(ThyBlackMan.com) Bloggers cannot just sit on their behinds, they need to be involved in their communities, attending community meetings, volunteering with youth, teens and young adults. The way to build an online community is to be involved in the community. Online communities have a responsibility to support offline communities that have a mission and vision to help youth, teens, young adults and even elders.
Listed are things bloggers need to be aware of when building content and sharing information. From Achebe, Soyinka, and other African writers the skill of storytelling is not easy. The act of blogging is not always easy because of the intended outcomes can be varied and the audiences ability and willingness of listening and engaging.
African Americans and African Writers need to blog to tell their stories. No one else can do that. The history of colonization, slavery, Civil Rights, Racism, Colorism, raising children of color
and culture all are stories that need to be told. For too long mass media has told the false, half-truths, lies and fallacies of African Americans, Africans and others of color and culture.
What I learned from the recent Call Me Mister Leadership Institute, “if we are we not speaking for ourselves or writing for ourselves someone else is going to describe who we are.”
18. African American and African writers need to understand they have a cultural responsibility to protect their culture from being mentally colonized and enslaved.
19. African American and African writers need to understand it is important to keep a mind open to embrace creativity and imagination.
20. African American and African writers need to understand they cannot allow others to tell one side of a story, nor create a false story.
21. African American and African writers need to understand their power in creating memories through their writing. Chinua Achebe, “I write because I enjoy it,” a statement that should be applied.
22. African American and African writers need to understand they should be inspiring, encouraging, and engaging other writers of color and culture who want to be writers.
23. African American and African writers need to understand that their volunteering and speaking to children, teens and young adults encourages “children to fly,” and “parents/adults must not keep children grounded.” Exposure is important to plant the seeds of knowledge and direction.” Chinua Achebe
24. African American and African writers need to understand they give voice to the poor, the powerless and the stricken.
25. African American and African writers need to understand when participating in their communities they must have a passion and intensity to improve their communities.
26. African American and African writers need to understand “they need to have an itch to bring about change.” Chinua Achebe
27. African American and African writers need to understand, “We have a responsibility to make our stories known.” Chinua Achebe
28. African American and African writers need to understand as writers of truth caution is not getting caught up in political, religious, cultural and social agendas and lies.
29. African American and African writers need to understand in them, “there are novels waiting to be transformed.” Chinua Achebe
30. African American and African writers need to understand the urgency to tell a story to those that need to be inspired and uplifted.
31. African American and African writers need to understand there is power in their stories.
32. African American and African writers need to understand they can depict people of color and culture with dignity and respect. Mass media shows people of color as “creatures and things” not the morality of life and liberty.
33. African American and African writers need to be careful of the level of their writings. Not everyone reading will be a college graduate, in politics, speak articulately, read as the same level, or have the same life experiences.
34. African American and African writers need to understand they should make every effort worth the effort of writing.
Writers should have mentors and role models to guide them. In this world of diversity and culture bloggers must be careful of their souls, their morals and values. Their content will never go away so should be careful and cautious of how the world perceives them and their associations.
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.
