Many of us here at Daily Kos, and in other internet forums, going back to Usenet days, and the development of email signature files have some favorite quotation, or link as part of that file. Some of us change it frequently, others stick with one over time.
For a very long time here at Daily Kos I've used the same sig.
If you're in a coalition and you're comfortable, you know it's not a broad enough coalition" Bernice Johnson Reagon in an effort to highlight the need to build bridges between different parts of the left/liberal/progressive movement, and what I saw was a real need right here at Daily Kos.
Those who don't know the history of this statement, or who may want to explore coalition building should read Bernice Johnson Reagon – ‘Coalition Politics: Turning the Century’.
During the election season I added a link to Rev. Barber's speech to the NAACP to my sig, on the need to get out and vote, since I thought it was such a powerful speech. When I first came to Daily Kos my sig was "anthropologists for Obama"
After yesterday, writing on the front page about racism, and reading Shanikka's powerful piece, I've decided to change mine.
I'm pretty pissed off about her getting called a racist for writing what she wrote. Not real happy about being called one myself either, for addressing race/racism/white privilege. Also spent time reading comments from people who talked about not having the chance in real life to interact with black people on a regular basis.
I've actually written much of what I'm going to say here before, only a little over a year ago.
(continue reading below the squiggle)
A question for Kossaks (with poll)
It got recommended by:
Renee, JekyllnHyde, Sylv, fcvaguy, Ray Radlein, Odysseus, MadRuth, Korapiera, AaronInSanDiego, Nina Katarina, tiponeill, Avila, Shockwave, billlaurelMD, cotterperson, Mnemosyne, scribe, bronte17, missLotus, Wee Mama, shanikka, denig, bwren, Cedwyn, Quege, SneakySnu, Oke, TexDem, texasmom, 42, Steveningen, joliberal, betson08, riverlover, outragedinSF, Nanette K, FlyingToaster, peterj911, zerelda, parryander, Sybil Liberty, sawgrass727, Julie Gulden, Brecht, bloomer 101, Progressive Witness, blueyedace2, Lying eyes, basquebob, nytcek, orson, ratzo, boofdah, cfk, Pam from Calif, sofia, kaliope, Aint Supposed to Die a Natural Death, FindingMyVoice, Pluto, the fan man, JanF, Snud, orphanpower, kathny, Mother Mags, kishik, Denny in Seattle, poco, Jennifer Clare, BalanceSeeker, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, Pinko Elephant, edwardssl, dopper0189, tonyahky, koNko, kestrel9000, KenBee, flygrrl, fou, kck, twigg, bubbanomics, tapestry, NearlyNormal, bleeding heart, Unitary Moonbat, middleagedhousewife, MBNYC, justiceputnam, anninla, blueoregon, kurt, blueness, Ian Reifowitz, Statusquomustgo, Temmoku, DBunn, sephius1, One Pissed Off Liberal, pgm 01, jessical, EdSF, FishOutofWater, la urracca, david mizner, jeanette0605, DWG, Shadowmage36, joedemocrat, Uwaine, bnasley, HCKAD, second gen, SeaTurtle, OIL GUY, Sarea, cacamp, Don midwest, TomP, also mom of 5, ferment, Sixty Something, bythesea, elwior, ajr111240, Akonitum, Mr Rick, beach babe in fl, petulans, KrazyKitten, allie123, magicsister, Diogenes2008, rubyclaire, ceebee7, Scott Wooledge, be the change you seek, Ohiodem1, unspeakable, lollydee, UnaSpenser, MKSinSA, sricki, Kysen, Little Flower, mahakali overdrive, Black Kos, rebel ga, citisven, Vita Brevis, BigVegan, smileycreek, mamamorgaine, FogCityJohn, TFinSF, Proud Mom and Grandma, JoanMar, Mariken, DiegoUK, NYWheeler, Yasuragi, Funkygal, addisnana, elengul, Oh Mary Oh, Actbriniel, mallyroyal, no way lack of brain, Onomastic, annieli, angstall, ozsea1, Powell, ban nock, Sofjwoman, MaryinHammondsport, cooper888, boomerchick, marleycat, badscience, Ojibwa, BarackStarObama, smoothnmellow, tardis10, worldlotus, Fire bad tree pretty, rexymeteorite, Empty Vessel, Keori, Safina, StateOfGrace, jolux, SoCalSal, RLMiller, Chitown Kev, No one gets out alive, Anti Em, GenXangster, Cordyc, Liberal Granny, anodnhajo, barefoot coyote, Aji, Siri, Joieau, a2nite, swampyankee, congenitalefty, CA ridebalanced, This old man, kait, Mark Tietig, mapamp, peachcreek, carolanne, Free Jazz at High Noon, Ana Thema, doroma, qannabbos, cuphalffull, ocular sinister, tytalus, AuntieRa, raina, Stance Like Ptah, Glen The Plumber, Thoughtful in MA, Marjmar, evergreen2, mythatsme, Quasimodal, Lizabet, nomandates, Dancun74, glorificus
Some of these Kossaks are no longer with us. Most are part of the group who help sustain Black Kos and other series here written from the pov's of people of color who are Kossaks.
