In April 2020, British actress Jodie Turner-Smith and her husband Joshua Jackson, who is white, welcomed their daughter. In a conversation with Elle UK, the Anne Boleyn star opened up about her daughter Janie, 2, being a “mixed-race girl” and the impact she had on her.

 “I did have this mini pause, where I was like, ‘She’s going to be walking through the world not only having an experience that I did not have, but looking like people that, in a way, I’d always felt a little bit tormented by.’ Now that I’ve got this little, tiny, light-skinned boss, I feel like it’s the universe teaching me lessons. I’ve been given a daughter who looks this way to heal my own conversations around colorism.”

The Associated Press reported actor Jonathan Majors was arrested on March 24 in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment after police responded to a 911 call at approximately 11 a.m. inside an apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea. 

A spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement, “The victim informed police she was assaulted. Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident. The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition.” 

However, Majors insists he is completely innocent and there is a video, which has not been released as of yet. Text messages from the victim were released by Majors’ attorney Priya Chaudhry, which she says proves he was not the aggressor. According to the AP, Majors is scheduled to appear in court on May 8.

Could Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee be the first Black woman to be mayor of Texas? On Sunday, March 26, Jackson Lee broke the news at City Cathedral Church in Houston, saying, "Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your mayor for the city of Houston. I will not be able to do it without each and every one of you." Other candidates to replace current mayor Sylvester Turner, who is term-limited, are former City Council member Amanda Edwards, former chairman of the city's Metropolitan Transit Authority Gilbert Garcia, and Texas state Sen. John Whitmire, who is considered to be the frontrunner.

The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.,reports that WLBT journalist and meteorologist Barbie Bassett was removed from the news station after she said “Fo’ shizzle, my nizzle,” during a live television newscast earlier this month. The term, which hip hop superstar Snoop Dogg popularized during the early 2000s, is a warped version of “For sure, ma n***a.” Per Dictionary.com, Bay Area rap star E-40 is credited as being the one to coin the phrase “izzle.” Although it is unclear if Bassett, who had to apologize in October 2022 for using the word “grandmammy,” WLBT Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry stated the station “is unable to comment on personnel matters.”

Wendy Williams’ publicist denies reports that the talk show host’s podcast has been canceled, despite rumors. According to Page Six, Shawn Zanotti, Williams’ publicist, said: “We are still working behind the scenes on several projects. There has been no official cancellation of the podcast.” That said, there is no word on when the podcast will launch.

After 18 years, legendary journalist Ed Gordon is returning to BET. On the April 2 episode of America In Black, Gordon tackles reparations movements from California to Illinois, which includes interviews with Democratic Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and New Jersey’s Democratic Sen. Cory Booker. Gordon exclusively told BET.com about the upcoming episode, “This is a story worth telling because what we've seen over the course of hundreds of years that African Americans have been here is a people that never got their just due for building this country.” America In Black airs across BET and CBS platforms, including BET+ and the CBS News Streaming Network.

Fugees member Prakazrel (Pras) Michel is facing 22 years in federal prison on conspiracy charges, and his trial began this week. According to CNN, jury selection started on Monday, March 27, at a D.C. federal courthouse. Reports claim that Pras, 50, is facing jail time over his connections to Jho Low, a Malaysian financier who found himself on the FBI’s most wanted list for allegedly being the brains behind the theft of billions of dollars from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. U.S. federal prosecutors say Pras attempted to influence American officials on Low’s behalf. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Due to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial moves impacting Black history education, the Florida NAACP has unanimously voted on a travel advisory for Black people to avoid the Sunshine State. 

Board of Directors Chairman Leon W. Russell said in a statement, "The recommendation from our Florida State Conference is a clear indication of just how egregious Governor Desantis' actions are. Any attempt to intentionally erase or misrepresent Black History is a direct attack on the foundation of comprehensive education.” The national NAACP will decide late this year if the travel advisory will officially be issued.

On the evening of March 30, former President Donald Trump  was officially indicted by a New York grand jury. All of the details are unclear but the indictment appears to be connected to hush money paid to adult movie actress Stormy Daniels in the final days of the  2016 presidential campaign. This is the first time in history that a former president has been indicted, however, it does not stop him from running for president. After Republican backlash, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said in a statement, “Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State’s robust criminal procedure affords. What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State.” See South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham in the clip above, who appears to be nearly in tears about the indictment.