Months before the first presidential primary was scheduled to take place, political pundits and politicians alike have been eagerly gravitating toward the notion that Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee in the 2020 election.

Even before the former vice president made his candidacy official, there were rumors floating around that he wanted to groom Stacey Abrams to be his running mate. There seemed to be no doubt in his mind that he would be the next president. The only question, it seemed, was who would be his running mate. [Read more]

On April 27, Grammy winner Peabo Bryson suffered a heart attack at his Georgia home. The 68-year-old is on his way to a fully recovering and he has first responders to thank. The legend is now thanking the firefighters who saved his life.

According to a press release, Bryson and his wife Tanya Boniface Bryson visited Cobb County Fire Station 3 in Marietta, Georgia, on Tuesday.

“Here I am, thanks to you guys,” Bryson told the firefighters. “You don’t know that you’re going to survive anything like this, but when you do, the life that you had before is not the life that you have now. There is so much to be grateful for and I’ve learned to believe in the concept of second-hand grace.” [Read more]

Actress Taraji P. Henson is pushing her efforts to spread awareness about mental illness within the Black community forward. According to People, Henson is organizing a two-day mental health summit through her nonprofit the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.

The event—dubbed the “Can We Talk?” conference—will serve as a forum to develop strategies that will be instrumental in overcoming the stigma surrounding mental illness in the Black community. It will unite mental health professionals, elected officials and those impacted by mental health issues to foster important conversations about how to make resources more efficient and accessible. Amongst the speakers will be Dr. Altha J. Stewart who is the first Black woman to lead the American Psychiatric Association. [Read more]

Not only are white people moving into Black neighborhoods, apparently, there are moving into Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). One white student at Bethune–Cookman University in  Daytona Beach, Florida, was shocked that he didn’t see more Black students.

The New York Times reports Clarence Carter III, plays baseball for Bethune-Cookman University and said, “It did catch me by surprise; I’m not going to lie. I would have thought coming to an H.B.C.U. there would be more Black people, but things aren’t always what you expect.” [Read more]

UPDATED: 9:15 a.m. EDT — The woman shot dead by police in suburban Houston on Monday night as seen on a shocking viral video has been identified as a 44-year-old grandmother of three, according to a new report. According to local news outlet KPRC, family members identified Pamela Turner as the victim who could be heard yelling “I’m pregnant!” to the unidentified Baytown Police Department officer before she was shot multiple times.

Family members reportedly said the shooting was unjustified. [Read more]

There have been several reports that Crystal Mason, the Black mother who is in custody for voting while on supervised release, has been released from prison. Unfortunately, this was not true and now the mother of three is at risk of losing her home.

Despite tweets on social media that Mason has been released, SiriusXM radio host Clay Cane, who has interviewed Mason and her lawyer multiple times, wrote on Twitter, “I exchanged emails w/ Crystal Mason’s lawyer & she has NOT been released. She’s still in federal custody & serving the remaining 3 months at a halfway house. She’s now facing 5 yrs in state prison & at risk of losing her home.” He also posted a link to her GoFundMe page: [Read more]

In a disturbing video that has received thousands of views, Atlanta police beat and used a Taser on a Black woman in front of her young child. The reported offense? A speeding ticket.

The woman, identified as Maggie Thomas, was sitting in her car in the back parking lot of her apartment complex with her four-year-old daughter when an officer, who is white, approached her on May 1. The officer had reportedly been advised to keep an eye out for the make and model of the car that Thomas happened to be sitting in. Thomas allegedly became irritated after the officer asked her if the car was hers and told her not to drive it because it was not insured. [Read more]