of the longest-running marketing and business accelerating platforms, celebrates its 30^th anniversary with a challenge to U.S. brands, marketing executives and entrepreneurs to find innovative “Solutions For Reimagining Our Future,” during the 2022 MOBE Symposium to be held virtually on Apr. 21 – 22.

Founded in 1992 by industry trailblazer Yvette Moyo, MOBE aims to harness the purchasing power of the Black consumer and convenes annually to share innovations and success strategies typically overlooked by general market executives. Over the past 30 years, the organization has introduced Black businesses and products and steered financial resources to entrepreneurs to accelerate their success.  Attendees and participants include Spike Lee, John Legend, Will Packer, Brandy, Reginald and Warrington Hudlin, Jermaine Dupri, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Daymond John, Bernard Bronner, Cathy Hughes, LA Reid, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and other innovators who have worked to change the game for people of color in the marketing and advertising industries.

“We proudly celebrate our 30^th Anniversary and continue to fiercely advocate for respect for the power of the Black dollar, a return on our investment in U.S. business, and the proactive engagement of Black executives in the media and marketing industry,” said Ms. Moyo.

“MOBE’s strength is in identifying and creating outside-the-box strategies for our collective success and that of companies and brands that recognize the Black consumer’s influence on buying, style, and American culture far beyond our numbers. We are pleased to partner with Prudential to bring the 2022 MOBE Symposium to executives and corporations seeking to promote equity and to learn and invest in Black businesses.”

This year, the organization will introduce a summit for K12 educators, institution builders, educational influencers, and HBCUs.  Held on Thursday, April 21, the event will feature a day-long “Independent Educational Narrative: HBCUs & Beyond” to leverage educational partnerships between traditionally independent Black Institutions, educational leaders, teachers, bloggers, journalists and business entrepreneurs. Educators participating in the conference will receive CTLE certification credit hours for participation.

The highly anticipated “Solutions For Reimagining Our Future” MOBE Symposium will be held on Friday, Apr. 22. The virtual conference opens doors for participants to network with a curated community of Black leaders, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs. All participants will have access to resources, capital, and opportunities to promote their business, product, or service and connect to top U.S. and global brands.

The day’s program will feature a fireside conversation between MOBE Chairman and HBCUGO.TV President Curtis Symonds and Byron Allen, president, and CEO of the Allen Media Group (AMG). Panels will focus on current issues, including discussing HBCUs partnering with corporate America, creating marketing deals, and utilizing their alumni networks; consequences and opportunities for Black males in America, marketing social justice movements; NIL deals for college athletes, and more.

The conference will also include case studies with B.K. Fulton, chairman & CEO, Soulidifly and a producer of the Broadway hit play “Thoughts Of A Colored Man” and Craig King, CEO and co-founder of rap music/technology platform, Rap Plug.

Corporations, agencies, entrepreneurs, media, and marketing executives can now register for the virtual MOBE Symposium held on the Hopin platform.

The MOBE 30^th Anniversary Symposium is sponsored by Prudential, BET Networks and AARP.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 10, 2022

Eve Gives Birth to ‘Beautiful’ Baby Boy, Wilde Wolf Fife Alexander Somers Cooper

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After welcoming her first child last week, rapper/actress Eve has finally entered motherhood.

Eve and her husband, Maximillion Cooper, took to Instagram on Thursday to debut their new bundle of joy.

“Our Beautiful boy was born Feb 1st 2022 💙 Wilde Wolf Fife Alexander Somers Cooper 💙 Words can’t describe this feeling,” Eve captioned a photo of her baby boy.

 

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Cooper’s post shared the same photo and caption but closed with “Let the wild rumpus begin!”

Baby Wolfe’s arrival comes after Eve announced her pregnancy last October.

“Can you believe it @mrgumball3000 we finally get to tell everyone!!!!! ❤️,” the Queens star captioned an Instagram photo of her growing baby bump. “You all know how long we’ve been waiting for this blessing!!! We get to meet our lil human February 2022.”

