Rev. Al Sharpton, 1/25/12

President, National Action Network

Last night during Obama's address, we were reminded of just how much we can achieve with a unified government and with leaders who put the nation's best interest before their own political agendas.

Tanya M. Washington, 1/27/12

Associate Professor, Georgia State University College of Law

Parents must become more engaged in influencing and monitoring the substance of their children's education. All of us should be aware that what teachers teach, and how they teach it, is informed by their own perspectives, even in a math problem.

Karl A. Pillemer, Ph.D., 1/26/12

Professor of Human Development, Cornell University; Author, "30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans"

Hiram Mann, 90, had to fight to find the work he loved, overcoming tremendous odds. The struggle and the rewards of his 90 years were encapsulated in his first words in our interview: "I was one of the original legendary Tuskegee Airmen."

Brandon Thomas, 1/25/12

Political science student, Middle Tennessee State University; co-founder, Sigma Phi Beta MTSU chapter

Many of you may know the Tumblr blog, "Yo, Is This Racist?" For those of you who aren't Tumblr-savvy, the creator of this blog fields questions from average people who ask if certain aspects of their lives are racist or not.

MutualArt, 1/26/12

World's largest online art information service

Sean Campbell, 1/26/12

Writer, Comic Book Geek, Contributor to PostBourgie.com

Aside from my own personal investment in Miles Morales becoming the new Ultimate universe Spider-Man, I had concerns.

Atim Oton, 1/26/12

Designer and Co-Founder of Black Design News Network

I was born in the Niger Delta, and lived in the Niger Delta in Nigeria until I came to the U.S. In some ways, I can be considered a child of big oil -- Mobil Oil -- to be specific. But I own no oil fields and none of my family works in the oil sector.

Tracy Clayton, 1/25/12

Writer, Humorist, PostBourgie Contributor

To posit that a woman's behavior can be a means for stopping rape is a slap in the face to all the women who "followed all the rules" and still got raped.

Sara Ferguson, 1/25/12

Teacher, Chester Upland School District, PA

As I attended President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night, I was not alone. This invitation was an honor, but my dedication to education is not exceptional or unique. Because, for all teachers, it is our students that keep us going.

LaVar Young, 1/25/12

President and CEO, Newark Now

The release of Nike and Michael Jordan's limited edition Air Jordan Concord XI a few weeks ago resulted in a string of violence at malls and shopping centers nationwide.

Christian Piatt, 1/27/12

Author, editor, speaker

The fact is that, unless you're a white, Christian, straight male, there's little to look back to and say "yeah, I was better off back then."

Irene Monroe, 1/27/12

Native of Brooklyn, graduate of Wellesley College and Union Theological Seminary at Columbia

Robert Champion, Jr.'s murder may never be solved. Those who struck the fatal blows may never disclose whether they used the guise of hazing and accidental homicide to cover up an intended hate crime.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, 1/24/12

Civil rights activist

The toxic message that drove Newt Gingrich to victory in South Carolina will drive our nation apart rather than bring it together. And it will spell defeat for him -- and for Republicans if they choose to go that way.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, 1/24/12

Professor, Syracuse University

Supporting a black president is very important. But the same courage that it takes for us to get out and vote for the president must be returned with courageous policy that reflects the interests of those who support him.

Tamika Sayles, 1/24/12

Recent Graduate; Freelance Writer

Michelle Obama made history when she became the first African-American First Lady in the history of the United States. Since then, Mrs. Obama has become a role model in the hearts and minds of those she has inspired.

Biko Baker, 1/24/12

Executive Director, League of Young Voters Education Fund

Tuned out. Impatient. Apathetic. The mainstream media uses these adjectives when describing the millennial generation. America's talking heads seem convinced that the nation's youngest voters have given up on shaping their own futures. They're missing the point.

D. R. Tucker, 1/24/12

Freelance writer; Operator of The Urban Right blog

As I read this magnificent book, I found myself regretting my youth, wishing that I had been born 40 years earlier so that I could have voted for this man in his trailblazing contests.