NPR: Thanks to Our Bloggers ... and You!

Thanks to Our Bloggers ... and You!

Farai Chideya Hey folks:

One of the most fabulous aspects of 2007 has been presiding over the News & Notes bloggers' roundtable. We have, as our commentator Michael David Cobb Bowen shouted out, helped put black bloggers on the map.

It's been a real joy to see the black blogosphere flourish. When I started the blog PopandPolitics back in 1995, "blogging" wasn't a common term and that blog was so unusual that it got a small profile in The New Yorker.

Now everyone and their grandmother has a blog, but what still needs to happen -- and here's where N&N comes in -- is building more of an alliance between bloggers. Some people compare bloggers to cats. It's hard to herd 'em. And that's not a bad thing, exactly, but what sometimes happens is that people haphazardly refer to other conversations as opposed to building a critical mass around key issues.

The OPPOSITE of that happened this year, however, with the blog buzz around the Jena 6 case -- and black bloggers led the way. The continued and concerted effort by people who had never met each other raised a debate over race and justice that ultimately brought people out into the streets. Part of our mission here at N&N is to reverb those conversations both within the blogging community and to a wider audience.

So, on that score, more in 2008! More bloggity blogging, more discussions, more verbal smackaroonies and smoocharoos.

Props to everyone at News & Notes and NPR who has pushed hard to make this work, particularly our Web producer Geoff Bennett and the people who've booked our bloggers roundtables, including Devin Robins, Anthea Raymond, and Jenee Darden.

Looking forward to more in 2008!!!!!

(And check out today's conversation on R. Kelly and the sexualization of black girls. It's important.)

Thank you all for listening and blogging with us. Don't forget to eat those black eyed peas for luck!

Peace,
F

Farai Chideya

Tags: NPR | bloggers

2:38 PM ET | 12-31-2007 | permalink

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NEWS & NOTES is being DROPPED! IN SF Bay Area after Jan-07-08! -KALW 91.7MHz

RE: New & Notes Is Being Dropped in SF Bay Area. ater JAN 07!

For Farai Chideya
KALW in SF area dropping show? Your old station, hope my email here below that I sent (and last two paragraphs about KALW in SF, CA & NPR) prior, isn't the cause? Hopefully N&N just being moved? (but I'm
sure NPR monitors everything. Unfortunately, I have even had my email hacked. (once before they did more than that, after I called-in to show and complained about Zionist)

As I said prior from email account (now defunct/hacked), NPR's interest and goals are divergent, and out right in opposition to Black Americans and their future economic and social well being. (By NPR,
meaning the majority of the ethnic make-up that control NPR)

SENT Email Below...

What A Racist piece or Story. Mon Dec. 24, 07! At least it started out that way. UCLA can go to hell. But it got better. Even though you Farai didn't mention that Ethiopian writing is over 2 Thousand years old. I think you didn't mention that Africans started writing. African Moors, that ruled over Scotland and parts of Europe brought writing back from "dark ages." Here's a short 9-min clip. But Harvard professors will tell you the same.

NPR now doesn't make it easy to bring up "New & Notes." Also NPR often stops transmission during show. And KALW here in SF has been infiltrated with racists. (Many Blacks used to call-in during local show sometimes. ID by tone of voice. Was 5-10 Black callers in a 30-45min period during talk show here. But very few now.) They talk over Blacks now when they try to bring up Black issues or touchy subjects.

Also I still have to go through archives to hear the "Randall Robinson" founder of "Trans Africa Forum" show. It was and is one of many New & Notes shows that are blanked out with "audio problems." until interesting or controversial parts are over.. Or, the next show is about to start. Not Kidding.
--here's Black History 9-min clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Ghw3QINjE

Sent by J Wright | 7:42 PM ET | 01-01-2008

NEWS & NOTES is being DROPPED! IN SF Bay Area after Jan-07-08! -KALW 91.7MHz

RE: New & Notes Is Being Dropped in SF Bay Area. ater JAN 07!

SENT Email Below...

Sent by J Wright | 7:43 PM ET | 01-01-2008

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News & Views is the companion blog of NPR's news magazine show, News & Notes. It extends News & Notes' ongoing conversation about the diversity of the African-American experience. For more information, read our Frequently Asked Questions guide and our Discussion Rules.