The persistent pattern of voting problems in U.S. elections is eroding our image as the world's model democracy.

In this excerpt from 'The Hemingses of Monticello,' author Annette Gordon-Reed examines the contradictions inherent in the relationship between Hemings and Jefferson families-united by slavery and blood ties. The relationship began at the childhood home of Jefferson's wife Martha Wayles Jefferson, a Williamsburg-area plantation known as the 'The Forest.'  At that estate, the Hemings matriarch Elizabeth bore several children with her owner, John Wayles. Elizabeth's last child, Sally became half-sister, servant and confidante to Martha Wayles Jefferson, as well as mother of several children by Thomas Jefferson.

Is the removal of the South African president a sign of a vibrant democracy or a prelude to crisis?

How the 'Living Single' reunion special brought some real friends back to the TV lineup.

Why black athletes need fathers more than coaches.

Black male bravado allows no room for a mental health crisis. What a sad and dangerous thing.

In this excerpt of "The Hemingses of Monticello," author Annette Gordon-Reed examines the life of Hemings matriarch Elizabeth (mother of Sally), born in 1735. Here is a rare glimpse at the life of woman born to an Englishman and an African-born enslaved woman, whose offspring would go on to live relatively privileged lives entwined with the fate of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson.

Monosodium glutamate has made a quiet comeback, but don't be fooled.

In this excerpt of "The Hemingses of Monticello," author Annette Gordon-Reed examines how Sally Hemings and her brother, the chef James Hemings, enjoyed the cosmopolitan lifestyle of Paris in the 1770s while living with Thomas Jefferson during his stint as Ambassador to France. Teenaged Sally gets her own wages and a taste of freedom that eluded her back home in Virginia.

How I uncovered the story of the woman who was missing from childhood history books.