A handful are actually people of color.
The majority are white allies, including one of our current editors.
Since that time the readership/recommends of Black Kos has dwindled to below 100. Often now it is below 50.
I did not discuss posting this with our Editor in Chief dopper0189, or any of the other Bkos editors.
The opinions expressed here are mine.
To be very honest it is pretty frustrating.
It takes hard work to put together a regular series here. Ask the folks from Native American Netroots, who have featured First Nation's News and Views, and regular series like those by Ojibwa who writes here tirelessly on Native American issues and history.
Like the rest of you who post here, we don't get paid. We're simply committed bloggers, who are also Democrats, who are also mostly people of color.
I started blogging during the primaries back in 2008. First comments at TPM then I joined My DD, which I left because of the overwhelming amount of racism being posted there, which I wrote about here in "Does the D in MyDD stand for Dixiecrat?."
I am truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to expand the reach of what I write about under my own name, by Markos and the rest of the DKos staff, by getting the opportunity to have a spot on the front page here. But this is not about the front page. This is about "community" and those diaries that go up on the right side of the page.
You all are well aware that unless diaries make it to the rec list, they tend to get buried quickly (unless placed in the spotlight by rescue rangers). Some of that is mitigated by having diarists and series on your "follow' list or so they show up in your stream.
Yesterday I wrote about fighting racism.
One of the most powerful tools in that battle is learning to look at issues from the perspectives of people of color.
There is a real reason that Black Kos exists here at Daily Kos. It is not some "private space" at GOS for black people, though it did and does provide a safe space for some of us.
(There are black diarists here who are not part of Black Kos, so I don't want to give the impression that we are monolithic, or that every black person at DKos is a member)
This is what was written when Black Kos debuted under its own account:
Welcome to Black Kos! The diary series where issues affecting Americans of African descent, and others are highlighted as our great nation begins to heed the call of A More Perfect Union and move forward. Come, sit a spell and join the discussion.
This diary series isn't meant to balkanize, ghettoize, or separate. It is not a campaign or candidate diary. Instead, it is designed to highlight issues that a significant portion of the Democratic electorate faces daily, whether we live in the inner city or we're solidly middle class suburbanites or we're young urban professionals, or retirees on pensions and social security. America has a rich story, made up of all of us. This is just one small chapter of that story. Take a read.
One thing posting the diary with poll last year made clear, in comments.
There were a lot of people who thought it was "for blacks only". They didn't want to intrude. Others found even the name of the series off-putting. Still others felt they wouldn't have anything to say.
As a black person, and as a black woman that would be like me feeling that I shouldn't read (or view) news written by white folks. Buh bye NYTimes etc. Or by men.
That I should give up on reading white authors, going to white plays, listening to music by white people.
That I should leave Daily Kos (except for the fact that its owner/founder is Latino, it is still majority white)
Maybe I should just leave the U.S. (a nation founded on the backs of my ancestors) and find some nice safe majority black home.
Well, it ain't gonna happen.
I'm going to stay here, at my internet home, and in my r-l U.S. home...and I'm going to keep on writing about issues that interest me, or annoy me, or offend me, or amuse me, through my particular lens.
I'm going to keep on writing for Black Kos as long as Dopper (who we call Chief) will have me, and I won't stay quiet about the lack of readership at Black Kos.
So as of today I am changing my sig into blatant diary pimpin' mode. In hopes that a few of you will click on, open, read, tip and rec a series some of us are real proud of.
New sig I wanted:
Join us each Tuesday and Friday on the Black Kos front porch to review news and views written from a black pov—everyone is welcome—and in case you are wondering or shy, a majority of folks on the porch are not black.
But it won't let me post one this long so I settled for
Join us on the Black Kos front porch to review news and views written from a black pov—everyone is welcome.
In hopes that some of you will get past the fear, or disinterest or whatever and give us a read and support.
Dee (who is cranky this morning)