********** SOPHIA A. NELSON Gov. Palin, what is your experience working with civil rights groups, and the critical issues affecting African-Americans? ********** LENNY McALLISTER Sen. Biden, could you please explain some dichotomous statements that you and Sen. Obama have given about taxation, fairness, and unity within America? ********** STEPHEN A. CROCKETT JR. Gov. Palin, you’re…

Virginia :The winds of change are blowing in Virginia. Even in my nearly all-white, heavily Republican neighborhood just outside Richmond, Obama yard signs and bumper stickers have appeared. Going into Election Day, Obama is up 50 percent to 44 percent in Pollster.com’s most recent compilation and is drawing enormous, enthusiastic crowds not only in Richmond,…

READ MORE VOTER STORIES Pat Bates Los Angeles I grew up with a picture of my great-grandfather, Fred Grigsby, casting his first vote. I never knew exactly when it was taken, but the image captures a powerful moment in history. In it, Granddad has on a suit, a tie and a hat. He was so…

Richmond, Va.: Virginia simply wasn’t ready. Voting rights watchdogs have been warning since the primaries that the state was going to have problems if it didn’t boost the resources available—and distribute them properly. The polls hadn’t even opened when that warning came crashing into reality: at least two precincts couldn’t even get the voting started…

READ MORE VOTER STORIES Myles and Nina Bell West Chester, Ohio Miles: Barack Obama is a beast. I like what he stands for. He wants to help people. The gas prices are high; he’s trying to lower them. He’s going to make sure that more people get insurance and that everybody will be safe and…

For generations, The Mommy Wars have largely skipped black women. For most of us, staying at home to raise our children full-time was never a choice. Our families’ survival depended on our wages—often earned from nurturing and caring for white families. With the rise of a post-civil rights generation, a critical mass of high-powered black…