By Jackie Jones
Gay and lesbian couples are now able to marry legally in the nation’s capital. A large part of making that happen came from a direct campaign to win the support of the city’s African-American residents, long believed to be opposed to such a law.

By John Payton
The death on February 28 of Theodore Lamont Cross deprives the world and American society and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. of an extraordinary counselor and friend.

By Mark Lassiter
If Scott “Downtown” Brown and “The Big O” (with a sincere apology to Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson) consider practicing for their charity game together, they cannot violate party boundaries or be seen in public. Their clandestine practice session would sound something like this.

By Kevin Eason
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from NJ. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Kevin’s work features include: TVOne, NABJ, WBLS_107.5FM, EURweb and various newspapers & magazines throughout the country.

By Mark Lassiter
New Orleans radio announcer, Bernard “Buddy D” Dilberto, fueled a grass roots, populist movement in 1980. He implored frustrated football fans to attend games with brown paper grocery bags on their heads to protest the performance of the 0-14 hometown Saints. Buddy also said, “When you go to Heaven after you die, tell St. Peter you’re a Saints fan. He’ll say c’mon in, I don’t care what else you done, you suffered enough.”

By Graham Hodges
In early September, 1838, the man who would become Frederick Douglass, the foremost black abolitionist of the nineteenth century, arrived in New York City, well aware that he still faced danger from the “slave catchers” who roamed the streets seeking to kidnap unwary blacks. Through fortuitous circumstance, Frederick Bailey, as he was then called, soon met David Ruggles, the city’s leading black abolitionist—and Frederick Douglass’ first and perhaps most influential professor of radical abolitionism.

By Lee A. Daniels
There can be no denying that cable TV talk-show host Chris Matthews’ intent Wednesday night was to compliment President Obama on the forcefulness of his demeanor and the effectiveness of his speech during The State of the Union address.

But neither can one deny that Matthews’ choice of words not only undermined his intent, they underscored just how wrong is the notion that America has reached—or is anywhere near—a “post-racial” status.

By Mark Lassiter
In the first year of the Obama Presidency, every commentator, contributors and blogger has an opinion on the very marketable leader since he gave his historic acceptance speech. This furious, non-stop output continues to shape the public dialogue in ways that will require years to understand.

By Jill Nelson
The Haitian earthquake crisis will be remembered as the moment in which the technology and platforms that enable social networking were used and transformed by ordinary citizens—the period when Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social networking sites became agents of change, and technology transcended commercialism, politics, personality, and trivia.

By Lee A. Daniels
This is the week America celebrates in special fashion the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.