WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE BLACK BLOGSPHERE???
Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 04:41PM 
Since January 2009 the black blogsphere has all but disappeared. Specifically only a few voices of dissent or better yet, voices of clarity remain active. Most active blogs on the Black blogsphere that maintain high readership are either concerned with race/white supremacy or entertainment. Abagond, a blog focused on race/white supremacy is quite active and maintains high readership. Let’s Be Clear owned by Sister Deb is an active blog that has a bit of a cult following (me included), however it’s focus in primarily about race with a discerning eye on the “first black” president’s less than transparent leadership. Yet, those more progressive blogs, with the exception of The Black Agenda Report owned by Bruce Dixon and Glen Ford, The Afrospear, Muslim Bushido/The Sojourner’s Passport and a few others, have all but been muted. It’s not that we have nothing to say, it’s more as the Eco.Soul.Intellectual opines “[it]…feel[s] like you are just writing out in space with little to no feedback. When you are actually writing original pieces on original topics with your own thought, that even presents another labor that is done in love, and thanklessly.”
I believed, back in ’06, that we were on the cusp of a new medium. One which would grow over time as the internet would become something that would be at your fingertips. And in fact, it has. Over 45% of the U.S. population now has smart phones or tablets and can access information within seconds. But, at the same time it appears the black population’s need to be informed has diminished. I don’t want to put the denigration of the Black bloggsphere squarely on the (s)election of Obama as president as the only problem, though this may be a part of the equation. The fact remains that we have not gained the readership outside of other black bloggers. In essence, we are preaching to the choir. This is part and parcel of the dumbing down of America. Khadija, owner of Muslim Bushido and The Sojourner’s Passport believes “…this sort of disintegration of African American/Black entities is yet another manifestation of the end of the road for the African American collective.” Old beliefs or hopes are hard to kill, so my soul didn’t want to agree with her sentiment, but I cannot ignore the handwriting on the wall. I know she is totally correct. We are allowing ourselves to become more and more disjointed each and every day and it is of our own doing. No racism or white supremacy is responsible for Black/African Americans wanting to ignore what is clearly set before them.
The Afrospear/Black blogsphere were (some still are) filling the need for truly Black news and information. We have no true Black radio stations. We no longer have an uncompromised Black newspaper. The Final Call is still printed but, itself has become tainted due to Minister Farrakhan’s collusion with the Church of Scientology. The internet offered a counterbalance to the government’s fourth branch that used to be America’s journalists and open press. A few will carry on the work needed to uplift and keep calling out into the wilderness keeping the fire burning. Assata Shukur said “"Like most poor people in the United States, I have no voice. The Black press and the progressive media, as well as Black civil rights organizations, have historically played an essential role in the struggle for social justice. We should continue and expand that tradition…” I believe the Black blogsphere, I believe The Afrospear has expanded that tradition via the medium of the internet. As a group, collective or community we may not reach that goal but the tradition is still alive in a few of us. To keep this fire burning requires a commitment to our people (we are not monolithtic so our people may vary) and to our mission. And yet, as a collective a commitment may be the problem on two fronts as it appears the Black collective only responds in unison against overt white oppression.
Without a heavy hand overtly oppressing Black people, and specifically a white hand oppressing Black people, there will be no commitment. My Wisdom once told me that Black people are cursed and will not progress as a collective. Again, as with Khadija’s sentiment, my soul refused to accept this. Asabagna came to this realization within The AfroSpear Think Tank noting “I have seen many people come and go at the AfroSpear for various reasons, but the prevailing factor in all those who left is a lack of commitment to the process of working together for a purpose greater than oneself.” Asa goes on to say “…my experiences within the AfroSpear has led me to the conclusion that there will NEVER be any meaningful, nor long lasting unity nor solidarity among those of African descent, particularly among the so called best and brightest of us…” I cannot disagree with either Khadija or Asa. As much as I hate to agree, I will not ignore what is set before me. There will be no more white hand overtly oppressing us to congeal the Black collective into a unified force, therefore Asa and Khadija are absolutely correct. Not only is there no commitment to working together in the Black collective, there is no commitment by the Black collective to educate and uplift itself.
