Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose voice was sampled in Beyoncé’s hit “Flawless,” has won the National Book Critics Circle Award for her novel Americanah, BBC News reports. Americanah tells the story of a Nigerian woman who moves to the U.S. to pursue a college education. “I don’t know race in the way an African…

Colin Powell took to Facebook on “Throwback Thursday” to show the youngsters and Ellen DeGeneres that they had nothing on him when it comes to taking selfies.  DeGeneres currently holds the record for most retweeted photo ever for the impromptu selfie she organized at the Academy Awards earlier last month. “I was doing selfies 60…

A federal grand jury investigating the 2013 death of high school teen Kendrick Johnson, who was found inside a rolled gym mat, have subpoenaed former schoolmates and their parents, according to sources with knowledge of the subpoenas, CNN reports. According to a CNN source with knowledge of the investigation, the FBI—which launched an investigation four…

Turns out Spike Lee wasn’t the only celebrity who let his rage toward George Zimmerman lead to an ill-advised address tweet. Actress Roseanne Barr is being sued by Zimmerman’s parents in Florida, who claim a Twitter post she made listing their address and telephone number forced them to flee their home, AP reports. Robert and…

Former NFL player Darren Sharper, who is already in custody in Los Angeles on seven rape and drug counts, has been indicted in Arizona on charges of sexual assault and administering dangerous drugs, authorities told ESPN. This is the latest development in several ongoing sexual-assault investigations involving the 38-year-old one-time All-Pro safety. Currently there are…

Updated March 13, 2014, 1:15 p.m.: The death toll in the East Harlem building explosion and collapse has risen to seven. USA Today reports that rescuers going through the devastation found four additional victims overnight, New York City Fire Department spokesman Danny Glover said. “This is a difficult job, a challenging job,” another fire department spokesman, Jim Long,…

The FBI and the Madison County’s sheriff’s office are offering a $20,000 reward for information on Myra Lewis, a 2-year-old from Mississippi who disappeared on March 1, the New York Daily News reports. Lewis was last seen around 11 a.m. on March 1, wearing khaki pants, pink tennis shoes and a turquoise sweater with a…

District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray, whose bid for reelection is being rocked with scandal, acknowledged Tuesday that he has taken a political hit from allegations that he led a “shadow campaign,” while the Democratic primary is just three weeks away. On Monday, Jeffrey Thompson, one of Gray’s 2010 campaign benefactors, who asked that Gray…

Since August of 1988, Glenn Ford has sat on death row waiting for two fates that both seemed unthinkable: Either he would be set free or be executed. For 26 years maintained his innocence. On Tuesday afternoon, Ford, 64, walked out of prison at Angola in Louisiana a free man, hours after a judge approved…