8th Annual Blogging While Brown Conference (June 19-20, 2015)

'BDPAers' are encouraged to mark your calendars with an eye towards attending the 8th Annual Blogging While Brown conference on June 19-20, 2015 in Austin, TX. Austin is a thriving tech-centric city and is where the Blogging While Brown operation is headquartered. Early registration will open soon.

For information about sponsoring Blogging While Brown 2015, email Joi Gamble, director of Brand Partnerships at sponsorships@bloggingwhilebrown.com.

6th Annual Blogging While Brown Conference, June 21-22, 2013 (New York City)

The 6th Annual Blogging While Brown Conference will be in New York City, June 21-22, 2013.

Registration for the conference opens January 1, 2013.

If you would like to be a speaker at the conference, the Call for Ideas will open on January 15th and will likely close on February 1st.

Conference Location: Conference keynotes, workshops and panels will take place at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY 10037-1801
Tentative Conference Schedule: The pre-conference business of blogging session will open on Friday morning and end on Friday afternoon. Blogging While Brown events will begin Friday evening and go all day on Saturday. Typically, there is an informal Sunday brunch for people waiting to catch their flights home. There will likely be informal social events on Thursday evening as well.

Video Highlights: 2012 Blogging While Brown Conference

Have you attended a Blogging While Brown conference yet? Here are some highlights of the 2012 BWB conference held last week in Philadelphia.

The 'Blogging While Brown' Journey Continues Into Its Fifth Year

Blogging While Brown is a movement that is entering its fifth year. I am proud to be one of the bloggers in the nation who attended the first BWB conference held in Atlanta.   However, I've not been able to attend any of the subsequent conferences ... including the breakout one held in Los Angeles last year.

2010 BWB Visits White House in DC

All that is going to change in 2012.   I plan to be in attendance on June 1-2, 2012 when the Blogging While Brown conference convenes in Philadelphia.  Registration is now open and I encourage all villagers to take a look at their calendars to see if they can make it.

BWB has grown to become the premier social media conference dedicated to education, collaboration and innovation among bloggers of color. A new wrinkle in the Blogging While Brown journey is creation of a membership program.  The annual membership fee is only $50. Benefits include:

• 20% off Blogging While Brown 2012 Conference Registration
• 15% Discount on BWB Virtual U Courses
• The opportunity to become a BWB Virtual U Instructor
• Earn money by participating in our Affiliate Program
• Access to BWB Discount Mall
• Free or discounted admission to BWB Local Events
• Be featured on the BWB Blog & Newsletter
• Have your blog listed on BWB Blog Roll
• Discounted Blogger Sponsorship Opportunities

BWB memberships are for novice as well as seasoned bloggers. BWB brings together Black social media experts, speakers and independent content creators to educate, inspire and expand their influence in social media and technology. This is your chance to network year-round with other bloggers of color.

Will you become a BWB member? What is your favorite BWB story

2011 Black Weblog Award Winners

This blog was proud to be a FINALIST in the 2011 Black Weblog Award. Although we didn't win the award ... it was quite an honor to be under consideration!

Soulclap to Gina McCauley and Maurice Cherry for successfully delivering the 2011 Black Weblog Awards! The Black Weblog Awards were given out earlier this year in Los Angeles during the 2011 Blogging While Brown Conference.









The Awards gala was co-hosted by Kim Coles and Rene Syler. Here is a list of the winning blogs!

