(ThyBlackMan.com) The importance of writing and blogging can be seen in the creating and sharing of content that is specifically relevant to student’s developing their skills in preparation for future careers. How writing/blogging is applied to academics can be seen in the diverse areas of research and analysis of diverse kinds of study in multiple disciplines. There was a time when blogging influencers were thought of as only white men, middle class, academics or political junkies with a tunnel vision approach to societal issues. In the past 8 years this has changed dramatically, bloggers are of all colors and cultures, genders and lifestyles. HBCU students each has a story and blogging is an opportunity to share that story. Tech has significantly changed mindsets because of the increase of Bloggers of color and culture that can be found online that cater to growing groups of HBCU students that are growing into professionals.
HBCU students can participate in: Blacks in Technology, People of Color in Tech – POCIT, Blogging While Brown, Black Girls Code, Black Girl Nerds, and my own My Quest to Teach just to name a few of many sites that cater to the influence of African Americans in all aspects of technology.
HBCU students are understanding that their words have value and importance, they are growing into influencers, thought leaders, content creators and Podcasters. Blogging has grown beyond just words, the diversity is in audio, video and 
multimedia elements.
The popularity of technology and the ease of online access allows African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other groups to embark on technology journeys to apply diverse content not just to gaming, but to sharing ideas, concepts, cultural relevancy and value for sharing knowledge and growing into “thought leadership roles.” Technology provides platforms so that people would have a voice, they are not ignored, discounted and they are changing stereotypes. The need for bloggers of color and culture could be seen when traditional media reports events that ignored the African American perspective or gave false and misleading information presenting the impression that people of color were ignorant to the progressive nature of the world and improvement through education, commerce, and politics.
HBCU students have a responsibility to be engaged in content development because careers depend on writing and the African American experience. Digital content has its foundation in writing and blogging, HBCU students need to develop their skills in writing, editing, comprehension of information and share their stories. As an instructor at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, teaching Educational Technology, Social Media skills and elements of STEAM / STREAM / STEM students are required to blog once a week for the duration of the semester on what their passions are.
To research, read, comprehend, share and express their passions in developing talents, skills and abilities. I have been blogging over 10 years and my skills are still developing to improve my ability to share content on the diverse areas of my interest. Graduating from South Carolina State University in the field of education there is a great deal of writing so the foundation is set.
Teaching technology involves research, collaboration, study, curriculum development, writing lesson plans and blogging. As a speaker and presenter writing is vital because I must create a foundation on my presentation to the youth, teens and young adults I speak to about Social Media Safety, preventing Bullying and Cyberbullying and even what STEAM, STREAM, STEM, CSTREAM, and STEM2 are and why they are important.
HBCU courses in Broadcast Journalism, Mass Communications, and other courses of study that dive into news events and content creation must have strong writing skills, because they are storytellers of events that are happening. Breaking the “technology color line” has been a challenge that all African Americans can make transformative changes. One travesty that African American parents are doing to their children, not exposing their children to the empowerment of educational opportunities with tech and not participating in learning opportunities outside the classroom. The importance of writing can be seen by National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools, and Colleges has concluded that
“the ability to write well has never been more important” 2013. HBCU students are not strong writer when they are enrolled which is to be expected, but there must be remedial classes that bring reading, comprehension, writing and other skills up to levels where college level learning is not as challenging as it would have been if these skills were not developed.
The journalist Samira Sawlani (UK based writer) has stated “whether you are a writer, a journalist or a reader, why do you write? Why do you read?” these should be answered with a personal passion.
HBCU students must build on their passions to be influential in areas that traditionally are not part of HBCU career choices. Professor Chinua Achebe, revered ‘The grandfather of African literature’ is an “aide memoire” of the influence of the writer, the writer has the ability to transcend borders and fight the status quo. HBCU students whether independent writers (freelance) or associated with a news agency can break the traditional ideas and ideologies of culture and color.
The HBCU students of today must understand just as Achebe, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin and others that writing is a moral obligation. This obligation can be an act of political and economic warfare by sharing content that is empowering and engaging on the issues that affect American communities nationwide.
HBCU students are encouraged to read the works of Achebe, in his novel “Anthills of the Savannah”; Achebe wrote, “Storytellers are a threat. They threaten all champions of control, they frighten usurpers of the right-to-freedom of the human spirit in state, in church or mosque, in party congress, in the university or wherever.” There is power in writing and HBCU students must allow this power to help them share the story of color and culture.
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.
