Inside President's Meeting with Black Church Leaders

In an NBC interview last week, President Barack Obama stated that the First Family is no longer seeking a regular church to attend in Washington, D.C., because their presence would be too disruptive to services. Instead they prefer to worship privately in the chapel at their Camp David retreat, or visit different congregations on occasion. Or, as was the case on Tuesday, sometimes the President brings church to the White House... Read more: President Obama Wins Health Care In The House White House, Here We Come: CBC Meeting on JobsObama Watch: The President and Minority Jobs

Obama Watch: White House Easter Egg Roll

The South Lawn of the White House has been transformed into the nation's ultimate playground today, for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. White House correspondent Cynthia Gordy has the scoop on all of the festivities from the traditional Easter egg race to performances from the cast of "Glee" and more. Read More: Obama Watch: First Family Attends Easter Service First Lady to Guest Star at Kids' Choice Awards

Obama Watch: First Family Attends Easter Service

Obama Watch

President Obama took action for change today when he signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which accompanies last week's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, at the Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria.

Rep. David Scott Speaks Out On Threats to Congress

You can add Georgia Representative David Scott to the list of lawmakers who have received threatening, vitriol-filled letters and calls since Congress passed health care reform last week. For Scott, however, the alarming display is nothing new--he made headlines last summer when a swastika was spraypainted on the sign outside his district office, and since then he has continually received hateful correspondence. As Congress breaks for its spring recess and members return to their home districts, ESSENCE.com talked to the African-American Congressman about the racial undercurrent behind the upheaval, the security situation, and why he is intent on fighting back... Read more: Threats Mount Against Members of CongressTea Party Protesters Call Black Lawmakers N-Word

Health Care Reform Signed Into Law

The other day I may have acted as if the House passage of health care reform on Sunday night was no big surprise. But I think, in the Democratic momentum leading up to the vote, I lost sight of the fact that it was actually pretty astonishing. Remember, when Democrats lost a Senate seat in January after the Massachusetts special election, this town rang the death knells and called it a wrap for health care reform. But President Obama signed the bill into law today... Read more: Health Care Reform Bill Passes The HouseWord on the Street: The Health Care Reform BillHealth Secretary Explains How Health Care Reform Affects AAs

The Community Organizers Who Discovered Obama

Throughout his political career, President Barack Obama has frequently referred to his years as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago. During this time, as a means of achieving social justice, he learned how to develop leadership potential and respond to the needs of the people. The organization in which he got his start, the Gamaliel Foundation, is a faith-based group that helps create grassroots change around jobs, housing, health care and other issues. ESSENCE.COM talked to Gamaliel's President, Ann Smith, about President Obama back when he was just starting out, and the impact he's had on a new generation of young organizers. Read More: President Obama to Overhaul 'No Child Left Behind'President Obama Meets with Jay-ZTweet for President Obama What you had to say:Absolut71: "The media needs to get off m boy Obama's back already." Mih commented: "I agree with Al Sharpton because being an African American President we have his ear. President Obama is the President for all people. So please just support and pray for our President."

President Obama to Overhaul 'No Child Left Behind'

The Obama administration has called education the civil rights issue of our time. This weekend President Obama took one more step to make his promise for education reform a reality by announcing that he would submit a plan to overhaul the "No Child Left Behind" policy. In it's place would be the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which calls for states to focus on preparing "college-and-career ready" academic standards and evaluate teachers based on student performance. The new law would prepare students for careers and college rather than grade-level proficiency as "No Child Left Behind" currently requires... Read More:  'Education is the Civil Rights Issue of Our TimeRead More Obama Watch Stories here

Obama Watch: President Obama Meets With Jay-Z

Jay-Z performed at D.C.'s Verizon Center last night, and during an interlude announced, "I just came from the White House." Turns out the rapper did tour the White House yesterday, a tour that included a short, unscheduled visit with President Obama. (Their conversation, by the way, was not in any presidential pool report!) The President has said in the past that he's a Jay-Z fan, claiming to have him on his iPod. Just another way in which things are a little different at the White House these days... To read Cynthia Gordy's "Obama Watch" blog, click here. Read More: Obama Watch: Obama on Health Care Reform: "Let's Get It Done" Jay-Z: 'We Are The World: Should Be Left Untouched'

Tweet For President Obama

Is it a coincidence that the word "Obama," one of the most popular words of 2009, was second only to the word "Twitter" last year. It makes sense now. The President's always been hip to online media and social networks and now Barack Obama's political enterprise Organizing For America, is looking for a "social networks manager"--someone to handle OFA's Twitter, Facebook and Myspace accounts, the Washington Scene reported. If you're interested in this gig, you better be on some serious tweet game. The job description states that applicants should be, "Ready to work hard; this isn't a 9-5 sort of job." If you want to get your tweet on for the president, see if you have what it takes here. Read More: 'Obama': The second most used word of 2009Facebook Gets Facelift: Site Introduces Vanity URLs