Dwight Howard investigated for child abuse

Authorities in Georgia are investigating child abuse allegations against National Basketball Association star Dwight Howard, a center for the Houston Rockets who is among the league's marquee performers, police said on Tuesday.

Police declined to elaborate on the details of the Howard investigation, which followed a prior probe of the same accusation in Florida. Entertainment news website TMZ said Howard is accused of beating his 6-year-old son with a belt buckle.

"The Cobb County Police Department's Crimes Against Children Unit reopened their investigation into the allegations against Mr. Howard," said Dana Pierce, a spokesman for the suburban Atlanta police department.

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FBI Warns Ferguson Decision 'Will Likely' Lead to Violence By Extremists Protesters

As the nation waits to hear whether a Missouri police officer will face charges for killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., the FBI is warning law enforcement agencies across the country that the decision “will likely” lead some extremist protesters to threaten and even attack police officers or federal agents.

AUDIO: Bill Cosby Refuses To Answer Sexual Assault Questions On NPR

Bill Cosby remained silent after being asked on NPR to respond to claims that he allegedy sexually assaulted several women. Listen to that interview below:

The suicide letter sent to MLK by the FBI.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was called “an evil, abnormal beast” in an anonymous letter FBI agents sent the civil rights leader in 1964 in an effort to get him to commit suicide, a newly published, unredacted version of the note, shows. Readvthe letter below. Click the letter to enlarge.

What’s At The Root Of Black Mental Health Stigma?

According to Sa’uda Dunlap, Assistant Director of Social Work at Kings County Hospital Center, the stigma of mental health in the African- American community is a major deterrent for seeking treatment.

“I’ve been treating people for 6+ years and it is at the top of the list when I explore concerns consumers and families have about treatment. Many African Americans fear that they will be labeled “crazy” or will be “locked up.” As a clinician, I use my initial contacts with consumers and families to address fears of being involuntarily hospitalized by explaining the difference between typical mental health challenges and “being crazy,’ including the role of insight and self-efficacy.”

Family can be a great support system but they can also be judgmental and the reason for the stigma. This largely occurs in the African-American community. With roots grounded in religion, many view it as something that should not be discussed.

A recent podcast on Huffington Post’s website asserts that over 66% of Protestants have never heard a sermon about mental health. The lack of education in the church community and in the African-American community is a key issue for the stigma in mental health.

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