Villagers, I wanted you to have immediate access to the 2008 Democratic National Convention 'State Blogger Corps'. You will be amazed to learn that the Democratic Party was unable to find any diversity in their selection of the 'State Blogger Corps'.
53 of 55 blogs run by white males. Can you create such a Jim Crow situation by accident? Or does it only occur by design?
Of course, the Democratic Party leadership tells us that bloggers of color will be happier when we see the soon-to-be-credentialed 'General Blogger Pool', to include local, state and national political bloggers, as well as niche and video bloggers from across the country. In fact, the 350 applicants ... many of whom are from the afrosphere ... not selected for the 'State Blogger Corps' are now eligible for selection as part of the 'General Blogger Pool'.
Anyhow, here is list of the DemConvention State Blogger Corps:
- ALASKA - Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis - http://divasblueoasis.blogspot.com/
- ALABAMA- Doc's Political Parlor - http://www.politicalparlor.net/
- ARKANSAS- Under The Dome.com - http://www.underthedome.com/
- ARIZONA - Ted Prezelski - Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/
- CALIFORNIA - Calitics- http://calitics.com/
- COLORADO -SquareState.net - http://squarestate.net/
- CONNECTICUT -My Left Nutmeg - http://myleftnutmeg.com/
- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA- DCist.com - http://dcist.com/
- DELAWARE – TommyWonk - http://tommywonk.blogspot.com/
- DEMOCRATS Abroad - Democrats Abroad Argentina - http://www.yanquimike.com.ar/
- FLORIDA - Florida Progressive Coalition - http://flaprogressives.org/
- GEORGIA- Tondee's Tavern - http://www.tondeestavern.com/
- GUAM - No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro - http://minagahet.blogspot.com/
- HAWAII - iLind.net: Ian Lind Online - http://www.ilind.net/
- IOWA - The Iowa Independent - http://iowaindependent.com/
- IDAHO - 43rdStateBlues.com - http://www.43rdstateblues.com/
- ILLINOIS- Prairie State Blue - http://www.prairiestateblue.com/
- INDIANA- Blue Indiana - http://www.blueindiana.net/
- KANSAS - EverydayCitizen.com - http://everydaycitizen.com/
- KENTUCKY – BlueGrassRoots - http://www.bluegrassroots.org/
- LOUISIANA - Daily Kingfish - http://www.dailykingfish.com/
- MASSACHUSETTS - Blue Mass. Group - http://www.bluemassgroup.com/
- MARYLAND - The Center for Emerging Media - http://www.centerforemergingmedia.com/
- MAINE - Turn Maine Blue - http://www.turnmaineblue.com/
- MICHIGAN - Blogging For Michigan - http://bloggingformichigan.com/
- MINNESOTA - Minnesota Monitor - http://minnesotamonitor.com/
- MISSISSIPPI - The Natchez Blog - http://natchezms.blogspot.com/
- MISSOURI - Fired Up! LLC - http://www.firedupmissouri.com/
- MONTANA - Left in the West - http://www.leftinthewest.com/
- NORTH CAROLINA - BlueNC.com - http://bluenc.com/
- NORTH DAKOTA - NorthDecoder.com - http://www.northdecoder.com/
- NEBRASKA - New Nebraska Network - http://www.newnebraska.net/
- NEW HAMPSHIRE - Blue Hampshire - http://www.bluehampshire.com/
- NEW JERSEY - PolitickerNJ.com - http://www.politickernj.com/
- NEW MEXICO - Democracy for New Mexico - http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/
- NEVADA - Las Vegas Gleaner - http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/
- NEW YORK - Room 8 - http://www.r8ny.com/
- OHIO - Ohio Daily Blog - http://www.ohiodailyblog.com/
- OKLAHOMA - DemoOkie - http://www.demookie.com/
- OREGON - BlueOregon (blog) - http://www.blueoregon.com/
- PENNSYLVANIA - Keystone Politics - http://www.keystonepolitics.com/
- PUERTO RICO - Jusiper - http://jusiper.blogspot.com/
- RHODE ISLAND - Rhode Island's Future - http://www.rifuture.org/
- SOUTH CAROLINA - CracktheBell.com - http://www.crackthebell.com/
- SOUTH DAKOTA - Badlands Blue - http://www.badlandsblue.com/
- TENNESSEE - KnoxViews/TennViews - http://www.knoxviews.com/
- TEXAS - Burnt Orange Report - http://www.burntorangereport.com/
- UTAH - The Utah Amicus - http://utahamicus.com/
- VIRGINIA - Raising Kaine - http://www.raisingkaine.com/
- VIRGIN ISLANDS - Democratic Party of the US Virgin Islands - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/democratvi
- VERMONT - Green Mountain Daily - http://greenmountaindaily.com/
- WASHINGTON - HorsesAss.org - http://www.horsesass.org/
- WISCONSIN - Uppity Wisconsin - http://www.uppitywis.org/
- WEST VIRGINIA - West Virginia Blue - http://www.wvablue.com/
- WYOMING - Hummingbirdminds blog - http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/
12 comments:
Wow--Interesting observation.
