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‘The Ring I Thought Was Too Big … I’m Like, ‘He Loves Me This Much?’’

BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY Special to the Birmingham Times “You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love […]
The post ‘The Ring I Thought Was Too Big … I’m Like, ‘He Loves Me This Much?’’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

December 5, 2023

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BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY

Special to the Birmingham Times

“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.

LESLIE AND TANISHA KING

Live: East Thomas

Married: April 2, 2022

Met: February 2018, at Tanisha’s job at a credit union inside Princeton Hospital. Leslie was coming to cash his check and Tanisha was the bank teller.

“He had never actually come into the branch before [because] he always went to the ATM, but this particular day he came inside and I asked him why [he looked] so mean,” Tanisha recalled.

“I told her I wasn’t aware I was looking mean, I just came in here to my little change [cash his check], and she gave me a sermon saying ‘if you have anything in the bank that’s a blessing because some people come in here and don’t have any money to withdraw’… I was thrown off because I wasn’t used to dating professional women, and I couldn’t be sure she was flirting with me,” Leslie laughed. “Needless to say, I never went to the ATM anymore.”

“When he first asked me for my number, I gave him my business card and what really caught my heart was that he called and left three or four messages on my work voicemail,” Tanisha said.

Leslie continued to visit the branch to do his transactions and soon began bringing lunch and the two would sit in the hospital cafeteria and eat. “I was up there buying lunch every day for the next three or four months spending my workman’s comp check,” he laughed. “Everybody [all his friends] knew I was going to have lunch with bae at 12 o’clock…,” Leslie said.

Despite daily lunches, Tanisha wanted to take it slow. “I had been married twice, and at that time I wasn’t looking for anything, I was recovering from my second divorce and making sure I was providing for me and the girls [her daughters, Victory, then 17, and Serenity then 15] … [over the three-four months] we really built a friendship… I wasn’t sure if he was too good to be true. I [questioned] whether I was really healed. I had to go into prayer because I didn’t want to make another move and it wasn’t God’s move,” Tanisha said. “Eventually we started texting…”

Leslie was also a divorcee, and after a total of eight months, countless lunch dates, and text conversations … they went on their first date.

First date: October 2018, Tanisha had gotten tickets from her job to a rock concert held at UAB. “That was different for me,” Leslie said. “[White people] party different than us,” he laughed.

“Watching him embrace a different atmosphere and different music was nice. I introduced him to my coworkers as the guy I was dating… [but we were not in a committed relationship] …,” Tanisha said.

The turn: October 2020, after a gradual courtship, Tanisha and Leslie became an official couple. “I wore her down,” Leslie said. “She got more comfortable after she realized I wasn’t going nowhere.”

“He found out things that I was doing and making his presence known in our lives and incorporated himself into things I was actively doing at that moment.,” Tanisha said. “He knew I really loved the Lord, I don’t go out, and at this time I was still raising the girls and doing their activities…. I started taking some ministry classes and started praise dancing and he showed up and brought me roses. He knew I spent a lot of time at church, and he joined my church… Our connection was strong,” Tanisha said.

“I was persistent and consistent,” Leslie said.

The proposal: Christmas 2020, at Tanisha’s sister-in-law’s home in East Lake.

“I had already talked to the pastor, her brothers, her sister-in-law, and I asked her daughters [for their blessing],” Leslie said.

“…we were sitting in the den having dinner and she was getting up to go do something and I got down on one knee, and when she looked around and saw me she burst into tears and I popped the question. All the phones came out and Tanisha stood there for a couple of minutes staring at me and I thought she was about to embarrass me,” he laughed. “…and then she said ‘yes.’”

“I was just in awe because all of my family that are close to my heart were there… I was wondering what was going on because we had never come together [as a whole family on Christmas night], and it was a major shock that he put [my family together] to surprise me. The ring, oh my gosh, I thought it was too big, I’m like ‘OMG, he loves me this much?’ I was elated, I said ‘yes,” said Tanisha.

The wedding: At their church Soul Harbor Deliverance Center in Ensley, in the pastor’s study, officiated by Pastor Billy Baker Sr. Their colors were black and cream.

“It was an intimate ceremony with just a few of our close friends and family,” Tanisha said.

Most memorable for the bride was “the wedding vows he wrote unto me. When he said that he would protect me, it was so beautiful to hear that he would be my protector for the rest of my life along with loving me,” Tanisha said.

Most memorable for the groom was “how beautiful Tanisha looked on our wedding day,” Leslie said. “I already knew she was beautiful, but to know that I would be able to partake in that beauty for the rest of my life was mind-blowing. She looked like the princess [Prince Akim was supposed to marry] in ‘Coming to America’ [the Eddie Murphy movie]” he joked.

They honeymooned at a Bed and Breakfast at Lake Guntersville, Ala.

“They made some homemade biscuits that put you in the mind of your mama,” Leslie said.

“The atmosphere was enchanting because they knew we had just gotten married…the suite was beautiful, the champagne, the roses, it was everything,” Tanisha.

Words of wisdom: “Communicate and listen. ‘Do you want to be happy, or do you want to be right?’ If you wanna be happy, stop trying to be right all the time. We don’t hold grudges. [We both say] what we have to say and move on. We disagree without being disagreeable. We come from two different walks of life and we’re going to look at things differently, but the qualities that Tanisha brings to the relationship outweigh any little flaws that she has,” Leslie said.

“We went through relationship group counseling with Impact Counseling [in Birmingham], we had homework and everything… we also got a chance to listen to the other couples in there and hear how they handle disagreements. Then we went to our pastor to have his input and got that spiritual counseling. We had gotten to know each other really well and we knew it was time to get married… Always love, always listen, always laugh,” Tanisha said.

Happily ever after: The Kings attend Soul Harbor Deliverance Center, in Ensley, where they both serve in multiple capacities. They are a blended family with four daughters, Akeria, 23, Victory, 23, Uneek, 22, and Serenity, 19.

Tanisha, 50, is a Detroit, Michigan native, by way of North Birmingham. She’s a John Herbert Phillips High School grad, and Faulkner University [Birmingham campus], where she earned a bachelor of science degree in human resource management. Tanisha works for the federal government as a customer service rep.

Leslie, 47, is a Mobile, Ala. native, an S.S. Murphy High School grad [Mobile, Ala.], and works as a butter processor at Ventura Foods, in Birmingham.

Birmingham Personal Injury Attorneys | Guster Law Firm, LLC

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post ‘The Ring I Thought Was Too Big … I’m Like, ‘He Loves Me This Much?’’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

5 days ago

February 27, 2026

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Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,