In today’s top news, today marks the start of Black History Month, the Black unemployment rate slipped to 13.8 percent in January and a student was taken into custody for the shooting of a 14-year-old student at an Atlanta middle school.

Today marks the start of Black History Month. [BET]

The Black unemployment rate slipped to 13.8 percent in January. [BET]

A student was taken into custody for the shooting of a 14-year-old student at an Atlanta middle school. [USATODAY]

At least three people are dead after a suicide bombing outside the U.S. embassy in Turkey. [CNN]

Beyoncé sang the national anthem live and admitted to lip-syncing at President Obama’s inauguration. [BET]

California’s Hispanic population is expected to outnumber whites by 2014. [Reuters]

The Arkansas senate approved a bill to ban some abortions as early as five weeks into the pregnancy. [Reuters]

A 5-year-old boy in Alabama has been held hostage in an underground bunker for four days, as of today. [NBCNews]

Gambia is giving public sector workers a four-day work week so citizens have more time to “pray, socialize and tend to fields.” [BBC]

French president Francois Hollande will visit Mali on Saturday. [AJE]

In today’s top news, Trayvon Martin’s parents speak to NYC crowds at Million Hoodie March, right wing blog suggests that Rev. Al Sharpton is “exploiting” the racial implications of the Trayvon Martin case, and Ray J denies rumors that he has a sex tape with the late Whitney Houston.

Trayvon Martin’s parents speak to NYC crowds at Million Hoodie March. [AP]

Right wing blog suggests that Rev. Al Sharpton is “exploiting” the racial implications of the Trayvon Martin case. [TheBlaze]

Ray J denies rumors that he has a sex tape with the late Whitney Houston. [BET]

North Carolina school asked students to dress in “African-American attire” or animal print for Black History Month. [MSNBC]

Mother of Rev. Al Sharpton has died. [BET]

Idris Elba will grace the silver screen as South African leader Nelson Mandela. [BET]

The U.S. Army is taking a second look at its PTSD evaluation program. [CNN]

Survey: Americans think today’s politicians talk about religion too much. [MSNBC]

Major supermarket chains to stop selling “pink slime” beef. [CBS]

Mali rebels announce takeover of country. [BBC]

In today’s top news, CNN suspends Roland Martin over “offensive” Super Bowl tweets, Atlanta 10-year-old Gyasi Francis is missing and FEMA plans to waive debts of Katrina victims.

CNN suspends Roland Martin over “offensive” Super Bowl tweets. [BET]

Atlanta 10-year-old Gyasi Francis is missing. [AJC]

FEMA plans to waive debts of Katrina victims. [AP]

BET is developing two new shows. [BET]

University of Florida suspends Alpha Phi Alpha for hazing incident. [CNN]

Black officers file discrimination lawsuit against Capitol police. [BET]

Dennis Rodman’s topless women’s basketball dream team is almost complete. [BET]

An Illinois NAACP chapter is concerned about churches hooking up with banks. [CBS]

Timbaland and Missy Elliott are planning to release comeback albums this summer. [BET]

White college students donned blackface in a disturbing Black history video. [BET]

In today’s top news, rapper M.I.A. gives the Super Bowl the finger, a Soul Train flash mob takes over Times Square and a Brown University student uncovers a lost Malcolm X speech.

M.I.A. flips middle finger at halftime Super Bowl show. [BET]

Soul Train flash mob takes over Times Square. [BET]

Brown U. student finds lost Malcolm X speech. [Sun Herald.com]

Talib Kweli talks to BET.com about The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975. [BET]

The Schomburg Center gears up for Black History Month. [BET]

Arizona lawmaker proposes “White Appreciation Day.” [CBS5]

Report: Increasing risk of STD transmission among adults over 50. [DailyMail]

Mos Def returns to the big screen. [BET]

3,200 slave identities uncovered in Virginia. [CNN]

Bishop Eddie Long apologizes to Jewish group over “king” ceremony using the Torah. [CNN]

In today’s top news, Soul Train pioneer Don Cornelius dies at 75, Beyoncé fans want to erect a monument to the singer in Houston and BET celebrates Black History Month.

Soul Train pioneer Don Cornelius dies at 75. [BET]

Beyoncé fans in Houston are clamoring for a monument to the singer. [BET]

BET celebrates Black History Month. [BET]

Flavor Flav speaks out on his recent family feud. [BET]

A Congolese inventor has created the first African tablet. [News.com.au]

More and more Americans are shirking census race labels. [FOX]

Connecticut student bullied for not being ‘Black enough.’ [NewsTimes]

South African lesbian killers get 18 years in prison. [BBC]

Pfizer recalls one million packets of birth control. [MSNBC]

Photography exhibit examines Black male fashion. [BET]

Book’s release comes in time for Black History Month. The largest commercial book publishing company has released the first and one of the largest anthologies by Black writers. Edited by Debra J. Dickerson and Gerald Early, the Best African American Essays 2009 edition finds authors including Walter Mosley, Jamaica Kincaid, Mark Anthony Neal and Jill Nelson addressing a wide array of subjects. Their writings are collected from such major publications as The New Yorker and National Geographic. Topics range from the Iraq War to lesbian dating and the plight of the Jena 6 high school students in Louisiana. A piece titled “One Nation…Under God?” written by then-Sen. Barack Obama also appears. Other perspectives examine a post-election Obama’s impact on Black culture and society.