Columns by Bobbi Bowman

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has outlined the enormity of the 2010 Census and its far-reaching implications:

* "The 2010 Census will be the biggest peacetime government mobilization in our nation's history," Locke told the annual conventions of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association in August.

In less than a year, every household in the country will receive a short questionnaire from the Census Bureau, asking about the name, sex, age, date of birth, race, and ethnicity of individuals living in the home, the relationships among them and how long they’ve lived there.

These questionnaires are the prelude to the best story of our lives --- the story of America in the 21st century.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the census, offered as reminders that this great story looms.

Dear Mr. President and Mrs. Obama,

Welcome to my hometown. You move to Washington, D.C., as the city undergoes its third historic population change in 50 years.

My city was white when I was a child and black when I was young adult. Now it's becoming white again in my middle years. We black folks know we dominated this city for 50 years, and it's about over.

Journalists are finally beginning to focus on the people who will decide this election — the voters.

The candidates and their political operatives always start with the demographics of the voters. Journalists start with the candidates, shift to the contest and then, in October, look at the demographics of the voters.