While you may know this actress best for her award-winning role of the hilariously funny, fashion-forward “Joan Clayton” on the hit show “Girlfriends,” these days Tracee Ellis Ross[1] is making her name on the campaign trail stumping for President Barack Obama. As she traveled through Ohio, Ross spoke exclusively with NewsOne to explain why everyone needs to vote, how she found her voice through voting, and why she finds a Mitt Romney win “terrifying.” SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama Defends Husband, Says Black Women Have Her Hubby’s Back [Exclusive][2] NewsOne: Where are you on the campaign trail? Tracee Ellis Ross: I’m on a little bus in Ohio. I went to Nevada and this is my second trip. Of course the election always happens when I have so much on my plate, but this is so important and I’m willing to show up and fly somewhere and do what it takes if I can be of service. I actually registered one voter on a campus in Nevada and I remember how exciting it was for me the first time I voted, so ...
BOWIE, Md. — Irene Huskens has the wedding venue picked out: a charming bed-and-breakfast in southern Maryland. But the wedding is no sure thing. The plans made by Huskens, a 43-year-old police captain, and her partner, Leia Burks, hinge on whether Marylanders make history on Nov. 6 by voting to legalize same-sex marriage. A “yes” vote, and the wedding is on. A “no” victory? Huskens is loath to consider it. “There are a lot of Marylanders who want to set the precedent of equality who will vote from their gut for fairness,” she said at her colonial suburban home in Prince George’s County, where she and Burks are raising two adopted children. Dating back to 1998, 32 states have held votes on same-sex marriage, and all 32 have opposed it. Maryland is one of four states with Nov. 6 referendums on the issue – and gay-marriage advocates believe there’s a strong chance the streak will be broken. In Maryland, Maine and Washington, it’s an up-or-down vote on legalizing same-sex marriage. In M ...