It’s the first child for Eve and the fifth for the British race car driver, Page Six reports. Since their 2014 wedding, Eve has been a happy stepmom to Cooper’s children from a previous marriage. Lotus, 19, Jagger, 17, Cash, 15, and Mini, 13.

Eve recently dedicated a birthday post to her “bonus son” Cash on Instagram. In the past, she’s shared her desire to have biological kids of her own while also enjoying her role as a stepmother.

“It’s been now 10-and-a-half years I’ve been in their lives and they’ve been in my life,” Eve told People. “They’ve grounded me. In the beginning, when I first met my husband — then-boyfriend — I was like, ‘This is never gonna last because you got four kids! How’s this gonna work?’ But then I met the kids and honestly was like, ‘Wow, kids are amazing.’”

When announcing her departure from co-hosting The Talk to move to London full-time, Eve hinted at wanting to start a family.

“And you gotta be on the same continent with your partner to have a kid! So hopefully, this will help,” Eve said.

And it did. Congrats Eve!

• Health and Wellness

by Atiya Jordan

February 10, 2022

Black Mental Health Coach Urges Transparency To Avoid Rising Suicide Rates Among Black Youth

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A Black mental health coach, Paige Gaines, opens up about her journey as part of A Different Cry, a three-part docuseries, and investigation into the rising suicide rates among Black youth in America.

The series, led by the award-winning Atticus investigative unit from WXIA in Atlanta, aims to change and save lives by exploring the undercount of Black youth suicides and failing prevention efforts within the community.

According to the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, recent studies indicate that “from 2003 to 2017, Black youth experienced a significant upward trend in suicide with the largest annual percentage change in the 15- to 17-year age group and among girls (4.9% and 6.6%, respectively).”

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Gaines expressed her concerns regarding the unfortunate rise in suicide rates.

“That’s what led me to this. African American men, African American boys, are more likely to attempt suicide than white men and white boys. African American females and African American young girls are attempting higher as well. So, it’s been a continuous rise in numbers,” Gaines said.

Gaines, a Georgia native, is a two-time suicide survivor diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 22. Her personal journey led her to become a suicide prevention and intervention instructor who strongly believes that transparency can encourage Black people to speak up about their mental health struggles.

She told the magazine that her battle with depression was a silent one and acknowledges the importance of eliminating the shame associated with mental illness, especially in the Black community.

“I want people to know that it is OK to have a conversation about mental health,” she said.

Her efforts are fueled by passion. The 31-year-old is the founder of 911 Sane Jane, a mental health consulting agency, for which she has made a name for herself in the mental health space nationwide. Gaines is a sought-after speaker, inspiring thousands. Her life’s work is intended to “change the lens through which people see their world,” as per the agency’s website.

Additionally, Gaines advocates for the cause at the Mental Health America of Georgia as a Certified Peer Specialist.

“We deserve to be in therapy and happy and at peace and being able to have a healthy mind,” she said. “Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy spirit and being able to progress in life. We deserve it. We deserve to live.”

• Men

by Derek Major

February 10, 2022

Louisiana Senate Candidate Gary Chambers Jr. Burns Confederate Flag In Latest Ad

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U.S. Senate candidate Gary Chambers Jr. continued his bold campaign ads with a new commercial featuring him burning a Confederate flag.

In the ad titled “Stars & Bars,” Chambers is seen in a camo jacket as he pins a Confederate flag to a clothesline and sets it on fire with a lighter.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” Chambers says in the ad. “But here in Louisiana and all over the South, Jim Crow never really left, and the remnants of the Confederacy remain.”

Chambers, running against Sen. John Kennedy in this year’s midterm elections, has gained national attention for his advertisements. In his first campaign ad, Chambers sat in a chair smoking marijuana in an attempt to start “a new conversation.”

The Lousiana Democrat references P.B.S Pinchback, who in 1873 won a Louisiana U.S. Senate race but was never seated as Democrats took control of the next Congress and upheld the election of his opponent.

