‘What You Need To Know:’ Valentine’s Day Massacre & More

Source: REACH Media / Reach Media

Sybil’s Birthday Shout-Outs

Megan The Stallion, 29

Birdman, 55 (Cash Money)

Amber Riley, 38 (Mercedes on Glee)

Omarosa Manigault, 50

Corinne Foxx, 30 (Actress, Jamie Foxx daughter)

Lynn Whitfield, 71

REMEMBERING

Galileo Galilei (Astronomer, Physicist 1564-1642)

Susan B Anthony (Women’s rights activist, 1820-1906)

Cesar Romero (Original Joker on Batman show 1907-1964)

Chris Farley (1964-1997)

Sybil Wilkes Top 5 Stories for ‘What You Need To Know:’ February 15, 2024

1. Another Valentine’s Day Massacre

Another Valentine’s Day Massacre

What You Need to Know:

A football championship celebration ended in deadly gunfire Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City, MO. A mass shooting brought to an end the rally following the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Victory Parade. One person was killed and over 20 others were wounded in the area around the city’s Union Station. According to hospital officials, nine of the wounded were children, ages 6 to 15. 

Fox News reported, “Radio station KKFI said in a Facebook post Wednesday evening that DJ Lisa Lopez, host of the “Taste of Tejano” program was killed in the shooting.”

Wednesday night, Kansas City police reported that three people were in custody, but no motive was announced.

2. An Arrest Made in a Historic White on Bronze Crime

An Arrest Made in a Historic White on Bronze Crime

 WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY 

What You Need to Know:

A breakthrough has been made in the case of the stolen Jackie Robinson statue, with the arrest of a 45-year-old White man, Ricky Alderete, announced by Wichita, Kansas police on Tuesday. Alderete faces multiple charges related to the theft, including felony theft and aggravated criminal property damage.

The statue, which was stolen from a park, was found days later smoldering in a trash can. Despite initial concerns of a hate-motivated crime, police stated that the intent behind the theft was to sell the metal for scrap. Chief Joe Sullivan emphasized that Alderete’s arrest is just the beginning, hinting at more arrests to come.

Alderete, who has a criminal history of burglary and theft, is jailed on a $150,000 bond and faces charges of felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property in the statute case. He also was charged Monday with identity theft and making false information in an October 2022 incident involving a pawn ticket. Police provided no details about the case that led to his arrest. But online court records also show he is also charged with kidnapping and aggravated burglary. The criminal complaint said that he entered a Wichita home on Feb. 1 with the intent to kidnap someone as part of an effort to interfere with law enforcement.

3. The Importance of Early Detection: Screening for Bowel Cancer in African Americans

The Importance of Early Detection: Screening for Bowel Cancer in African Americans

What You Need to Know: 

 Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States and is also one of the most preventable. Bowel cancer and many other types disproportionately affect the African American community. Below, we learn more about colorectal cancer, including symptoms and risk factors, as well as why Black people experience worse outcomes.

What is Bowel Cancer?
Bowel cancer starts in the rectum or colon. It often begins as polyps that, when caught early, can be removed before advancing to more serious forms of the disease that can be life-threatening. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, over 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer each year. Over 50,000 will die from it. However, with regular screening and removal of polyps and abnormal cells, bowel cancer is often preventable.

4. Sephora Shuns White Teens For Blackface Antics at Boston Location

Sephora Shuns White Teens For Blackface Antics at Boston Location

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

A group of three teenage girls were caught on camera after using dark makeup to wear blackface inside a Sephora store in Boston, Massachusetts.

In a viral TikTok video that has been deleted by the platform, the young girls used makeup testers meant for darker skin tones at the Prudential Center location, while accompanied by chaperones. A Sephora staff member scolded their chaperone over the “incredibly offensive” act. “This is the stuff that ruins jobs, college acceptances, let alone how incredibly offensive this is,” the staffer said. The chaperone walked off and appeared to dismiss the employee.

Temi Ojora, a University of Southern California track and field athlete who is Black, filmed the TikTok video and said that she was “genuinely so disgusted and disturbed.”

5. What to Expect During Pisces Season

What to Expect During Pisces Season

 WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY WANICA DUNN, AKA MS. ASTROLOGY

What You Need to Know:

Pisces Season 2024 is upon us. We are wrapping up not only winter but also the zodiac year/cycle. 

The Sun moves through the sign of Pisces from February 18th – March 19th and for those of us that have put the work in (Capricorn) and received the information/guidance (Aquarius), things are feeling good. Now, it’s time to put some FAITH on it. Pisces’ primary key word is “I Believe.” It is in this time of year that we must lean into our belief that the seeds we’ve sown are going to actually reap a harvest once spring arrives. 

We have been through a cycle and as we complete it, it’s best that we use our energy to meditate on, pray over and believe not only where we came from but also on where we are going.