I continue to be amazed at the growing number of Black-owned & operated blogs out in the afrosphere. Many of you recall how perturbed I was last year when I saw a list of so-called influential bloggers with no people of color included. Frack it (as us Battlestar Galactica fans are known to say) ... if others won't give props to Black-owned & operated blogs ... then we must do it for ourselves.
Today we announce the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR) for April 2008 with 1,045 blogs in the mix. We began tracking the Top Ten Black Blogs in September 2007 with only 75 blogs listed. The number of blogs on the list grew to 602 by the beginning of the year. Last month the BBR had 850 Black blogs on it.
We have no idea where this ranking will take us. However, Prometheus 6 (BBR #44) sat down with me over a pizza and Sam Adams beer in New Jersey last week and I anticipate that there will be some new twists and turns over the next 30 days. In the meantime, I encourage you to post a comment below if you are a Black Blogger interested in supporting our efforts in some manner this month!
We need your help! First, please share a link to this post so that your blog readers can learn about the diversity of thought and talent in the afrosphere. Second, we still need one of you to be creative and help us create a nice button or banner that folks can place on their own website or blog pointing folks to the Villager's Black Blog Ranking (perhaps with a visual of a rhino on it). Any creative folks out there with ideas?
Finally, I encourage you to visit Vanessa's On The Black Hand Side (BBR #286) as she shares more insightful details and nuances from Black Bloggers with her '20 Questions With' interviews. This is outstanding opportunity to learn more about talented brothers and sisters that you see listed in the Villager's Black Blog Rankings.
Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for April 2008:
- The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 1,194 / Rank: 1,962) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com holds down the BBR #1 slot for the third month in a row. It is worth noting that Bossip.com is the first Black blog that we've seen break into the top 2,000 blogs in the world ranking! Bossip.com is a fast growing urban-focused new media property that draws a loyal following of young and influential trend setters who are up to date with what’s hot in society. Top tags for this blog appear to be Quote of the Day and Fill In The Blank. I encourage villagers to give 'em a tip that they are the #1 Black blog in the universe.
- Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend (Authority: 1,163 / Rank: 2,057) - [Politics] This is
a prolific blog averaging over 110,000 hits per month. Top tags for this blog appear to be Race, Politics, Feminism, Gay and Lesbian. Pam participated in the Take Over America conference with some candid comments on what we can expect for bloggers and blogging after the 2008 election cycle is over. - Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 1,036 / Rank: 2,519) - [Entertainmen
t] This is a Black celebrity entertainment blog with gossip, music, celebrity interviews, pictures and such. Angel Laws, a 23-year-old college student in Jacksonville, NC, started this blog as a hobby. Top tags for this blog are Candids, New Music Review and Brian's Music Posts. OK, I'll bite ... who is 'Brian'? - ESKAY: Nah Right (Authority: 787 / Rank: 3,938) - [Entertainment] This is another Black blogger that is steadily moving up in the rankings. Personally, I like the eye candy that has been on this blog since it started in May 2005. However, the top tags for the blog right now are Miscellaneous, Music and Movies. Are there any Nah Right fans out there?
- Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 633 / Rank: 5,608) - [Politics] Oliver mov
ed into the Top 5 this month! Oliver has been taking flak about his views since he began his blog in April 2005, however, I hope that he will visit our Electronic Village and leave a message at some point as he moves up the list. I guess he's mad that I took the New York Giants in the Super Bowl (seeing as Oliver is a manic Redskins fan)! Anyhow, his top blog tags are 2008 election, conservatives and republicans. - Fresh Crunkjuice: Crunk & Disorderly* (Authority: 626 / Rank: 5,691) - [Entertainment] This gossip blog was created in August 2004. Recently, Fresh Crunkjuice decided to make the move from a Blogger.com site to one that he owns himself, so we anticipate that this entry will begin to fall down the ranking as the readers move over to the newer blog. This blog has admirers in some unusual places. The top tags are 'Finally Some Good News' and 'Why Must I Cry?'
- Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 603 / Rank: 6,020) - [Entertainment] Natasha is a 25-year old law student in Washington DC. Her blog has been one of the hottest Black celebrity gossip sites on the net since it was created in June 2005. I hope that I have a chance to meet Sis. Eubanks when I travel to Washington DC later this year! Top tags on her blog are Candids, Parties and Rumor Control
- La Shawn Barber: La Shawn Barber's Corner (Authority: 486 / Rank: 8,705) - [Social Commentary] La Shawn continues her transition from being a political blogger. Her b
log, born in Nov 2003, now writes about faith, culture, digital technology and, occasionally, how these three things intersect. Sis. Barber is an entrepreneur who consults with interested bloggers. I 'met' Sis. Barber during NPR Blogger Roundtables that we did in Nov 2007 and Jan 2008. Top tags on her blog are Faith, Pop Culture and Technology. - Jack Turner and Jill Tubman: Jack and Jill Politics* (Authority: 471 / Rank: 9
,111) - [Politics] - JJP offers a Black bourgeois perspective on American politics. This is a blog that posts multiple times per day with some unique and accurate analysis of the 2008 election cycle. This is one of the fastest moving blogs in our rankings ... they moved from BBR #31 in Sep 2007 rankings to current BBR #9. Top tags for this blog are 2008 Democratic Primary, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. This is one of three daily reads for me here in the Top 10! - W
ayne Bennett: The Field Negro* (Authority: 380 / Rank: 12,092) - [Social Commentary] I should start by saying that I'm not an unbiased observer. In my view, this is the best blog ever written. Period. The Los Angeles Times said it better than me when they interviewed Field last year. Simply stated, I think that you should read this blog every day. Period. NPR News & Notes recently included Field on their blogger roundtable to discuss Obama's Farrakhan Dilemma. Top tags on this blog are Barack Obama, Pursuit of Happiness and Killadelphia.
HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): What About Our Daughters*, Afro Bella, Young, Black, and Fabulous (blogspot version), Real Talk NY Provides The Latest Hip Hop News, Entre mes Lignes, Keith Boykin, Ill Doctrine, Clutch Magazine, A Hot Mess!, Angry Black Bitch, How To Split An Atom, Love B. Scott, Kenyan Pundit, Rod 2.0:Beta and Mudd Up!
The only qualification is that the blogger needs to be of African descent. The blogger does not have to be a member of The AfroSpear or the Afrosphere Bloggers Association, although we invite all Black bloggers to join either (or both) of those organizations.
Those blogs with an asterisk after their name are members of The AfroSpear.
Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the person listed and the #1 ranked blog in the world.
We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. My vision is that many of the brothers and sisters on this month's BBR will join us later this year at the Blogging While Brown conference in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008.
Finally, I encourage you to provide some link-love to this post so that others can learn about the Villager's Black Blog Rankings! Next step is yours ... what say u?
61 comments:
Hi Villager..what are my stats for U Better Recognize and Brias Own Words?
thanks,
bria
p.s thanks for the prayers...;)
Bria - Bria's Own Words is BBR #579. U Better Recognize is BBR #152. Are you trying to break into the Top 100 with either or both of 'em?
Thanks Villager,
in answer to your question, I guess I am :) any suggestions?
I read 3/10 regularly (Bossip, Concrete Loop, Crunk & Disorderly, and OF COURSE The Field Negro). I'm surprised that Wayne put his picture out there for everyone to see. But I hope to be on your list one day.
My blog is like a mixture of Bossip, the Field Negro, and the Old Black Church. I talk about the news, the Lord, and myself.
Congrats to the Top Ten for April! Thanks Villager for this information.
Zack - Every superhero lets the audience know their alter-ego eventually ... Field ain't no different. I visited your blog today for the first time. I like the vibe and plan to come back often. Your blog, Go Zack is currently BBR #637. I imagine you can move to the Top 500 before next month if you want...
AJ - Asante sana! Do you have any favorite blogs that we should know about?
Well, I'm on the list at #594, but I should be somewhere in the top 300, since my aurthority has increased by 20. I know the list doesn't auto update for us bottom dwellers though. ;-) But don’t get me started on Tech not recognizing about 10 of my links… My authority should be 40, but I’m too lazy to communicate with Tech’s admin.
Keep up the good work Village. I'll post this on the Urban Blogger network, if some one doesn't beat me to it in the morning.
This is a great post, and so good to hear.
Marleaux - I wouldn't use the term 'bottom-feeder', however I do appreciate a reminder every once in awhile. Both of your blogs have made an upward move! Lolo's Cube is now BBR #313 while Lolo in Real Life moved up to BBR #313. Sorry for getting to 'em slowly, but, you keep making your rise...
Anthony - Please consider sharing this information with your blog readers over on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean...
AJ - Asante sana for your comment! Are you an active blog reader? If so, what advice do you have for us bloggers trying to rise up the rankings?
Bria - Post earlier this year game some Marketing Tips for Bloggers...
I'm hating technorati right now because my ranking doesn't show what's really going on. It goes from 160-185 up and down because posts from the same people don't count (cancel each other out) and older links don't count. But I guess that's their policy. What's my ranking? I hope it didn't drop.
Deidra - Your blog is BBR #56. Your blog has consistently been rising ... and you have added some great features with your redesign. Many of the blogs in the Top 25 have been around since 2004-2005 ... they have been around for a long time. I would encourage you to be patient and to continue to find new & unique ways to market your blog as we move forward...
Thanks for all the work you put into this, Villager.
