Carmen Ejogo, star of 2012’s Sparkle remake, is in talks to play Coretta Scott King in Selma, a biopic about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s participation in civil rights marches. The Butler star David Oyelowo will play Dr. King. Ava DuVernay is set to direct the film, and Oprah is producing. [HollywoodReporter]
On Tuesday, President Obama will sign two executive orders aimed at closing wage gaps that particularly affect women and minorities. One of the orders will require contractors doing business with the federal government to include race and gender information when reporting compensation data. The other will prohibit contractors with federal contracts from retaliating against employees who share compensation information. [TheRoot]
Jesse Jackson Jr. has been moved from a federal prison in North Carolina to a minimum-security prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama. Jackson was recently placed in solitary confinement by guards for counseling other inmates in North Carolina about their rights in prison. A hearing clearing him of any wrongdoing and Jackson was granted a transfer to the camp in Montgomery. [NYDailyNews]
Legendary activist Amiri Baraka will be honored by the likes of Tavis Smiley, Glynn Turman, Roger Guenveur Smith, and rapper Yo Yo on Saturday, April 12 in Los Angeles. Baraka’s children Dominique and Ras Baraka will also be in attendance at the free event. [ChicagoDefender]
BET and Viacom are being sued by a man who was shot at a BET Awards after party. Antwon Black claims the club, Viacom and BET were not stringent with security precautions by allowing guests to enter the affair without checking for weapons. A guest shot him in the leg. BET had no comment. [TMZ]