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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

Over the weekend, there were rumors that 50-year-old former “Love & Hip Hop” star Peter Gunz was not only dating a 19-year-old, he’d gotten her pregnant. The rumor was spawned by a Media Takeout report and the fact that on an Instagram Live video from a year ago, Amina wrote a caption meant to expose Gunz.

“You don’t gotta show her to this mean world out here but u can admit you dating a younger woman while you at the topic. Especially when you planning on marrying her while we haven’t finalized our divorce…Yes Peter needs to turn the papers into the courts but hasn’t Meanwhile he engaged new lol.”

This caption with Media Takeout’s post, was all it took.

As you can imagine the reaction from the internet was as follows:

For those of us who’ve lost count, Peter Gunz already has ten children. The thought of him having another with questionable and likely inconsistent income would be irresponsible, to say the least. It’s hard to be a present and active father when your children live in various parts of the country. And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that the relationship he’s shared with at least two of his children’s mothers has been strained, as many of us witnessed.

But men having more babies than they can take care of is only part of the problem here. Peter’s oldest child, Cory, is 31-years-old. That would mean this alleged new girlfriend is younger than his oldest child. And there’s something skeevy about that and the thought of a 50-year-old man manipulating a teenager in this way.

Thankfully, the rumors weren’t true. Peter addressed them via Twitter yesterday.

Hopefully that “can’t make a baby if I wanted to” speaks to a possible vasectomy. But who knows. Even though Peter is not having another child, this admission didn’t keep people from roasting him anyway. See what folks had to say on the following pages.

Father’s Day Gift Guide: Men’s Fashion 

Benson Watch Co.

Launched by millennial entrepreneur Marcel Benson, the Benson Watch Co. offers innovative and elegant timepieces.

(bensonwatch.com)

Dapper Dan Clothing Line 

Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day pioneered luxury hip-hop fashion in the ’80s and ’90s by remixing high-end brands into urban streetwear. However, after closing shop 25 years ago, the legendary designer opened a new store in Harlem this year similar to the famous Dapper Dan Boutique that closed in 1992—but this time with a Gucci twist.

(Image: Instagram/DapperDanHarlem)

LyfeStyle Clothing Line 

Born in Brooklyn, Lyfestyle captures the essence of New York City urban art, style, and flavor. The brand was birthed from the imaginations of four friends who loved the lavish fashion on Fifth Avenue but were limited to shopping on a budget.

(Image: Instagram/LyfestyleNYC)

Abdju Wear

Abdju Wear is a new clothing line that sports high-end clothes and sneakers at affordable prices. The brand offers everything from polo-style shirts to high-top sneakers in traditional Pan-African flag colors. The designer, Bobby West, aspires to become a staple in black fashion the same way that Ralph Lauren has become one of the most iconic brands in the country.

Abdju Wear founder Bobby West

Tradition

Help Dad rep his HBCU with apparel from Tradition, a collegiate and lifestyle brand.

(traditioneversince.com)

Loren S

If you know of or are a man who is a purveyor of fine clothing, then get familiar with Loren Spratt—a uniquely inspiring black-owned clothing brand wholly focused on the male consumer. The Atlanta-based men’s custom couture line is the brainchild of Clark Atlanta University grads Dalen Spratt, Juwan Mass, Brandon Theriot, and Mario McMillan.

(lorenspratt.com)

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris unveiled her plan to close the gender pay gap by fining companies that pay women employees less than men for equal work. The U.S. senator announced the proposal during a campaign stop in California on May 19, noting that white women working full-time make 80 cents for every dollar a white man is paid, while women of color earn even less.

“In America today, women for the same work – for the equal work, on average, make 80 cents on the dollar,” said Harris, reports CBS News. “Black women make 61 cents on the dollar. Latinas make 53 cents on the dollar and this has got to end.”

Under Harris’ proposal, corporations with over 100 employees would have to obtain an “Equal Pay Certification” from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within a certain timeframe. Companies would also be required to prove existing pay gaps are not based on gender, but merit, performance, or seniority. Companies that don’t meet the standard to become certified would be fined 1% of their daily profits for every 1% of the wage gap allowed to persist.