2011 Black Weblog Awards Winners

Best Blog Design
Single Black Male

Best Blog Post Series
Single Black Male

Best Business Blog
In Her Shoes

Best Culture Blog
From Ashy to Classy

Best Cooking or Food Blog
Black Girls Guide to Weight Loss

Best Faith Based Blog
DC District Diva

Best Fashion or Beauty Blog
 Afrobella

Best Film Blog
The Black Box Office

Best Gaming or Comics Blog
Oh Hell Nawl: Gamers

Best Gossip Blog
Necole Bitchie

Best Health or Wellness Blog
Black Girl's Guide to Weightloss

Best Hip Hop Blog
The Hip Hop Democrat

Best Humor Blog
Very Smart Brothas

Best International Blog
I am the Nu Black

Best LGBT Blog
The Skorpion Show

Best Micro-Blog
Sister Toldja

Best Music Blog
Soul Bounce


Best New Blog
Dirty Pretty Thangs

Best Parenting or Family Blog
 Black and Married With Kids

Best Personal Blog
Skinny Black Girl

Best Photography Blog
Oh Hell Nawl

Best Podcast Series
Blacking It Up

Best Political or News Blog
The Black Snob

Best Science or Technology Blog
She Geeks

Best Sex or Relationship Blog
 Very Smart Brothas

Best Sports Blog
Black Sports Online

Best Teen Blog
Reading in Color

Best Travel Blog
I'm Black and I Travel

Best Video Blog / Vlogger
The Skorpion Show

Best Writing in a Blog
Very Smart Brothas

Blog to Watch
The Skorpion Show

Best Lifestyle Blog
A Diva State of Mind

Best Plus Size Fashion Blog
Young Fat and Fabulous

Best Automotive Blog
Be Prestigious

Best Green, Nature, Outdoor Blog
Outdoor Afro

Best Book, Author, Literature Blog
Reads for Pleasure

Best Blog Network
The Fresh Xpress

Blog of the Year
Very Smart Brothas

Best Group Blog
Very Smart Brothas

2011 Blogging While Brown Conference: Call For Ideas (Deadline: 12/3/2010)

2011 BWB Call for Ideas Now Open!

This blog wants you to know about the opening of the Call for Ideas for the 2011 Blogging While Brown conference. This will be a Black Social Media Weekend extravaganza and you can help build it the way you want it.

For the first time attendees will be able to vote on ideas submitted. Ideas are being accepted for the following program tracks:

1. Online Activism
2. The Business of Blogging/
3. Niche and Lifestyle Blogging
4. Hands-On Technical Workshops

The deadline for submissions is December 3, 2010. So don't hold back.   Submit your ideas and help Gina and her crew take the 4th annual Blogging While Brown Conference to the next level in 2011. Next year the conference will be held in Los Angeles, CA on July 8-9, 2011.

Questions?

Email: Aminah@bloggingwhilebrown.com

Blogging While Brown Conference Announces 2010 Speakers

I attended the inaugural Blogging While Brown Conference in Atlanta GA. In fact, I was honored to be one of the seminar speakers at the conference that year. The BWB conference is growing in quality with the following announcement of the speakers for the event later this summer in Washington DC.



The BWB conference takes place in Washington DC on June 18-19, 2010. Are you attending?

2010 Blogging While Brown Conference (June 18-19, Washington DC)

Blogging While Brown is the brainchild of Gina McCauley. I met Gina at the 1st Annual BWB Conference held in Atlanta GA. She is a powerful sister who many bloggers look to as a role model. As such, this blog is pleased to support the continued evolution of her blogging vision.

I encourage all BDPAers to participate in the planning for Blogging While Brown: The 3rd Annual International Conference for Bloggers of Color, scheduled for June 18-19, 2010 in Washington DC.

Blogging While Brown promotes intellectual, social, and cultural development of the blogging community by bringing bloggers of color together in one location. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate conversations that lead to collaboration and innovation among bloggers of color.

Last year's conference, held in Chicago, was attended by activists, entrepreneurs, journalists and others interested in expanding digital media content creation and distribution among people of color.



In an effort to provide conference attendees with the best experience possible, BWBC decided to modify our annual programming process. So instead of a call for workshop proposals, BWBC is having a call for ideas. What would you like to present? Who would you like to hear from ? What do you want to learn? How could you benefit the conference?

