1. Chris Rock, Melissa McCarthy May Team Up for Rom-Com
It’s romantic comedy casting so genius, we’re not at all surprised Hollywood didn’t come up with it. The Los Angeles Times reports that Chris Rock has approached Bridesmaids breakout star and Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy to co-star with him in a comedy he’s writing. Rock wants McCarthy to play his wife in a “Jerry Springer couple” kind of way. [MORE]

2. Black Officers File Lawsuit Against Capitol Police
A fourth class-action lawsuit has been leveled against the Capitol Police Department, and those involved aren’t backing down.

Approximately fifty officers, civilians and employees have filed a suit in U.S. District Court. They allege that they have been subjected to “continuous, pervasive and egregiously discriminatory actions” by the Capitol Police, as expressed in a statement released Wednesday by the U.S. Capitol Black Police Association. [MORE]

3. Thousands Abandon Female Genital Mutilation in Africa
This year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting celebrated the release of new U.N. figures showing a decline in the practice among African communities.

According to a recent U.N. study, nearly 2,000 communities across Africa have abandoned female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) last year alone, bringing the total number of communities renouncing the practice to 8,000. [MORE]

4. Commentary: Why Octavia Spencer’s Weight Matters
Kudos to the Oscar nominee for admitting that her extra pounds are “not healthy” and that she wants to lose some weight. [MORE]

5. White Student Dons Blackface in Disturbing Black History Video
A white student at Brigham Young University in Utah put together a video in which he dons himself in blackface makeup and interviews a series of students, asking them questions about Black History Month.

The video, which appears on YouTube and was made by Brigham Young student Dave Ackerman, makes clear that few students — either Black or white — seem to know anything about Black history, including what month it is celebrated and more than one historical figure. [MORE]

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TAGS: AFRICA, Black History, Black History Month, blackface, Bridesmaids, Brigham Young University, Capitol Police, Chris Rock, Dave Ackerman, female genital mutilation, Hollywood, International Day of Zero Tolerance to Genital Mutilation, Jerry Springer, Los Angeles Time, Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, people magazine, U.S. Capitol Black Police Association, US District Court, Utah, Weight Loss, YouTube