Make that 54...I'm latino. Also, the woman who got picked from American Samoa is Chamorro, not white.
A latino and a Chamorro. Well how many are Black? Thats what I care about.
Another way for the Dems to say, "Hey, we already got your vote." And why not, Black voters will give the Democrats their votes anyway.
Strider - It amazes me that the DNCC would not be more aware of the lack of diversity in their selections...
Tedski - I updated the post accordingly. What is your take. Do you think that the lack of diversity in the 55 selections is a concern?
Symphony - I agree with you. It is important that we never let these types of decision go unchallenged...
Villager-
Big concern. I live in a State that has a small black population, so I can understand why here there would not have been an Afican American blogger chosen. As a matter of fact, I can't think of an African American blogger from here.
I know one person who, although she did not choose the finalists, saw the applications and she was struck by how few applications there were, even from states with strong African American communities. I think that the problem may be with the melanin deprived nature of the blogosphere itself, rather than the selection process.
(Probably the same reason, by the way, that there were not more women chosen)
Other barriers exist too. Much like delegates, bloggers are supposed to pay their own way to the convention. I know this kept one local Latino blogger from applying.
Symphony - I hope that by your repsonse you don't intend to belittle representation of Latinos and other minorities. My point was that the choices were not uniformly white nor uniformly male.
Tedski - I visited your blog today. You do quality work. I've visited the blogs of at least five Black bloggers that applied for state blogger credentials. They do quality work as well. The excuse about an inability to find Black blogger candidate that meets the requirements doesn't hold water (IMHO)...
As an aside, do you plan to bring along any other bloggers under your State Blogger Corps umbrella?
Tedski my point was to ask how many are Black...and thats all it was meant to do. It wasn't about latinos or anyone else. It was about representation of Black bloggers who have more to offer the Democratic party and the convention than their skin color.
I do have a question/statement about something you said.
I live in a State that has a small black population, so I can understand why here there would not have been an Afican American blogger chosen. As a matter of fact, I can't think of an African American blogger from here. What does the number of African Americans in a state have to do with it?
If those bloggers are strong advocates for and loyal Democrats shouldn't that be what it takes?
Seems to me they should seek out Democrats who can get their messages across. Something many campaigns and politicians, for whatever reason, have a hard time doing.
Some of the Black bloggers I read don't need to pay their way to a convention they need to be on payrolls.
Hello there!
Do you have a BLACK LIST from each state? If so, will you post that and create a widget?
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
You are welcome to visit my house:
http://blackwomenblowthetrumpet.blogspot.com
BWB The Trumpet - I don't have such a list broken out by state. More importantly that list would need to show which of the Black-owned blogs in those states are politically-focused...
Hey, this is Marc Steiner ...we are the bloggers from Maryland chosen to sit at the Democratic Convention. You can make that 53. We a racially mixed group coming to cover the convention working out of our Center for Emerging Media and WEAA, an African American based NPR affiliate. There are three of us going, we will switch in and out of the convention to write and cover what is going on ... me, Justin Levy and Lea Gilmore.
One more fact is that in all fifty states, from both parties, only one Chair is African American .. that is right here in Mayrland .. Mike Cryor.
Still work to be done
m
Marc - Thanks for the updated information on the Maryland selection for the State Blogger Corps. Out of curiosity, do any of you have your own blogs?
Yes, we do. My blogs are www.centerforemergingmedia.org or just google marc steiner blog.
We are going to be covering inside the convention and all the stuff going on outside. Youth, minority and environmental issues will be important to us there.
When you go to our sight, you will see the work we have done before. We are very centered on community and inner city issues.
marc
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