Don't limit yourself to workshops and panels. BWBC is also looking for participants who can present short case studies or shorter presentations on narrower subjects as well. Be as creative and as detailed as possible in your description of what you would like to see at the next Blogging While Brown Conference. Some ideas to get you started:

• Continuing Blogger Education
  
• Internet Advocacy
  
• Entrepreneurship
  
• Social Networking
  
• Hyper-localism
  
• Social Media Successes/Failures
  
• Effective vs. Ineffective Online Activism
  
• Access to Technology
  
• Monetizing
  
• Content Creation Tools
  
• Content Distribution
  
• Blogger Quality of Life
  
• Legal Issues of Blogging
  
• Emerging Trends

Fill Out the 'Call for Ideas' Form.

You can find some other suggested topics on the Blogging While Brown website.

Be as creative as you want to be ... work with other bloggers and blog readers. If you have any questions, email bloggingwhilebrown [at] gmail [dot] com.

Don't talk about it, be about it! Anyhow, I plan to attend the 3rd annual BWB Conference. What about you?

Scholarships Available for Blogging While Brown Conference

BDPAers are encouraged to apply for scholarships that would cover full registration for the 2nd annual Blogging While Brown Conference.

Those who do not currently blog are encouraged to apply as the scholarship also covers the cost of registration for the pre-conference boot camp. Pass it along to your network, activists, parents, entrepreneurs and anyone else that would benefit from mastering original digital content creation (Gina's new word).

This is a great opportunity. I hope to see many BDPA members in attendance!

Blogging While Brown Conference * Chicago, IL (June 19-20, 2009)

I am pleased to report that the second annual Blogging While Brown (BWB) Conference will take place on June 19-20, 2009 at the University Center in Chicago. I attended the inaugural BWB Conference earlier this year in Atlanta GA. It appears that next year's event brings more opportunities to network and learn about the issues and concerns that face new media content creators.

The BWB Conference provides an outstanding venue for bloggers of color to meet each other, discuss current issues, and learn about the latest technology. It arose in response to widespread dissatisfaction regarding the lack of diversity in some of the other technology conferences.

Visit the official BWB Conference website to see videos from the first conference (including interviews done by Black Web 2.0), pictures of the conference attendees, reservation information, sponsorship information, and hotel logistics.

A new twist for the BWB Conference is a pre-conference blogging bootcamp aimed at targeting those who still have questions about how to start a blog, how to promote your blog, and how to keep it going. Starting a few hours before the conference, this bootcamp can help any villager who thought that the agenda would only benefit experienced bloggers.

Personally, I hope that BDPA figures out a way to partner with the BWB Conference. Especially in light of the fact that the largest BDPA chapter in the country is located in Chicago.

Anyhow, I plan to attend ... how about you?

Top Ten Black Blogs (Aug 2008)

I had a great time at the Blogging While Brown conference in Atlanta last weekend! It was a remarkable opportunity for me to see some great bloggers face-to-face for the first time. A number of the bloggers in attendance (and via Twitter) let me know that they follow the Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR)! Therefore, it is with pleasure that I share with you the Aug 2008 rankings with 1,329 blogs being tracked! We have seen over 100% growth in the BBR since the beginning of the calendar year.

• September 2007 - 75 Black blogs
• January 2008 - 602 Black blogs
• March 2008 - 850 Black blogs
• June 2008 - 1,239 Black blogs
• July 2008 - 1,269 Black blogs

Anyhow, with no further ado, here are the Top Ten Black Blogs for Aug 2008:

1. Pam Spaulding: Pam's House Blend* (Authority: 1,142 / Rank: 2,160) - [Politics] I had pleasure of sitting next to Pam during the BWB Conference last month. I marveled at her ability to break down the information from the workshop presenters into posts for her blog ... complete with photos! Her hometown newspaper wrote a detailed article on the growing respect that Pam is getting throughout the blogosphere. Her blog will be a centerpiece of the coverage later this month at the Democratic National Convention. Pam earned her position as the top blogger of African descent in the universe!
2. Ahsmi Rawlins: Nah Right (Authority: 974 / Rank: 2,713) - [Entertainment] This blog moves into the BBR #2 slot for the first time ever. Ashmi (a.k.a., ESKAY) has operated his blog since May 2005. He made a brief mention of my blog a few months ago that resulted in my highest daily traffic ever. His blog benefits from his timely posts about all things hip-hop. In fact, many consider ESKAY to be on of the top five writers on hip hop in the world.
3. The Bossip: Bossip.com (Authority: 916 / Rank: 2,866) - [Entertainment] Bossip.com works hard to say on top of new trends. I appreciate the 'link-love' given by The Bossip in support of our efforts here on da Village! Many Black bloggers respect the way in which The Bossip has been able to monetize Bossip.com. Has anyone figured out whether The Bossip is a brother or a sister?
4. Angel Laws: Concrete Loop (Authority: 916 / Rank: 2,999) - [Entertainment] Angel Laws is the young sister who started this blog as a hobby. I still need to go through the blogs on Angel's Dope Sites & Blogs to add the ones that are Black-owned to the Black Blog Rankings. One day we figure that our Electronic Village will be one of her dope blogs!
5. Oliver Willis: Oliver Willis (Authority: 713 / Rank: 4,280) - [Politics] This must be one of the best times since Oliver began blogging in April 2005. His beloved Washington Redskins are getting ready for the NFL season and he is one of the few Black bloggers credentialed to cover the DemConvention later this month in Denver.
6. Natasha Eubanks: Young, Black & Fabulous (Authority: 703 / Rank: 4,370) - [Entertainment] Natasha established her blog in late 2005, just a few weeks before starting Loyola University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. What originally began as a hobby to fill the void of Black Hollywood coverage in the mainstream media, has now turned into one of the most visited black celebrity gossip sites on the web. TheYBF.com receives anywhere from 80K-130K hits a day and averages 4.5 million page views a month [source]. Methinks that Natasha will break into the BBR Top 5 next month.
7. Sandra Rose: Sandra Rose (Authority: 467 / Rank: 7,809) - [Entertainment] I didn't see Sandra Rose when I was in Atlanta last month for the BWB Conference. I'm going back this month for the BDPA Technology Conference ... maybe she'll be in town! I imagine she couldn't come to the BWB Conference because of her ongoing beef with Kanye West. Anyhow, the sister is going strong. She is another blogger that successfully made transition from Blogger-platform to her own domain ... and managed to regain her position in the BBR Top 10. Perhaps this will be the month that Sis. Rose gives the Electronic Village some link-love on her blogroll.
8. Kimberley Kira: The Angry Black Woman (Authority: 454 / Rank: 8,168) - [Social Commentary] Kimberley Kira (a.k.a., Tempest) jumped two spots to BBR #8 this month. I recently learned that Tempest attended the School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in my current home town of Cincinnati OH. She describes herself as a "bisexual polyamorous pagan gamer geek" ... which might explain the focus that her blog places on sexism and racism. Now that I know about her Cincinnati roots ... I will be more proactive in following her blog over the coming weeks and months. After all, she ain't in the BBR Top Ten for nothin'!
9. Fresh Crunkjuice: Crunk & Disorderly* (Authority: 452 / Rank: 8,834) - [Entertainment] This gossip blog, created in August 2004, is in the middle of a transition to a new domain. The new domain is rising fast on the BBR. I anticipate that his other blog will crack the Top 10 shortly ... it is currently sitting at BBR #27.
10. Baratunde Thurston and Cheryl Contee: Jack and Jill Politics* (Authority: 444 / Rank: 8,385) - [Politics] Baratunde (a.ka. Jack Turner) and Cheryl (a.k.a. Jill Tubman) are two of the most active bloggers in the political realm. They are both credentialed to be on the floor of the 2008 National Democratic Convention in Denver later this summer. This blog is transitioning to a new domain. The new domain is rising fast on the BBR. I anticipate their other blog will crack the Top 10 shortly ... it is currently sitting at BBR #12.