As the flag burns, Chambers mentioned gerrymandered districts and restrictive voting laws as “byproducts” of the Confederacy, adding that the “attacks against Black people and our right to vote and participate in this democracy are methodical.”

In the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s election win, 19 states have passed 34 laws restricting voting,  including limits on mail-in and absentee ballots and making it illegal to pass out food and water in voting lines. Democrats tried twice to pass a comprehensive voting rights bill but were blocked by Republicans.

In the ad, Chambers also discussed other issues plaguing Black Americans in the South today, including access to healthcare, which has been highlighted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Louisiana native added 1 in 9 Black Americans do not have health insurance, and 1 in 3 live in poverty.

“It’s time to burn what remains of the Confederacy down,” Chambers said in the video. “I do believe the South will rise again, but this time it will be on our terms.”

• Career

by Derek Major

February 10, 2022

Susan M. Collins Becomes First Woman Of Color To Lead Boston Federal Reserve Bank

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Susan M. Collins, an M.I.T.- and Harvard-trained economist, is the first women of color to be named the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

According to the Boston Globe, Collins is the first woman of color and the second woman to be selected to lead one of the 12 regional federal branches since the central bank system was created.

Collins will join the Federal Reserve from the University of Michigan, where she served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs after serving for a decade as dean of its Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

The Boston Federal serving committee made it a point to search for a minority candidate. Collins’ appointment means three people of color are currently running regional federal banks. The other two are in Atlanta and Minneapolis.

Lisa Lynch, a Brandeis University professor and former chair of the Boston Fed, praised the selection of Collins.

“This is a brilliant appointment,” Lynch told the Globe. “She is a tested leader.”

Once she takes office, Collins, like other regional Fed presidents, will be on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) where she will vote on interest rates and other policy decisions on a one-year rotating basis this year and again in 2025.

The FMOC’s purpose is to promote full employment and stable consumer prices, which has become difficult since the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the job market while prices on everything from wood to cereal continues has risen due to inflation.

Collins said in an interview that she will focus on traditional Fed issues, such as the labor market as well as community-based initiatives, including banking. Collins is also familiar with Boston. She graduated from Harvard in 1980 and MIT in 1984 before returning to Harvard to teach.

The Harvard alumnus’s academic research focused on economic growth, currency exchange rates,and the globalization of U.S. labor markets. Collins will replace Eric Rosengren, who retired abruptly amid a controversy concerning personal investment trading.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 10, 2022

Study: Black and Latino Churchgoers Turning to Pastors for Mental Health Services

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New studies find that Black and Latino churchgoers are going to their pastors for mental health services, so much so they’re starting to overwhelm the clergy.

The newly released study from Rice University, “Where Would You Go? Race, Religion, and the Limits of Pastor Mental Health Care in Black and Latino Congregations,” features interviews with Black and Latino Christians in Houston, Texas, about how they make decisions on where to seek mental health care.

The research showed Black congregants seeking out mental health counsel from pastors over medical professionals because of the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community. Latinos also seek mental health counsel from their pastors, but more so because of the stigma within their church.

However, the study found that pastors are feeling ill-equipped by the demands due to not having enough time, resources, or sufficient social networks to best serve their churchgoers.

“Regardless of whether they want to be or not, pastors are on the front lines of this mental health crisis,” Dan Bolger, the author of the study, said.

“People in religious communities see clergy as uniquely able to discern and handle these types of issues. The medical community, including the mental health community and other types of providers, can help with these types of issues by creating networks with pastors and working with local religious communities.”

Bolger is encouraging mental health and medical providers to help the church community by working with pastors to create networks for resources, Religion News reported.

“A persistent theme across the clergy members we talked to was that there’s a level of need for mental health care they’re just unable to meet,” Bolger said. “Maybe it was less about the types of issues they were seeing, but more the sheer number of people who needed that type of assistance.

“If pastors feel better equipped to address issues presented by their congregants, our findings indicate it will lead to better outcomes and better care,” he said.