Women get dissed on the blog

I started blogging in June 2006. I would have started earlier, but I kept asking around for help to get started. I was dismissed or told I don't know. So, I realized I needde to commit to putting in the time to build a blog. I knew I wanted to be anonymous. I was aware of the sick people in cyberspace. Leeches seeking out ways to get into your private space. One of the cases I studied back in in early 2000 had to do with sex predators online making friendly with children. This would be a dangerous place for the naivete.

I entered chat rooms and found adults wanting to hook up. This was not my objective. I was seeking expertise in different areas that were not available in my hometown atmosphere. I started out with Black Planet. It was pretty interaction, but young children were interacting in grown folks conversation. So, I left Black planet and headed toward blogging. I selected a name for myself, a generic name, Independent. Independent was my political stance. I quietly made my debut.

Nothing happened. No traffic. I went to other spots and made my comments and safely returned to my blog, to wait for them to come see about me. My blog I could write whatever.. that is until one day, my blog would take on a new direction. I was told to read a posting on another local blog. I did and added my two cents. Big mistake.

My two cents was not wanted and it upset the tranquility of the local blogosphere. For me, an African-American there would be hell to be paid in offering up that two cents. It quickly became a local group blog to discover who is this credo. To discredit my blog and my writing, it was essential that personal information be quickly gathered it did not matter if it was truth, just the semblance of truth was all that matter.

But, unbeknownst to the culprits, I was collecting the attacks as they began to turn personal and racial. It became apparent that at least one thing was certain, I was not one of them. I was not worthy to be counted among the local blogger community.


I thought about starting anew. But instead, I made it crystal clear, who I was, an African-American and a woman, in the change to the title of my blog. No more wondering, local bloggers, yes I was indeed African-American and a woman to top it off. I took the risk of entering a male dominated raced white community of bloggers and integrated it. My rule: attack my thoughts but no racial attacks would be allowed on my blog.

I had read other African-American bloggers demanding the same. And it made sense, especially after one African-American female shut down her site, after being attacked by raced white women. Simply because she was voicing her opinion. I would have to be stronger and sing a little dittie called, and I am telling you...

The issue of blogging while something other than raced white would return upon a visit to African-American Political Pundit post listing bloggers who addressed the issues of blogging while black or brown. And now it appears that raced white women have been dissed in the blogosphere. Misogyny gone wild.

I found this out by doing a click over to Michelle Malkin website. Malkin had a post titled Liberal female bloggers discover Web misogyny... Now that was not my purpose for visting Malkin, this was, The John Doe Manifesto. Web misogyny, nevertheless caught my attention and took me to Huffington Post, where I found Misogyny in the blogsphere:The Debate Continues. The debate continues because it appears that not unlike our sista, Kortney Ryan Ziegler as reported on ColorLines, another female blogger stopped posting.

Melissa Lafsky posted on Huff and Stuff about an anonymous death threat aimed at the female blogger, Kathy Sierra. Sierra maintained the site until her address was posted after the death threat on the site, and that was enough to stop her from blogging on creating passionate users. It appears a typed and posted death threat is not protected speech. but the threat was enough to cause economic damage, Sierre, a techie decided to cancel a ETech presentation at a conference after the death threat.

But some of the bloggers in the community believe it does not matter the issue of gender based blogging. Bloggers of all type must have thick skin. Joan Walsh of Salon.com entered the discussion, and weighed on the issue of Women Web ABuse@ or WWA on whether or not female bloggers need to just cowboy up.

...Is Sierra another woman silenced by vicious online sexism, or just a wuss? Were the threats of violence real? Or is she the real bully, organizing a "lynch mob" to win her blogosphere battle?

I avoided writing about the mess for a day or two because I had mixed feelings about it. Ever since Salon automated its letters, it's been hard to ignore that the criticisms of women writers are much more brutal and vicious than those about men -- sometimes nakedly sexist, sometimes less obviously so; sometimes sexually and/or personally degrading. But I've never admitted the toll our letters can sometimes take on women writers at Salon, myself included, because admitting it would be giving misogynist losers -- and these are the posters I'm talking about -- power. Still, I've come to think that denying it gives them another kind of power, and I'm trying to sort that out by thinking about the Kathy Sierra mess in all its complexity.

Power. Does power allows for certain abuse in the blogosphere?
Was it that need for power when some of these same women tolerated the blackface of Joe Lieberman as okay on the blog? Silence.

However, the newspaper picked up the story of the death threat of Sierra. The media is outraged when women are denigrated on the blogosphere but ignore the same type of experience by African-Americans on the blogosphere? How come?