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HONORABLE MENTION (11-25): How To Split An Atom, Jack & Jill Politics*, The Field Negro*, Necole Bitchie, What About Our Daughters*, Real Talk NY Provides The Latest Hip Hop News, La Shawn Barber's Corner, AfroBella, Angry Black Bitch, Keith Boykin, Raw Dawg Buffalo, Love B. Scott, Too Sense, Clutch Magazine and Electronic Village*

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This ranking is open to any blogger of African descent. You do not have to be a member of The AfroSpear or the Afrosphere Bloggers Association, although we invite all Black bloggers to join either (or both) of those organizations.

Those blogs with an asterisk after their name are members of The AfroSpear. Next month we will highlight those blogs that win 2008 Black Weblog Awards.

Black Blog Rankings lean heavily on the Technorati Authority and Rank score for each blog. The Technorati authority and rank numbers are shown in parenthesis. The authority figure includes a number of factors including the number of blogs that are linked to this blogger over the past six months. The rank number indicates how many blogs are between the one listed and The Huffington Post, which is the #1 overall blog in the universe.

We do think that these Black blogs are important spheres of influence. Let them know that you appreciate the work they have put in over the past few months and years to get on this list. My vision is that you will nominate many of the brothers and sisters on this month's BBR for a 2008 Black Weblog Award.

Finally, I encourage all bloggers to provide some link-love to this post so that your readers can learn about the Villager's Black Blog Rankings!

Next step is yours ... what say u?

One Nation Online

Jordan Berg is the outreach coordinator for Free Press. Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media through education, organizing and advocacy. They promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications.

Anyhow, Free Press was a co-sponsor of Blogging While Brown conference. Jordan flew in from Massachusetts to share information about net neutrality. He wants us to reach out to our congressional representatives in support of net neutrality.

BDPA leaders and chapters should consider taking a formal position on net neutrality. Our community needs to ensure that we don't become second-class citizens in this area.

My hope is that BDPA leaders and chapters learn more about this One Nation Online concept. In other words, we need to say loud & proud that we want every American to be connected to a fast, affordable, and open Internet to prosper in today's economy and to serve as an active citizen in a 21st century democracy.

This is serious stuff. BDPA needs to get serious about it. What say u?

Upcoming Speaking Engagements * Wayne Hicks

One day I need to sit down and make a list of the BDPA chapters that I have visited as a guest speaker over the past few years. Anyhow, it appears that I will be making a couple more visits in the coming weeks:

• July 21, BDPA St. Louis Chapter - The chapter is holding first-ever Corporate Advisory Council meeting. I will share with them my vision of the ideal relationship between BDPA chapters and Corporate America.


• July 25-27, Blogging While Brown Conference - This is the first-ever national conference for bloggers of color. I'm honored to be a presenter on the topic, "Umoja From a Black Blogger's Perspective"


• August 6-8, National BDPA Technology Conference - I serve as a member of this organization's national board of directors... so there are a number of meetings I have to attend. However, I plan to meet and greet each of the competitors in the national high school computer competition and IT showcase. I'm a presenter for a major 'Chapter Building Workshop'. Finally, the BDPA Foundation should be awarding 31 scholarships worth over $50,000 during this conference week. I just hope that I can still fit in my tuxedo (sigh)!


• October 11, BDPA Richmond Chapter - The chapter is the second largest chapter in BDPA nation ... however, they have their eyes on #1. As such, they asked me to come by and be their keynote speaker for this membership drive.

Do you plan to be at one or more of these events over the coming days and weeks?

Blogging While Brown Conference Call For Papers

Planning is underway for Blogging While Brown: The First International Conference for Bloggers of Color, scheduled for July 25-27, 2008 at the Georgia World Conference Center and Hilton Downtown in Atlanta, GA.

