The casting of Nina Simone and why skin color matters

The casting of Zoe Saldana to play civil rights icon and singer Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic has reignited a debate about race and skin tone in Hollywood that goes beyond just black and white.

Criticism about the choice to cast the lighter skinned Afro-Latina actress to play Simone has raged since it was first announced four years ago. In a trailer released this week, Saldana is shown wearing makeup to darken her skin and a prosthetic nose that broadens her nose to make her look like Simone.

"She looks grotesque to me," said Yaba Blay, a political science professor at North Carolina Central University and the author of the book (1)ne Drop: Conversations on Skin Color, Race, and Identity. "This flies in the face of who Nina Simone was. She was very black and she saw color."

Read more: The casting of Nina Simone and why skin color matters

Homeschooling Becoming More Popular with African-American Families

As homeschooling becomes increasingly popular among families across the nation, research shows African-American parents are becoming more interested in homeschooling as an alternative to local government schools.

Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting and collecting research about home-based education, says homeschooling is growing quickly in popularity in the United States, especially among minorities.

“Based on research, we do know that homeschooling has been growing at a fast rate for the last 30 years,” Ray said. “We do know from empirical evidence—not a lot, but some empirical evidence—that over the last 10 to 12 years, it has grown disproportionately faster among minorities, including blacks, than the general rate of growth. My experience confirms that.”

Ray says minority homeschooling families largely have the same concerns as others who have left the government education system.

Read more: Homeschooling Becoming More Popular with African-American Families

Black clergy demand Senate consider Obama Supreme Court nominee

Black clergy from across the country are expressing outrage about the Republican-led Senate’s vow to block any nominee President Obama picks to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, saying it reflects racism and disrespect.

The National African American Clergy Network held the Friday conference call to express its outrage about the nomination process. On Feb. 22, coalition members issued a letter and video urging the GOP-controlled Senate to consider Obama’s nominee. They said they received no response.

The Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner, the network’s co-chair, said the group is asking the Senate “to do nothing special for President Obama. Just do your job. Just do what the Constitution says and that is to hear the nominee and to vote on the nominee.”

The clergy leaders hope African-American voters will contact their senators and consider their treatment of the nomination process when they vote in upcoming primaries and the general election.

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Trooper who arrested Sandra Bland formally fired

A Texas state trooper indicted over the arrest of a black woman who was later found dead in a jail cell was formally fired on Tuesday. Watch the story below.

Ben Carson releases statement on suspending his campaign

Republican candidate Ben Carson has finally admitted what many already knew. He has no path to victory to win the Republican nomination and is suspending his campaign. He sent the following email to his supporters:

As one of my most dedicated supporters, I wanted you to hear this directly from me.

I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit. 

Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. 

I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results. 

However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue. 

Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to saving America for future generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation.

I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America. 

Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interest of the American people. 

I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.

Thank you for everything.

Sincerely,