Both should be handled with swiftness, as the backlash came and prompted the blackface to be taken down from Huff and Stuff. But does the netosphere really provide an equal opportunity for all users regardless of their background? Or is it an exclusive marketing tool for the rich and the famous?

Or does the blogosphere mirror our america? Is the message to African-American you are consumers and are not a part of the global marketing occurring in the blogosphere?

AAPP inquires whether or not campaign dollars will be spent on African-Americans blogspots? Does African-Americans blogs matter? Jeanette Ponder was profiled in the print media, but her blog was not mentioned. When African-American bloggers united in an online campaigning, Howard Witt,of the Chicago Tribute gave a generic mention to bloggers! But not a nayer African American blogger link was mentioned. African-American links matters!

Just ask Francis L. Holland. Holland was censored from Daily Kos. The censorship occurred when African-Americans do not participate in the group think and challenge the one sided conversations. And when attempting to participate beyond the African-American audience, African-American bloggers are censored. That appeared to be what happened to me, as my website was taken over and redirected by a raced white blogger. But who gave him the authority simply because he was unable to deal with opinions from an African-American woman.

Why is this acceptable behavior in the blogosphere? But more importantly why are we women and African-American bloggers not banning together to capture the dollars from those who do not want us on the Afro/Blackosphere/netizens, villager/African-Americans blogworld. Where is the marketing strategy on the net for us?

This post can be found on African American Political Pundit.

The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of African-American Atheletes

Rhoden writes about a history that I lived through and learned using my eyes and my ears, not books. Questions that were not asked but still were answered through naïve observation. Rhoden tells the stories and tales of the sport world that are down right ugly, but warriors stood in the mess and challenged, with a simply, watch me work. The hardship old school endured to make a way for the young cats today.

Rhoden demands more from the young cats arrival on the scene as big ballas. He encourages them to learn African-American athletes’ struggle in paving the way for them to be able to demand huge salary. To simply pour out a little wine, for the brothas, who were not paid their weight and gold, but endured the slights, for a better environment for those who would follow. Rhoden called old school, “activists” and young cats,” symbolic markers of progress.” If the conveyor belts continues to deliver these types of young cats, those “absence of vision and leadership to help define the next stage in the struggle, which is, according to Rhoden, “the historical mission of black athletes to push for progress and power” will be lost.

Rhoden, suggest that these young cats are not only well paid and talented but they have what old school was missing to create power back in the day. That is juice, investment capital, that these young cats can own something, These young cats, don’t have to go back to the impoverished neighborhoods themselves, but they can create jobs for those who will never have the opportunity to earn the kind of money they command.

Rhoden gives an example, in five young cats that decided to ban together rather than go their separate ways. Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, All-Americans high school seniors, as package collectively chose Michigan to continue their basketball career. This teamwork model can be replicated for real power, The rainmakers can ban together to make a difference in the lives of folks who will never accumulate the wealth, but will not have to wait on donations, if only businesses by these wealthy cat would built in these communities.

The conveyor belt process writes, Rhoden, as described by Rudy Washington, “‘How tough is it to buy an inner-city kid? Buy him some shoes, take him to dinner, get him some nice clothes, maybe a car. You become his best friend, and he gets hooked, like a junkie..” They you control the product. The secret is controlling the product early. It’s just like slavery. Modern-day slavery is what it is. And you know the saddest part? The kids benefit from the system—at least a few lucky ones—with education and money, but what they often lose is any identification with the black community.’’’

Those athletes like Michael Jordan, who believes that these owners are their friends, or that all African-Americans can assimilate, Rhoden warns that the Naturalization Act of 1790 was for European immigrants to become free white persons. And Abe Pollin of the Washington Wizard fired Jordan, the universal man, after turning a losing franchise into a winning franchise. Jordan was told not only would he never own the franchise but also he was not even wanted as a franchise partner.


It makes sense as to why so many African-Americans males use and allow the use of N---er in their presence when in the company of raced whites after reading the 40 Millions Dollar Slaves. The male bonding with raced white males in sport, in order to show good sportsmanship, cultivates a permissible environment for the usage.

This book should be read by young players' coaches and the parents who push their children into playing sports as a way out of poverty.

The Jockey Syndrome:

The jockey syndrome ejected African-Americans athletes from the game of competitive sports, by banning them all together at the whim of fans or owners.

"..the white power structure chose blacks who made whites feel comfortable."

Later, when African-Americans were dominating sports, coaches refused to recruit African-Americans players:

"The manager said that it was not the 'conduct of the Negroes [that]was objectionable, but their mere presence.'"

