User Comments

1. 

   1/31/08

   jacks

   Personaly I find this post rather rasist.

   [reply]
   1. 

      1/31/08

      africana

      are you American?
   2. 

      1/31/08

      Sylvia

      I agree jacks
   3. 

      1/31/08

      Villager

      Jacks,
      Why is it racist? I've seen folks talk about the Top Female Bloggers or the Top Gossip Bloggers or the Top Video Bloggers. Why is it a bad thing to share information about the most popular or influential blogs owned and operated by people of African descent?
      
      I'm very interested in your answer...
      
      peace, Villager
   4. 

      1/31/08

      MadameX

      Villager, do you not see the line you've blurred there? You mention black and female bloggers in the same list with "gossip" bloggers...the first two are about innate characteristics of the blogger, while the last is about what the blogger is writing about, but you've listed them as if they were interchangeable. Surely it makes sense to refer to blogs by subject-matter category...people may be interested particularly in car blogs or animal blogs or parenting blogs or marketing blogs or whatever. But I can't think of any rational reason that someone would choose the blogs they read based on the race of the writer...and if there are people making decisions that way, I certainly wouldn't want to feed into it.
   5. 

      1/31/08

      Villager

      
      
      • Madame X - I began tracking the Black Blog Rankings in September 2007 as a direct result of seeing a list of 50 influential bloggers that did not include a single person of color. I determined at that moment not to be mad at the person who created a list that excluded African Americans and other people of African descent ... instead I just worked to create a list that would bring out the talents and creativity of Black blog(gers). And for what it's worth ... my experience in America over the past 49 years of my life is that there is not a race-neutral aspect in most human interactions whether online or offline.
      
      
      • KDawg - I think that my point is that too many Black parents, children and people have been told that we don't exist. That was my thought when I saw the 50 influential bloggers that had no faces of African descent.
      
      
      • Ender - There is significant agreement in the afrosphere that the Black Blog Rankings are positive and uplifting. I am smiling that most in this thread choose to leave a reply without actually visiting the post itself. Seems rather arrogant to me.
      
      
      • Unfettered - Asante sana! I like your avatar quite abit too!
      
      
      • Cooper - Asante sana! Racewire is BBR #40 (out of 758). I've been watching the first 3-4 days of The Root. I think that the Washington newspaper is doing a good job with this online cultural effort.
      
      

      
      
      peace, Villager
2. 

   1/31/08

   africana

   after going to the blog i take my 1rst answer back!

   [reply]
   1. 

      1/31/08

      Villager

      Africana,
      Thank you for taking the time to review the post itself (smile)!
3. 

   1/31/08

   MadameX

   I'm a little troubled by the fact that such a list exists. We've had a lot of discussion on these boards over the past few days about the Presidential race and how much people would prefer that race was not an issue and decisions were made purely based on things like merit, character and positions on the issues. Yet in the blogging world we have one of the few forums that truly can be race-neutral most of the time, because no blogger's race is even known unless it's discussed or a photo is posted, and someone feels the need to separate out black bloggers...why? How is their race relevant to the quality of their blogging?

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4. 

   1/31/08

   pointlessbanter

   I am so there...

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5. 

   1/31/08

   kdawg68

   The problem with segregating like this is that in today's world, at some point you'd have to tell someone with a black parent, grandparent, great grandparent, or beyond that they are not quite black enough to be a "black blogger."
   
   See the problem with that? What good could that possibly do? I haven't clicked on the post, but if the topic were about "black history" or something like that, then okay, no problem. When you make it about the race of the blogger, then yeah....that's disturbing.

   [reply]
6. 

   1/31/08

   ender

   oh.
   
   i thought this was for blogs with a black background colour.
   
   seriously, though, i don't have a problem with the best of black bloggers, best of gay bloggers, best of catholic bloggers. to me it *can* be a special interest group rather than another form of segregation. note i said it *can* be ... like all tendencies to put complicated ideas into simplistic boxes, it can also create tensions like those we're seeing now.
   
   interesting ... this was not the direction i expected this thread to go....

   [reply]
7. 

   1/31/08

   Unfettered

   Living in a society where black people (or people of African descent, if one prefers) are still often viewed as second class citizens, I think highlighting prominent writing by black bloggers can be extremely beneficial. Maybe some people have even stumbled by those blogs, but assumed they where "white" owned and operated.
   
   Certainly, if the list had been "white" owned blogs, the reaction probably would have been different, but the black experience and the white experience (at least in the USA, and many European countries) have been extremely different.
   
