NewsOne.com Exclusive: Op-Ed By First Lady Michelle Obama

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NewsOne.com, leading urban digital media company Interactive One's African-American news website, published today an exclusive op-ed penned by First Lady Michelle Obama that speaks directly to the country's nearly 39 million Black Americans.  The op-ed addresses the importance of every vote in this November's presidential election and Mrs. Obama encourages those who can, to vote early this year for her husband President Barack Obama.

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"Now that so many states have early vote—including Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Florida, New Mexico, and Iowa—we can make our voices heard well before Election Day," explains First Lady Michelle Obama. "So, if you live in a state with early voting, pledge to cast your ballot early—and then reach out to everyone you know and make sure they vote by November 6, too."

Before reminding voters of the close results of the 2008 presidential election, the first lady recalls the long strides previous generations made to ensure the civil liberties all Americans enjoy today.  She makes clear, however, that it "doesn't mean our work is finished."  Mrs. Obama states, "Make no mistake, here in our time, it's more important than ever that we show up to vote, not just this year, but every year and in every election. Every voice must be heard and every vote must be counted."

Mrs. Obama's op-ed comes on the heels of an exclusive story published by NewsOne on October 11 where the first lady addressed issues affecting Black female voters.  In the story she discusses President Obama's latest debate performance, what's at stake in this year's presidential election, and whether the president has the support of Black women.

"NewsOne.com is the definitive source for news most relevant to the African-American community and our recent exclusives with First Lady Michelle Obama demonstrate that fact," said Tom Newman, President, Interactive One. "The importance of Mrs. Obama's message cannot be overstated. All of us at Interactive One eagerly encourage our readers to make their voices heard by voting and encouraging others to vote in next month's election."

To read First Lady Michelle Obama's op-ed, and for more information about NewsOne.com, visit http://newsone.com/2064122/michelle-obama-campaign-2/

ABOUT INTERACTIVE ONE
Interactive One has more than 15 million members and reaches millions of Black Americans and Latinos each month. With approximately 3 billion annual page views on its suite of sites, the company has become the definitive online resource for the urban community through its suite of social, content and radio sites such as the iconic BlackPlanet (www.BlackPlanet.com), the newly launched BlackPlanetNEXT (www.BlackPlanetNEXT.com), and the new BlackPlanet RADIO (www.BlackPlanetRadio.com), the digital industry's first social radio website created for the African American community. Interactive One is also home to several leading content sites including: NewsOne (www.NewsOne.com), which provides up to the minute, comprehensive coverage of newsworthy events relevant to Black Americans across the country and the world; TheUrbanDaily (www.TheUrbanDaily.com), the eyes and ears for Black Americans looking for what's hot online, on the airwaves, in theaters, and on the street; HelloBeautiful (www.HelloBeautiful.com), the definitive lifestyle resource for today's Black woman; Elev8 (www.Elev8.com) a site devoted to elevating the mind, body and spirit; and ZonaDeSabor, an entertainment news website targeting young, urban Latinos (www.ZonaDeSabor.com).

Interactive One was launched by Radio One, Inc. in 2008 to complement Radio One's existing portfolio of media companies targeting Black Americans. Since its launch, Interactive One has quickly become the #1 online platform for the African American and urban community. 

SOURCE Interactive One