"..the White South's revulsion at the presence of blacks, but on the other, they couldn't suppress their admiration of---and Need for---the black physical presence."

"..mental scourge of segregation."

"..the basis for integration---in the minds of many white people---was not to embrace quality, but to seize an opportunity for exploitation."

By now there was a need for teams to recruit African-Americans or risk having a losing team competing against winning teams that were recruiting them.


"By the beginning of the 2006 Major League Baseball season, four of thirty big league managers were African Americans. There were no African American owners."

However, I was intrigued by terms used by Rhoden, the author, in describing the strategy for eliminating African-Americans from the world of sports.

Fellow Blogger is Sued

Folks who want to know who is Vince, Angry White Boy, and Who Wrote This ?itch Needs to go Back to Africa, read below,.


Press Release

Indianapolis, IN – The Great American Spice Company and its owner Daniel Turkette are the subjects of a lawsuit filed in Allen County Circuit Court by Attorney General Steve Carter. The Fort Wayne Company operates an Internet website, http://www.americanspice.com/, where it sold various items to12 consumers and failed to deliver the products.

“As more and more people purchase products over the Internet, it’s important that sellers follow through on their end of the bargain,” said Attorney General Steve Carter. “People need to feel secure that they will receive the goods they buy while shopping online.”

The Better Business Bureau Serving Northeast Indiana (BBB) assisted the attorney general’s office in the investigation of the case by providing copies of complaints they had received against the company.

“This is a great example of why people should check out a company before purchasing products from them while online,” said Michael Coil, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Better Business Bureau. “If they investigated this company before purchasing the products, they might have seen that there were many complaints against this particular retailer. Hopefully with this action, consumers will get something back from this company.”

The state seeks consumer restitution of nearly $900.00 for consumers who purchased products from the website, yet never received them. The attorney general also alleges the company and its owner violated the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act and seeks civil penalties and costs.

The Great American Spice Company sells spices and dry goods, gift items, popcorn and snacks, mixes, condiments, sauces and oils, and miscellaneous items via its website. Its principal place of business is 628 Leesburg Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46808.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2006

Fort Wayne Internet-Based Business Ordered to Refund Customers
Attorney General Pursued Court Judgment after Company Ignored Lawsuit

Indianapolis, IN – The Great American Spice Company and its owner Daniel Turkette have been ordered by the Allen County Circuit Court to pay $31,500 as the result of a lawsuit filed against the company by Attorney General Steve Carter last June. The Fort Wayne company operates an Internet website where it sold various items to the customers yet failed to deliver the products.

“People should be confident when purchasing products over the Internet that they will get what they paid for,” said Attorney General Steve Carter. “The court’s order should serve as a message that in Indiana, sellers are expected to make good on their promises.”

The judgment orders restitution for 12 out-of-state customers, civil penalties, costs and an injunction barring the company from engaging in similar activities.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Northeast Indiana assisted the attorney general’s office in the investigation of the case by providing copies of the complaints it received against the company.

The Great American Spice Company sells spices and dry goods, gift items, popcorn and snacks, mixes, condiments, sauces and oils, and miscellaneous items via its website. Its principal place of business is 628 Leesburg Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46808.

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African-American Civil War Memorial and Museum

I made it to the African-American Civil War Memorial. This time, after traveling a few more blocks on U Street NW, an historical district in Washington, D.C. for African-American and Civil War History, I found the African-American Civil War Museum. I concluded from this visit that raced whites, both Democrats and Republicans have always been divided and fighting among themselves. And that it important to remember that African-Americans survival depends on understanding we have contributed to the survival of America and the betterment of America.

Hari Jones, Assistant Director of the African-American Civil War Museum delighted in sharing the history of the Civil War, and African-Americans contribution. I was told about a Garland White, after I told Mr. Jones I was from Indiana. White played an instrumental role in the liberation of African-Americans. A woman upon seeing, White on the street, wanted to know who was the man. because she believed he looked a lot like her son. Indeed it was her son, a son who had fought to liberate his own mother. "Accompanying the 28th USCT was Rev. Garland White who was born in Richmond as a slave and later escaped to the North where he recruited African Americans for the Union army. After addressing a crowd on the edge of the city an older woman approached and said, “This is your mother, Garland, whom you are talking to, who has spent twenty years of grief about her son” (p. 127)." Nelson Lankford. _Richmond Burning: The Last Days of the Confederate Capital.

In 1865, Garland H. White, black chaplain of the 28th U.S. Colored Infantry, wrote: "The historian pen cannot fail to locate us somewhere among the good and the great, who have fought and bled upon the alter of their country." Over 100 years later, the "historian pen" has finally begun to examine the story and significance of the United States Colored Troops.

