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HEALTH MATTERS: Bone Davis brings global awareness to sickle cell disease

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — He made a name for himself as a keyboardist, playing rhythm and blues and jazz with a diverse group of music legends including B.B. King, Chick Corea, Les McCann, Con Funk Shun, Nancy Wilson, the Blasters, Poison, Wild Cherry and the Wu-Tang Clan, to name a few. Both of Davis’ parents had the trait. Davis was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth.

Published

8 years ago

November 17, 2018

Oakland Post

By Marie Y. Lemelle

Since the age of 8, Bone Davis has spent his entire life as a musical performer.

“I learned to play the bass, keyboards and drums,” he said.

He made a name for himself as a keyboardist, playing rhythm and blues and jazz with a diverse group of music legends including B.B. King, Chick Corea, Les McCann, Con Funk Shun, Nancy Wilson, the Blasters, Poison, Wild Cherry and the Wu-Tang Clan, to name a few.

A native of Texas, Davis has an interesting family history full of heroes and legendary musicians. His late father, George Bolin, was a member of the original Tuskegee Airmen.

Davis also grew up with a family that was involved in the Motown sound.

“My cousin Robert White was the guitarist for the Funk Brothers, who were the session musicians for most of the Motown recordings,” Davis said. “My favorite genres of music are R&B, jazz, hip hop and blues.”

Throughout his life, however, Davis has suffered from horrendous pain.

“For as long as I can remember, pain was part of my life,” he said. “The pain was from sickle cell disease and anemia.”

Both of Davis’ parents had the trait. Davis was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth.

“It runs in my family, including my grandson and other relatives [they] are affected by sickle cell,” he said.

WebMD explains that with sickle cell disease, red blood cells don’t have their normal shape. Instead of a round shape, the cells are shaped like the letter C, a crescent or a sickle. They can’t carry oxygen to the body as well as they should. Too little oxygen can lead to symptoms like pain, shortness of breath, tiredness and infections.

Symptoms and signs can include abdominal swelling, fever, pale skin or nail beds, swelling in the feet and hands, and yellow tint to the skin and whites of the eyes.

Sickle cell disease can affect many different parts of the body including the spleen, lungs and brain.

Source: St. Jude.

Davis teamed up with Educational Awareness through Entertainment Association to heighten awareness of sickle cell anemia.

“I realized that my voice needed to be heard, especially because my peers in the entertainment industry are dying from it, like Rapper Prodigy, just last year,” Davis said. “Sickle cell anemia has always been promoted as a minority disease. It’s not. The public needs to know symptoms and alternative pain management methods.”

Sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans. While the majority of the population who have it are African Americans, it is common among people from Africa, Asia, Europe, India, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

“Sickle cell disease can cause anemia, which means that you don’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to your body,” Davis said. “I realized that most people don’t understand how sickle cell affects your body because you can’t see it.”

About one in 13 African-American babies is born with the sickle cell trait. About one in every 365 black children is born with sickle cell disease.

[/media-credit] Sickle cell disease is common among people from Africa, India, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. The high prevalence of the defective gene in these regions may be due to the fact that carriers of a mutation in the beta-subunit of haemoglobin are more resistant to malaria.

Pain episodes or crisis can occur without warning when sickle cell blocks blood flow and decreases oxygen delivery.

“The pain is sharp, intense, stabbing or throbbing,” Davis said.

When abnormally shaped sickle cells are stuck in arteries that feed the brain, they can block blood flow and cause a stroke.

A crisis can result due to illness, temperature changes, stress, dehydration and high altitudes. Quite often, a person does not know what causes the crisis.

Research studies found that the only way to cure sickle cell disease is with a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. This procedure is most often done in children under 16 who have had sickle cell complications like pain and strokes. Stem cell transplants aren’t done as often in adults because the risks increase as a person gets older.

Pain can strike almost anywhere in the body and in more than one spot at a time. The pain often occurs in the lower back, legs, arms, abdomen and chest. Sickle cell disease can injure blood vessels in the eye. Kidneys are sensitive to the effects of red blood cell sickling and there are a number of ways in which the liver may be injured in sickle cell disease.

People with sickle cell disease may also have trouble coping with pain and fatigue, as well as with frequent medical visits and hospitalizations.

Davis uses his entertainment platform to speak out, educate the public about sickle cell disease.

“There is hope living with sickle cell anemia with better understanding,” he said.

Marie Y. Lemelle, MBA, a public relations consultant, is the owner of Platinum Star PR and can be reached on Twitter @PlatinumStar or Instagram @PlatinumStarPR. Send “Health Matters” related questions to healthmatters@wavepublication.com and look for her column in The Wave.

RESOURCES:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – www.cdc.gov

Bone Davis – www.bonedavis.com

El Portal Theatre – www.elportaltheatre.com

Mayo Clinic – www.mayoclinic.org

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes- www.nhlbi.nih.gov

WebMD – www.webmd.com

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Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

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The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
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He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.