The New York Times reports that The Washington Post has recently introduced an online magazine geared towards black audiences, with news and commentary on politics and culture, and tools for readers to research their family histories. Writer and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is editor-in-chief of the Washington-based magazine. It can be found at www.theroot.com.

I visited the site today and read an article (The Minority Candidate) by Alice Bonner. Though the site doesn’t look like a whole lot yet, I think the article is a promising indication of the kind of commentary and reporting to come. It so concisely and eloquently highlighted some of the reasons I am pulling for John Edwards that I felt compelled to include a portion here:

Neither the black man nor the white woman in the contest for the 2008 Democratic Party presidential nomination represents my most compelling interests, though I am a black female with decades of experience both in being discounted as a double negative, or claimed twice as an Equal Employment Opportunity “two-fer.” … Those who assume my automatic allegiance to Barack (a fine candidate) or to Hillary (an exemplary woman in many ways) are taking the shallow view. In fact, neither race nor gender must necessarily first define me, just because American biases want it that way. … My most visceral instinct is to want John Edwards on the ticket—first or second—because he insists we remember the people whom I do not want to be forgotten. … Of all the candidates of any party, Edwards speaks loudest and best for equality of class and place, my strongest defining demographics. … Sure, I would rather the candidate had been black like me, and female, and with the same mindfulness of poor and overlooked folks. But there was no such candidate then who embodied the fullness of my identity. Just as there is not now. So I’ll stack my preferences by my own priorities, thank you.

With Dennis Kucinich (sole candidate, red or blue, who fully supports gay marriage) out of the race, it’s disquieting to have to choose a candidate who doesn’t fully support my basic rights (the Church doesn’t have to recognize gay marriage, but (the secular) law and government should). But, whether or not you check out Edwards, check out the site. Looks like it might be pretty cool!