Roland Martin’s Suspension, Obama’s Birth Control Tweak, Beyonce’s Skin & Other Fresh Links

This week, the internet lit up like the Rockefeller Christmas Tree over Roland Martin’s suspension from CNN—a suspension prompted after the celebrated commentator sent out homophobic tweets about David Beckham’s Superbowl underwear ad. Of all the commentary, this piece, by Britni Danielle, really spoke to me—particularly this passage:

If anyone should understand the weight of words, it should be Roland Martin. And if any group should be able to sympathize with being discriminated against for no fault of their own, it is black folks. Words, and even those we don’t intend for others to take seriously, have power. We can no longer excuse, make light of, or give ignorance a pass simply because it doesn’t seem offensive to us. We can no longer continue to shrug off normalized violence by calling it a joke. Unlike the popular nursery rhyme, sticks, stones, and words can hurt, and in some cases, kill. — Read the rest at Clutch.

Obama tweaks birth control rule (USAToday), plus: Contraception Isn’t a PR Game; It’s a Woman’s Right (HuffPoBlackVoices)

Realizing Black Male Success: Instead of focusing on failure, a new study compels us to look at the brothers who’ve made it (Ebony.com)

The good news: white students at Brigham Young University know about Martin Luther King Jr. The bad news: No one knows anything else about black history. At all. One girl’s idea of a black historical figure was “Fifty Cents,” and another referred to Rosa Parks as the “lady on the bus.” (The Root)

Students, teachers adjust as LA school reopens after charges of heinous student abuse (Yahoo/TheAP)

Beyoncé L’Oreal ad controversy inspires black community backlash. (TheGrio)

The 10 Best Ways To Have Sex While Pregnant. (Babble)

Grammy Protest Grows to 23,000 Signatures Strong (Spin)

Have a fantastic weekend, darlings!