The most important purpose of the conference is to share knowledge. The conference will promote intellectual, social, and cultural development of the blogging community by bringing bloggers of color together. Blogging While Brown is an opportunity to meet other bloggers and blog readers of color for the first time, discuss current issues of interest to bloggers of color, network with individuals and organizations interested in leveraging online activity with offline results, and learn about the latest technology that will assist bloggers with publishing their work and improving their readers experience by fully engaging in the newest media technology.

Blogging While Brown is currently accepting proposals for workshops that will appear at the conference. The three Conference Tracks are:

1. From the Screens to the Streets: News, Politics, and Social Justice - This track will feature sessions related to blogging about current events, activism, and bloggers who are leveraging their online resources to get offline results.


2. Blogging Building Blocks -This conference track will feature sessions related to the nuts and bolts of blogging such as technology, blogging widgets, the business of blogging, monetizing blogs, increasing blog traffic, legal issues, design, layout and improving the reader experience.


3. The Blogs of Our Lives -This conference track will feature sessions related to entertainment, gossip, lifestyle and social networking, how not to get sued, artist promotion, and the blogs that are our favorite guilty pleasures.

Who may submit workshop proposals? - Any and all individuals interested in bloggers of color and the issues or interest to them should submit proposals. Individuals from for- profit and not-for-profit entities may submit proposals for consideration provided the proposed workshop supports the theme, goals or workshop subject areas of the Conference.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FEBRUARY 5, 2008.
BETF-Blog Readers, don't wait until the last minute! Download the Workshop Proposal Form or review some of the other suggested topics on the Blogging While Brown blog.

I am hopeful that BDPA leaders will find a way to market our organization. Be as creative as you want to be. Work with other bloggers and blog readers. If you have any questions, email bloggingwhilebrown@gmail.com.

Blogging While Brown Conference

I have only been a blogger since January 2007. When I first entered the blogosphere the only blogger that I knew was my sister. Over the past few months I have enjoyed the exchange of ideas with bloggers of all nationalities, politics and geography. With one or two exceptions ... every blogger that I've met has been through my computer screen ... out here in cyberspace.

Perhaps it is time for us to meet face-to-face?!

The 2008 Blogging While Brown conference is my opportunity to meet some of these talented brothers and sisters in the so-called real world. The BDPA Education & Technology Foundation plans to attend this conference next year. Early Registration is now open for Blogging While Brown 2008. In the spirit of Ujamaa I plan to take advantage of the $100 early registration rate. It will never get less expensive!

The purpose of the event is to give Bloggers of Color an opportunity to meet each other for the first time, discuss current issues affecting Bloggers of Color, and learn about the latest technology that will assist them with publishing their work.

Blogging While Brown was created in response to widespread dissatisfaction with the amount of diversity in some of the largest blogging conferences. A critical mass of Bloggers of Color have yet to attend these established conferences, however the initial response from Bloggers of Color to the idea of holding their own conference has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Bloggers of Color are excited about a conference, for, by and about them and look forward to moving beyond the single panel or discussion focusing on diversity that are typically featured at some of the larger blogging conferences.

The conference is in Atlanta, GA on July 25-27, 2008. The host hotel is the Hilton Atlanta Downtown. Pass this on to your friends and readers.

Those of you that share your insights by posting comments on the BETF-Blog are just as important as I am to the growing success of our online community. As such, this invitation to attend the 2008 Blogging While Brown conference is open to any of the active BETF-Blog readers that come here regularly.

Stay tuned! I understand that the Conference Planning Committee will provide guidelines for workshop suggestions and facilitator proposals in the near future. Get on board now because 2008 will be an amazing year for bloggers! Blogging While Brown is the first international conference for, by, and about Bloggers of Color and the readers who love and comment on them.

Will you be in attendance?