I asked about the emanicipation proclamation. Jones quickly shares a compelling story about the emancipation proclamation. The parchment issued as an executive order was to release African-Americans from bondage to save the Union. The parchment was granting African-Americans the legitimacy to fight for their freedom. When Lincoln threaten to use this executive order to enlist person of colors, it was not well received, and others questioned whether or not he had the authority to do so under the Constitution. "Arguing against the black enlistment bill, one Democratic legislator declared: "'This is a government of white men, made by white men for white men, to be administered, protected, defended, and maintained by white men.'"

In joining the northern battle, African-Americans soldiers were aware that they were liberating themselves from the southern bonds of eternal damnation-slavery. In other words, African-Americans were "the great emancipator" from slavery, commissioned by Abraham Lincoln when he lifted the ban against persons of African descent from joining the military.
"Reacting sharply to the outrageous and offensive claims against his policy, an acerbic and unmoved Lincoln argued that peace would eventually come to the Union, and when it did: "'Then, there will be some black men who can remember that, with silent tongue, and clenched teeth, and steady eye, and well-poised bayonet, they have helped mankind to this great consummation; while, I fear, there will be some white ones, unable to forget that, with malignant heart, and deceitful speech, they have strove to hinder it.'"

The words used in the inscription located near the display of the emancipation document, suggests a well-kept secret about African-Americans contributions during the Civil War: "The proclamation was drawn up first in July 1862, but because the North had fared badly in the War, Lincoln was advised not to issue the Proclamation until the Union Army finally won a battle. This occurred at Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862( Battle of Antietam also called Battle of Sharpburg). Five Days later, on September 22, 1862 the proclamation ending slavery in the United States was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. It was finalized on January 1862" .

Jones, suggest that students not view Glory the movie as a telling of African-Americans contributions to the winning of the Civil War, but to read the African-American soldiers' letters, then write and discuss what they read. If the telling of the story about the liberating of over 300 by Harriet Tubman is such a compelling story, youth will swell with pride in understanding, that many freed men and fugitives, over 200,000 threaten with re-enslavement or death, went from the north and reentered the south willing to fight to free over four million slaves, as a wow moment.

"The Confederate Congress responded quickly, and on May 1, 1863 passed a formal declaration that black men bearing arms would be viewed as insurrectionary slaves subject to the laws of the states where they were captured. At the very least, captured African American soldiers faced a return to the shackles of bondage."

The truth liberators of our people come from the people themselves. "Massachusetts Republican Governor John A. Andrew. Andrew had long and ardently advocated the use of blacks in the military -fully believing that they could, and would fight if given the opportunity. It was no surprise then, when he, along with the earnest support of Frederick Douglass - raised the nation's first post-Emancipation Proclamation black unit, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment."

New Orleans, Clean Up and Rebuilding

Actt III and IV of Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, screams a message that the people are doing the best that they can. But, they need some help. The water may have receded, but many folks can not return to their homes because they are unlivable.

Cousin Jeff

Cousin Jeff, from BET is supporting Kenneth Blackwell. Blackwell, is an African-Americans running under the republican ticket. Cousin Jeff, raises an eyebrows in announcing his public support of Blackwell. As the Democrats and Republicans positions themselves to use high visible African-Americans to support their African-Americans candidates. Some are suggesting that even, Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. had to have been a Republican, coming from the south and being a Republican. Maybe, he came from a era that celebrated the Republicans for being a facilitator of the liberation of African-Americans. However, in King, Jr.s book, Why We Can't Wait, he suggest we embrace the idea of an independent party. Nevertheless, the question for many African-Americans voters is, will these candidates make a difference on policies impacting their communities.

I think not, I believe that the candidates who will make the different are those candidates at the local level. Those who are connected to the voters, at the grassroots levels, out there working in the community. Those candidates who have worked actively in knowing the voters needs in their community. These candidates can turn around the democratic or republican agenda at the grassroots level. However, as Dr. King, Jr. suggest an independent party will more than likely speed up this process. Lani Guiner, suggest that other join us in this process. If African-Americans could save the United States, surely we can save ourselves under an independent party.

The Tom Joyner Sky Show

My first time attending the
Tom Joyner Sky Show and what a good time. Joyner's foundation gives away thousands of dollars to students attending colleges that are traditional predominately African-Americans. At this show, some students attending Morgan College, which Kweisi Mfume attended. Mfume was at this show, comes from Baltimore Maryland, is running for a United States 2006 Senate Seat.