Left and top right: Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (Left Photo Credit: Charles Dharapak) Bottom Right: Sen. Obama joins his family on stage via satellite.

Obama shows she will be a passionate but stern First Lady
Staff Report
Not since Jackie O has there been a First Lady that nearly an entire nation fell in love with, admired and respected. Now we have Michelle O—a woman that many will view as a homegirl from the Southside of Chicago who made it but never forgot where she came from.
Michelle Obama walked onto the main stage Monday night at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and walked off with her two girls to “Isn’t She Lovely.”
Although there are some political spectators who believe the opening night of the DNC was wasted time and didn’t fully spotlight the party’s agenda, there’s one thing that can’t be denied. Obama gave an electrifying speech that gave a real look at the Obamas and their family. more

Left:Virginia elected officials united for Obama. Right:Obama pictured with Virginia’s prominent delegates when he kicked off his campaign in Virginia in June.

Staff Report
Delegates from Virginia have prime seats at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver.
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, in answering a reporter’s question on the floor of the Pepsi Center where the convention is going on, said the front and center seats could be because Virginia is a targeted state in November and is very likely in play for the Democrats in the presidential election.
“Virginia could be the key to winning it all,” said Webb.
Webb is among three elevated Virginia delegates who have helped put Virginia in play for the Democrats’ presidential candidate, U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. The other two are Virginia’s most recent successive Democratic governors, former Gov. Mark R. Warner and current Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. All three at some point were mentioned as Sen. Obama’s potential running mates. After both Webb and Warner took themselves out of the running mate race, Kaine became a possible pick up until U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware was announced in the wee hours of Aug. 23. more

Nicole Jackson, left, is pictured with Executive Director Sharon Ashford.

Staff Report
There is no shortage of stereotypes when it comes to Black families, especially Black families with low income. Parents, most of them single mothers, are viewed as lazy, incompetent, victim-mongers who more often than not, have their hands stretched out for government help. Their children, sons mostly, are viewed as thuggish no-gooders who belong in prison.
Nicole Jackson, a single mother of three is familiar with these stereotypes. She says that she has seen her young children judged negatively because they have lived in public housing. The judgment she has seen comes from teachers and school administrators who she says do not pay enough attention to her children’s needs or temperance. more

Boaz and Ruth’s Harvest store

Tiffany Satchell
Staff Writer
It’s being called a “routine monitoring visit” but current and former program participants of the non-profit organization, Boaz and Ruth, say it’s [allegedly] an unexpected audit by the AmeriCorps State Program - the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), Office on Volunteerism and Community Service (OVCS).
The alleged audit was brought on by multiple complaints that AmeriCorps, a federal funded program, allegedly received against the organization.
Annually Boaz and Ruth compete for a grant to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps participants. more