“Companies that fail to receive this certification will face a fine for every day they discriminate against their workers,” explained a senior campaign official in an email to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Harris’ plan will force corporations to be accountable and transparent.”

Over the next decade, Harris’ campaign projects that the fines would generate $180 billion, which would then be used to help fund paid family and medical leave. The proposal aims to eliminate pay disparities between men and women on corporations by placing the responsibility on companies rather than on employees, who, under current law, must file lawsuits if and when they find they’re not being compensated fairly. According to Politico, Harris’ plan also mandates companies to report the percentage of women in leadership positions and how many are among the highest paid employees at the company.

The Harris campaign added that if Congress fails to pass the proposal, she would use executive power to force companies that apply for federal contracts to comply.

Earlier this month, Harris introduced legislation to help students from underrepresented communities gain access to educational materials, mentorships, and work experience related to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Under the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act, $40 million would be authorized to fund a competitive grant program for school districts to improve participation in STEM education among girls, students of color, LGBTQ students, disabled students, and kids from low-income neighborhoods.

Creating safe spaces for others is second nature for therapists and mental health professionals as they establish trust and build relationships with their clients. But finding a community for themselves to unwind is often an afterthought. That is why Deran Young, LCSW, founded Black Therapists Rock. In 2016, Young created a Facebook group as an opportunity to organize black therapists, community leaders, personal development experts, and clinical professionals toward action in decreasing the stigma and other barriers to mental health and emotional well-being.

As a therapist who grew up with adverse childhood experiences, Young is culturally informed and invested in serving people in underresourced communities.

“I grew up in the hood and my mother was mentally ill but I did not know that.” says Young. “What I knew was that she was on drugs. I was the oldest so that meant that I was always in charge. And I grew up taking care of everyone except myself—and that is very common amongst black women. We are taking care of, thinking, doing, problem solving, and saving everyone but ourselves,”

A lot of her work now and as a former therapist in the military has taught her the importance of not doing the work alone.

“I created the Facebook group and thought I’d be happy if I got 200 people. Three months in, we had 2,000 people. And by the end of 2016, we had 10,000 people. And by the end of the third year we had 20,000 people,” say Young.

Within the community, members can share their experiences, build relationships, and occasionally vent. With a community so unique and impactful, Young has been sought out by Facebook. In 2018, she was accepted for their Community Leadership Fellowship. As a fellow, her organization receives financial support and resources to promote their mission. Most recently, Young spoke about her work at Facebook’s Global Safety & Well-Being Summit where we met her and learned more about the work that she is doing.

“Through Facebook, we have a program called ‘Heal the Healer’ where we have 40 therapists at a training that is focused on social and emotional support,”

Black Therapists Rock has grown exponentially over the years, and Young says because it quickly became a healing space.

“We are making sure that we sustain ourselves because if we burn out (like I was) what good is that? A lot of us have our own issues we’re still dealing with and might not necessarily have the resources we need ourselves. The stigma is stronger for therapists because we’re ‘supposed to have it together’ and know how to deal with our own stuff, but, we’re human,” adds Young.

Keeping wellness at the forefront of mind for her community members and fellow black therapists, who are looking for a tribe of healers to join, Young offers the following advice for black therapists and mental health advocates during Mental Health Awareness Month:

• The first thing is to know that depression can happen to you. Most of us don’t think that we can be depressed. We say we don’t have time for that. So, make time to take care of yourself.
• Don’t follow the philosophy that it’s you against the world. You’re human and deserve care just like everyone else.
• Seek the care that you’re giving.
• Avoid Isolation. Don’t go at it alone. The same ways that trauma comes in through other people—we need to get it out with other people.
• Know what you stand for and why you do what you do. If you, like me, care about people that no one else cares about [working with].
• Find your people, connect, and get plugged in online and off. You cannot heal other people without someone supporting you.

Looking for more mental health resources? Click here.