Kevin - Thank you for the kind words. Please share information about our rankings with other blogs that you frequent to ensure we are not missing anyone. I noticed that your blog, Afrospear Freedom Technology Christmas hasn't been updated since Dec 2007. Any thoughts on getting it active again this year?
Hey Villager, thank you for your hard work. As a fellow entrepreneur, I have been juggling online and offline priorities and have been a bit more scattered than I will be moving forward. I have big plans for All About Race in 2008 and I hope to be in the top 50 before too too long. I am going to start by reorganizing my tags/subjects. If you have any tips, for me please share them liberally. :)Peace and prosperity to you!
Carmen - What type of entrepreneurial effort are you involved in? Is it something that I can support from my perch in Cincinnati, OH?
re: marketing your blog. Have you checked out the tips provided earlier this year in post called How To Market Your Blog in 2008?
peace, Villager
Villager,
I found this page thanks to my buddy Shawn at Dallas South Blog.
How do I add my blog, Dallas Progress, to the list to be considered? My Authority # right now is 33.
@Deidra - Yeah, the way Technorati works, they look at the last six months of links and only count a link from a single blog once every six months. So everyday, links from six months ago on that day fall off and links for the current day are added, thus the fluctuations.
It actually makes sense. Look at it this way. If every AfroSpear blogger has the AfroSpear blog roll on their blogs and they were counted everyday, every AfroSpear member would suddenly have 100+ links added to their ranking everyday and we'd see our rankings increase dramatically. Some would call that gaming the system.
There are other factors too. Blogroll links contained within calls to javascript outside of your blog (like Blogrolling) don't show up on Technorati. They have to be actual links on your blog. You might see a link to your blog on someone's blogroll, but if it's a widget, it won't count to Tecnorati. So, I hate to say it, but the AfroSpear Blogroll widget actually hurts AfroSpear bloggers Technorati ranking.
@Villager - Yeah, that's a good idea. I was under the impression that AFTC was a holiday thing, but I think it would be a good idea to keep it going--maybe even venture out and write more about the technology of blogging and SEO and what not. With so many new black bloggers out there popping up everyday, it'd be nice to have a single place where they can go and get any questions answered.
Michael - Your blog, Dallas Progress, is BBR #287 (out of 1048)...
Kevin - I look forward to seeing AFTC blog continue to be a value-added source of information. Let me know if there is anything I can do to support your efforts...
Great work here, Villager! Every time I read the rankings, I learn about great blogs to look at.
Cool. Thanks for adding my blog to the list.
Keep up the great work Villager. I'll have a link to this post up shortly. Almost scared to ask, but where's There... Already sitting in the rankings this go round?
Nevermind, I found us way down there at #540. Well, we've got our work cut out for us!
Francis - I agree that there are a wealth of talented blogs out there. It seems you must own a dozen or so of 'em (smile)! I still can't find your main blog on www.technorati.com. Have you taken ownership of it yet?
DP - Thank you for the link-love! And I anticipate that your blog will move directly up the rankings over the coming weeks...
Hi Villager!
You and your rankings never cease to amaze me! Wow! over a thousand black bloggers is phenomenal. I am so proud to be a part of this history. What can I do to help?
I did notice that my ranking has slipped a few notches since last month which is fine considering that the total number of BB has just about doubled!! (I guess I have to actually try a little harer!!)
Hey, there should be an asterisk next to my name, I am a member of the Afrospear.
Regina - I've added the asterisk to my working copy for future iterations. I see that your blog is currently BBR #114. Do you have a goal or target ranking that you would like to achieve within the next 30 days?
Villager, I want to break into the top 100, and I was pretty darn close last month. Like I said , I guess I have to try a little harder!!
Peace & Love!
You're doing great work here, Wayne, like I always say. Keep doing you.
Regina - I posted some marketing tips earlier this year that provide some tips on how to increase the number of eyeballs that visit your blog. Do you regularly review your blog metrics via Sitemeter or some other tool? As we used to say in corporate America ... 'U get what you measure'...
Jose - I appreciate your support and kind words!
Hi Villager! I know that I probably say the same thing each month, but I mean it each time.
I love this list. I get the opportunity to visit blogs that I'm not aware of, and it's such a wonderful group to be a part of.
Thanks for the time and effort that you give to this.
I love this list! It gives me a chance to see and visit other Black Blogs and discover new things!
Thanks, Villager...
Shelia and Ms. Marvalus - Asante sana for your kind remarks. I hope that having the list provides each of us with best practices that will improve our own blogs and benefit our growing number of blog readers. Do either of you have any thoughts on a button, badge or award that we can give away based on the BBR?
Villager...I would proudly display a badge/button on my site for the BBR...I am so not good at designing those, however...but anything you come up with would be fine with me...