The Eco.Soul.Intellectual said that blogging has become a thankless task. Thankless, because we have no readership other than bloggers that are on the task of uplifting the minds of the people. I can converse with no one that I personally know, people that say they love me, that actually reads my blog or any other blogs for that matter. The digital divide among Black people still exists on a mind numbing scale right now in 2013. I have asked and observed and find that most of the everyday working man and woman has little desire to improve their state of mind beyond what is required to gain a promotion or increase in pay. Beyond that, sports, reality shows and entertainment television in general are the pill of choice for the population within the Black collective. Falling ever into the abyss of nothingness designed for the purpose of dumbing and numbing the population much as Rome did it’s citizens as it descended into chaos and later overrun by the “barbarians.” During the Nicaraguan revolution brought to Samosa by the Sandinistas, it was said the war began with the poets. If that be the case for us, we are finished.
Reader Comments (10)
I'll share both your posts on this topic at the AfroSpear!
Asa
I hear you. I went through a similar unhappy realization when I finally let myself see the long-term implications of how most AAs reacted to Obama's first election: Most AAs interpreted that event as proof that's it's perfectly okay for them to remain in their pervasive comas. Most of them are living vicariously through Pres. Obama and Mrs. Obama.
As the astute folks at Black Agenda Report recently pointed out, many AAs will go through emotional withdrawal once Pres. Obama's 2nd term is over. Because they've been coasting on fantasies of having personal power through seeing the Obamas live large in the White House. There will be a lot of lingering depression among many AAs once they have to readjust to seeing White folks in the White House. Again and forever more in our lifetimes.
Most AAs are content with their "bread and circuses."
Meanwhile, the US government has a pretty good idea of what's coming down the pike: Civil unrest among large numbers of White Americans due to climate change, energy shocks and a worsening economic crisis. And so the Pentagon has been preparing for combat against disgruntled US citizens. That's what all these surveillance programs are really about (not catching foreign terrorists---that's only the pretext given for them). This TruthDig article lays it out--"The Pentagon’s Preparations for War Against Us."
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/the_pentagons_preparations_for_war_against_us_20130615/
I would suggest that those of us who are still awake and care focus on creating some of the real bread and butter resources that our comatose people will need in the future. Such as the food forests described in these 2 posts.
"Seattle’s Urban Food Forest Is Open For Foraging"
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682269/seattles-urban-food-forest-is-open-for-foraging
And "An Open Source Home Transformation You Have to See"
http://www.resilientcommunities.com/an-open-source-home-transformation-you-have-to-see/
Actually, many of us need these food forests right now. Most of us will need personal victory gardens and group food forests in the future.
Be Blessed,
Khadija
Whomever wrote this is dreaming. You sir/ma'am are comatose if you believe that the contenent of Africa is a safe haven for so called African Americans.
Yet, they will fight you tooth and nail to protect their postion on race and white supremacy when something much bigger is brewing. Never mind that Zbigniew Brzezinski, Obama's puppet master is behind what you mentioned above from TruthDig.
Peace to you!
Peace!
Have you been?
I agree with Khadija that African Americans are on our way to being a permanent underclass group and even extinction.I hate for it to be all doom and gloom but you can't continue to go in the direction we've been going in and expect to survive.Anyway,here is an article on Dream and Hustle that kind of ties into what you're saying here.You are not alone.A lot of people see the writings on the wall.
"The African-American Guide to Surviving the Barackalypse after Celebrating a Pyrrhic Victory" http://www.dreamandhustle.com/the-african-american-guide-to-surviving-the-barackalypse-after-celebrating-a-pyrrhic-victory/
Peace