As a high-schooler, Stacey Abrams, who is African-American, was initially refused entry to the Georgia Governor’s Mansion for an event honoring top students. (A security guard, seeing her arrive by public bus, seems to have thought she was in the wrong place.) Last night, she saw the building in a different light: her possible future home. She won the Democratic primary for governor, becoming the first African-American woman in the country to win a major party’s gubernatorial nod.

Ms. Abrams is accustomed to firsts: She was the first African-American valedictorian at her high school and the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly. But, she told CNN, she’s learned a tough lesson along the way: “The reality is, having a right to be places does not always mean that you'll gain admission."

That is what she’s out to change in a year that is looking like a big moment not only for women but for black candidates from Illinois to Texas to Mississippi to Florida. More Democratic donors and operatives are rallying, tired of seeing strong African-American candidates passed over. Abrams, like others, sees an opportunity to boost African-American turnout and reach out to white voters, and she is doubling down on her liberal message. And she’s clear about the moment: As she puts it, “I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

Now to our five stories, looking at the deeper causes of economic rivalry and the importance of vigilance in supporting school desegregation.