   One could certainly argue that separating black bloggers from bloggers of other ethnicities creates a barrier. On the other hand, one could argue the barrier is already there, and highlighting members of a particular social/ethnic/religious or any other group can do as much to overcome that barrier as it could in perpetuating it.
   
   I always wonder about a writer's background: how their experiences help shape their messages. I don't think the blogging world needs to become genderless, colorless or creed-less to overcome prejudice or bias.
   
   As such, as long as these types of lists exist to promote people rather than ostracize them, I think they can be very good things.

   [reply]
8. 

   1/31/08

   jacks

   I can see the outcry if such a topic were about white blogs, and anyone who thinks it wouldnt happen is rather naieve.
   
   Jack

   [reply]
9. 

   1/31/08

   kdawg68

   Well, I saw this on the site, which is encouraging:
   
   "The only qualification is that the blogger needs to be of African descent. "
   
   Great....as far as I understand the latest theories on human migration, doesn't that mean all of us are qualified?

   [reply]
10. 

    1/31/08

    jacks

    and I'd add, just so were clear about it. I'm not in the least bit interested in racism. I prefer it if we are all just bloggers.

    [reply]
11. 

    1/31/08

    jacks

    united in one common goal, promoting our thingy.

    [reply]
12. 

    1/31/08

    cooper

    Most of you live in a dream world or have never been the target of racism. It still exists, pretending is doesn't is not very helpful. Again it is easier to deny people a voice, a voice which has never been heard because for some reason we are deluded into thinking their is not such thing as racism.
    
    It ain't gonna go away until it is addressed, until white people allow Black people to own what is theirs, to own themselves.
    
    I also suggest, besides the great list of blogs at Villager...
    
    Colorlines and their blog RaceWire
    www.colorlines.com/
    and the new publication put out by the publishers of Slate magazine
    
    "The Root" www.theroot.com/

    [reply]
    1. 

       1/31/08

       kdawg68

       "...until white people allow Black people to own what is theirs, to own themselves."
       
       Huh? Never mind.....I probably don't want to know.
13. 

    1/31/08

    BlogEntrepreneur

    As usual....so many miss the actual point.
    
    Me personally...I could care less about any of the top 10 lists....but the thing that chaps me is if you had a Top 10 White blogs....then the accusations of racism would be rampant.
    
    That's the real issue....not that it's a list of black bloggers.

    [reply]
14. 

    1/31/08

    br3adman

    all yall losers make a list of black bloggers ,white male bloggers, wemon, kids teen,retard,dumb blogs,little blogs,harry blogs,over seas blogs,then you wouldnt be rasist

    [reply]
15. 

    1/31/08

    cooper

    One more point, I am not addressing those who use words like retard, and other ignorant childish speak because frankly this forum would be better off without that kind of nonsense, but for other who are interested in why African Americans need their own forum.
    
    This is a film from some time back from media matters film festival which just helps what villager said visually.
    www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/a_girl_like_me/
    
    you need quick time but I am sure you can find it on google tube.

    [reply]
16. 

    2/02/08

    invisiblecinema

    Well said as usual, Cooper.
    
    If one thinks that blacks don't need a voice, then they are not helping racial tension by pretending, being in denial, or just plain fooling themselves. If that's the way they sincerely think, please take some time to read and reasearch (and certainly learn how to spell) before voicing a narrow opinion. At least read Villager's post and the comments and reactions to it. There is nothing but positivity and pride, which in essence, is probably what's ruffling these feathers to begin with. No one is trying to start a race war, trust.
    
    Villager; carry on...I am very happy and proud to be part of your community...and your list.

    [reply]
17. 

    5/21/08

    Villager

    We continue to publish this monthly update to the Black Blog Rankings. We are currently working with Technorati to automate the process...

    [reply]
18. 

    5/21/08

    mitch972

    i Actually had a similar conversation with some bloggers. I was curious of why isn't there more American minority bloggers. I'm glad to find someone who will feature bloggers of different ethnicities.

    [reply]
    1. 

       5/21/08

       Villager

       Mitch - We have over 1,200 blogs from people of African descent on the Villager's Black Blog Rankings at the moment. It is quite remarkable the talent that exists in the afrosphere...
19. 

    5/21/08

    admarktech

    Could the politically correct citizens of the US actually accept a President who was not anything other than a white male?

    [reply]
    1. 

       5/21/08

       Villager

       Admarktech - There is a chance for either a woman or a person of African descent to be elected as our next POTUS. America has shown itself very willing to look for talent in this election cycle. Time will tell if that willingness will extend thru the November elections...