BlackPerspective.net
Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
Afrosphere Action Coalition
June 15th, 2008
That’s why you gotta keep yo history/ In a book so when they look it’ll never be a mystery - Cool Breeze
The Afrospehere Action Coalition is a coalition of Black self-determination internet users (mostly bloggers, but not only) who endeavor to take determined ACTION in advocating for the maligned and marginalized, and for challenging powers that be.
This is a true coalition that works by consent of those who join in to participate in our actions. We exist to take action, and move quickly and nimbly; with a structure that resist the pitfalls of many social organizations of getting bogged down in endless debate; and without having to have members conform to particular ideologies.
Other than the coordinators, your membership comes simply by your participation in actions.
We invite non-Blacks of like mind, as they always have in previous actions; to join us in our actions.
The AAC Co-coording Directors are Purple Zoe, Francis L. Holland, and Yobachi
African American Political Pundit is the Taser-Abuse Awareness Campaign Coordinator
Current Actions:
You can always visit the AAC google sites page for campaign information.
2. Darfur and Humanitarian Issues
4. Building People Power for Affordable and Accessible Health Care
Former Campaigns:
National Black Voter Registration Push, and voter turnout
Blogs we sponsor:
History:
The Afrosphere Action Coalition started in August of 2007 as the Afrosphere Jena 6 Coalition. We coalesced around the plight of the 6 young men in Jena Louisiana determined to bring this issue to the world by generating media attention.
On August 9th 2007 Yobachi at his BlackPerspective.net blog proposed in earnest a Day of Blogging for Justice for the Jena 6, to ask our readers to contact major media about picking up the story. Many Black bloggers, and some not Black, immediately responded to this call.
Purple Zoe of the UltraViolet Underground offered to write the press release, and thus began the origins of what would form the Afrosphere Jena 6 Coalitions over the next couple of weeks, and later the AAC.
As Yobachi and Zoe hashed out the press release, Yobachi then asked Villager of Electronic Village as a prominent blogger on the Jena 6 issue, and Francis of The Francis L. Holland Blog as an active representative of the AfroSpear; if they would sign on to the press release for the effort. Both agreed. Francis offered valuable press release writing advice; including the notion that we needed to have a group “even if its a made up one” to conduct the event under; in order help draw press coverage, so they had some entity to cite and so forth.
That’s what lead Yobachi to put forth “Afrosphere Jena 6 Coalition”. The name made sense as the participants in the day of blogging where going to be primarily bloggers of the afrosphere; our collective cause was surrounding the Jena 6; and at the time it was literally an ad hoc coalition of blogs, as we were not signing anyone up for membership.
The announcement of details for the day of blogging using Afrosphere Jena 6 Coalition was made at BlackPerspective.net on August 23 2007 in a post entitled Latest News On Jena 6 Strategy, and press release issued to the press on August 29, 2007, introducing what’s now the AAC to the world.
At the time we did not have the notion that we were forming something permanent beyond; or any broader than tackling the Jena 6 issue.
Yobachi says “I don’t know if I was even thinking past that event at the time [when coming up with the name]; if I was, not much so. As the first blogging activism event that I had led, I was just focused on getting that event off, and hopefully having an impact-ful press release.”
Nonetheless the coalition went on to do other Jena 6 events, and then seeing the model for action they had initiated starting to develop; decided to tackle other issues that they were blogging. In October of 2007 Zoe proposed doing a similar day of blogging for Darfur. At first they went under the name Afrosphere Darfur Action Coalition for that event, but then Yobachi soon realized the group needed a broad based named to act from in order to advocate on various issues, and came up with Afrospehere Action Coalition. Ever since this has been the permanent across the board name for the collective.
more history to come…
Specific Afrosphere Action Coalition Mentions In The Media
Black Voices’ - BackSpin: Say It Loud: I’m a Proud Black Voter - January 22, 2008
Dallas Morning News: African-American bloggers seek larger presence at Democratic convention - Friday, June 13, 2008
Black Enterprise Magazing Online: New Media Dilemma for Democratic Convention - July 18, 2008
13 Responses to “Afrosphere Action Coalition”
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About The Blog
Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.
I created this site to give new voice to socio-political issues that are in need of thoughtful consideration and redress.
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This is great!
Thanks Francis
I beleive that the three (3) AAC projects you list have been supported by different coordinators. Can you clarify which coordinators support which AAC projects?
Good idea to begin to document AAC actions and activity.
peace, Villager
Villager, no outgoing information (i.e. press releases and so forth) includes the name of anyone who didn’t aggree to have their name on it.
Each current action will have it’s own page, and can further denote signees.
I understand your process.
My point is that your blog post makes it appear that all the AAC co-coordinators are participating in all 3 of the ‘curent actions’. That is how I read it. I think that this is inaccurate as I’m not working on all 3 of the ‘current actions’.
Anyhow, it’s just my feedback. I defer to you on whether you honor it or not.
Yobachi, Great new design for your blog. Keep up your great blogging bro.
AAPP
Yobachi, please correct the spelling of the word “afrosphere” above, since there is a lot of confusion around afrosphere nomenclature already, and we don’t want to confuse anyone further. Thanks a lot, because I’m linking to this page elsewhere.
LOVE the way you’ve developed this page.
It’s extremely informative. I’ve ’stumbled it’ and will use it as a reference link.
Shine on
-PZ
Thanks, Zoe. I work on it a little more and more when I have time.
If you have anything to add, just send it to me and I’ll update.
This page is looking good Yobachi!
Thanks Deborah. So much to do with it, so little time.
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