Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

We are getting closer to the launch of our web and radio series on Race and Politics but we still need your help. Send your views to Get My Vote, an online space created by NPR for people to explain their core political beliefs and share personal stories this election season. We are particularly interested in folks supporting Senator John McCain given that we have a good number of entries from Barack Obama supporters.

Here's a sampling from the responses we have gotten so far:

Raised Racist
"Here's how I first became aware of race: I was four. My father and I were at the checkout stand in a liquor store. A dark-skinned old man in denim overalls took a place in line at the counter next to me. I had never seen anyone that color before. The old man smiled at me, and I smiled back. I turned to my father and asked, "Who's that?" He hissed: "Shhhh, I'll tell you later!"

The Truth About Race
Im going to say some things here that I think alot of people would like to say and are afraid to. Im going to say alot of things here that many people will probably get bent out of shape over. Im going to say some things here that might possibly ban this letter from appearing on "Get My Vote." Im going to tell the truth from a white mans point of view.

Faye Anderson, citizen journalist

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its report on voter turnout in the 2006 midterm election. Forty-eight percent of the voting-age population took their soles to the polls, up from 42 percent in 2002. Seven million more Americans exercised their right to vote.
That was the highest turnout in a midterm election since 1994. That election turned out congressional Democrats and marked the beginning of the so-called Republican Revolution.

Continue reading "Black Voter Turnout and Obama's Southern Strategy" >

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

Get My Vote is an online space created by NPR for people to explain their core political beliefs and share personal stories this election season. We are working ahead on a series about Race and Politics that will air in August on Weekend Edition Sunday with Liane Hansen as well as on Sunday Soapbox with interviews by our vlogger Jacob Soboroff.

Click here and help us build the series by telling us how your life experience has shaped your opinion about race and politics. Here are some examples:

Cecilia Munoz on her experience with immigration:

Continue reading "Race and Politics: Share YOUR Story" >

Faye Anderson, citizen journalist

As the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama is the first African-American standard bearer of a major political party.

While Obama received 9 out of 10 black votes, his victory was also powered by young people and high-income whites. So race no longer matters, right? Wrong. Race still matters.

Continue reading "Race and Election '08" >

Jacob Soboroff, Field Vlogger
Get My Vote is an online space created by NPR for people to explain their core political beliefs and share personal stories this election season. I spoke to NPR Senior Producer Joe Matazzoni about the project and about how YOU can contribute your stories about race and politics.

Continue reading "Race and Politics - Share YOUR Story!" >