BTW, I am taking your word and visiting The Field's site...excellent stuff!
Hmmmm. I'll give it some thought Villager, it's a great idea. This is a very respectable list. Like Ms Marvalus, I would love to display a badge or button representing it on my blog.
I would think that annual awards for this type of list would be best since you'd already have the info and only have to tally. Perhaps the top blog, fastest growing, pacesetter.
I know that we've got to have some design folk in this great list. Why not do a contest to design the badge?
Ms. Marvalus and Shelia - Thank you for the great ideas on buttons, badges and annual contests. Hopefully, something will come from it in the next few weeks...
Ms. Marvalus - Field is one of a kind!
Hey great job!
Its great to see the faces to these bloggers. I've always wondered who they were. lol.
Thanks.
Hi Villager. I took myself out of Technorati last month, as they were unresponsive to my requests on why so many of my add-ons did not show up in my authoruty. When I left, tho, my number was 154, not 145....there won't be a number for next month tho! Thanks :-)
Villager,
Could you please track Bloggers4Obama.com for next month?
Thanks!
Miriam - I'm glad that we can be of service! I hope that you have reason to visit many of them as often as possible.
Invisible Woman - I'm sorry to learn about your dispute with Technorati. They have a very difficult job when you consider the number of blogs and links and such. Until there is a better way to measure blog success ... Technorati will have to do.
Shawn - Bloggers4Obama.com is BBR #599 now...
Villager,
Thanks not only for adding TransGriot to your listings but for everything you do to push the visiblity and awareness of African-American bloggers in general.
Monica - Asante sana for the kind words. You and the other Black Bloggers are the ones doing the heavy lifting...
What up! Thanks again for compiling this list! I know it takes up a lot of your time and we really appreciate it. Here's a lil link love for ya.. sincere thoughts
Hey! This sucj an awesome thing!
I'd like to be added...my site is Tha Feedack at thafeedback.com.
I'm kind of new but not really as I branched off from A Hot Mess to make my own blog.
Thank you!!
Villager,
Peaceful greetings from Jamaica.
I found your blog via a post on Sincere Thoughts blogspot.
Just one question....With the anonymity of the internet, how do you know which blogger is truly Black?
Are bi-racial bloggers accepted? What if one parent is Black and the other is bi-racial? Does the 1/4 that isn't Black, disqualify a blogger from the list?
OK, so it was more than just one question.
All of that aside, thank you for all you do to let us know about blogs we want to read and support.
Bless Up,
Lady Roots
Lady Root - This is strictly a volunteer effort. We're not taking blood tests. If a blogger self-identifies themselves as a person of African descent then the blog that they own & operate will be added to the list. If the blog is not Black O&O it usually is discovered...
Sincere - Thank you for the link-love! I had a large rise in my Technorati authority leading up to the Sep 20th Jena 6 march down in Louisiana. They fell off the 6-month cycle over the past few weeks ... so the new link-love from you & others has been timely!
That One - Your blog has been added to the Black Blog Rankings (BBR). Tha Feedback is now BBR #561...
Hey Villager,
Parentingtoys.com has an authority ranking of (18) but your list has us as (8). Am I looking at the wrong thing?
Wow, villager! There are some really great new blogs out there! Thank you so much for this labor of love.
Also, I'm pretty sure that you have my rating incorrect, it's somewhere around 105. No need to update though, I had no idea that you were doing it manually.
Ed - Thank you for pointing out the progress of your blog. Parenting Toys is now BBR #510. For what it's worth, I'm able to track the top 200 blogs on this list in a fairly regular manner. However, the other 800+ blogs are only infrequently updated ... mostly when a brother or sister, like yourself, reminds me to do so...
SheCodes - I apologize to you. I faved your blog so that I can keep it current in the future. Black Women Vote! is now BBR #98...
Dunbar Village 2008 is BBR #570...
Character Corner is BBR #189...
Keep doin' what you do sista!
Thanks Villager,
Until I can break into the top 200 I will be happy to remind you. Great job and keep up the great work.
I must say this is a great list and its nice to finally see our people support our people. Check out cheeba cheeba ya'll ... its more than what you think!
http://cheebacheebayall.blogspot.com/
Ed Bacchus - Asante sana!
Smurl - Your blog is BBR #970. Strange to have a blog devoted to marijuana. Even stranger that I visited Minus the Bars this morning and watched video of Rick James singing Mary Jane...
Congrats to everyone. I love coming through to get the stats & visit new blogs.
It is great that you list these. I have not seen all these blogs, but will look at all of them as well as others you link to on this site.
Congrats to all the top blogs!
Shae-Shae & Stuck In My Head - I'm grateful to each of you for taking time to visit our blog and the Black Blog Rankings. The June BBR is due out later this week...
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