Perhaps the greatest reason for the Black blogging explosion is due in part to the feelings held by many people of color that their socio-political perspectives have always been marginalized by mainstream media outlets. I can't count just how many times I have exclaimed in print (and on live broadcasts) my disdain for the monolithic perception that many people (irrespective of race or nationality) have of African-Americans. Fighting the sports/entertainment/criminal "box" has literally become the core mantra for Afronerd and Afronerd Radio. Having said all of that, today's Washington Post had an interesting piece on the Black blogosphere and how this blogging community relates to this year's election campaign. A number of blogging colleagues (some whom I have appeared with on NPR) were showcased in this article and all that I can ask is.....where has the media (both "Black" and "White" media) been? After what bloggers were able to accomplish with Jena 6 (whether I agree with the case's importance is inconsequential), it appears odd that we have not been utilized or embraced (yet) by conventional media. Let's take a gander at a snippet from the Post article in question:
Five days before polls open in South Carolina, where half of the Democratic primary voters are expected to be black, blogs such as African American Political Pundit, Jack and Jill Politics, The Field Negro, and Black Prof, to name just a few, are, like many South Carolina African Americans, sharply questioning Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign strategy against Barack Obama -- especially in the wake of last night's debate slugfest in South Carolina -- as well as John Edwards's claims of electability.
After last night's debate, in which Obama and Clinton traded their most aggressive and personal barbs to date, Christopher Bracey of BlackProf wrote: "Looks like Barack won this round in convincing fashion, with Edwards and Clinton tied for runner up. Funny how the press wants to concede S.C. to Barack now. I don't think this was the case a week ago."
Added the blogger who calls himself L.N. Rock, a Silver Spring-based IT professional and founder of the African American Political Pundit blog: "Let us not forget John Edwards, and his under the radar seemingly racial and sexist comment....when he said, 'The ONLY thing I would say -- and I think it has nothing to do with race and gender. Let me be really clear about that. It's amazing now that being the white male...is different...is being able to go everywhere in America and campaign and to compete -- and...I think I can go everywhere and compete head-to-head with John McCain."
Viewed from the Afrosphere, the now open political warfare between Obama and the Clintons takes on a heightened intensity. First came Hillary Clinton's comments about Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Lyndon B. Johnson, followed by President Clinton's use of the phrase "fairy tale" to criticize Obama's position on the Iraq war. Then BET founder Bob Johnson, a longtime Clinton supporter, seemingly alluded to Obama's past drug use. All this was compounded by Obama's comments about President Reagan -- and how the Clintons reacted to it.
So what do our readers think about this issue? Do you see a place for the Black blogosphere in the mainstream? Will Black conventional media jump on this phenomenon? A dollar (adjusted for inflation) for your thoughts. And for more of the Washington Post article, see below:
On African American Blogs, Sharp Words for Candidates
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