A question I asked during a BlogHer '09 panel had folks talking about diversity—or the lack thereof—in the blogosphere earlier this week, and sparked a spirited debate in the comments section of a fantastic post written by my girl, The Prisoner's Wife. The brouhaha got me to thinking about my online habits, and whether I've gone out of my way to venture outside of my blog "neighborhood"—to stretch, and reach, and open my mind.
I'd like to think I've done a good job of it. I mean, my "tribe" runs deep, dude. I read blogs written by black folks and white folks, latinas and asians, by men and women and straight people and gay ones, too, by food lovers and scrapbookers, political junkies and gossip wags. Nothing is off-limits to me; so long as the content is fresh, entertaining, inspiring, educational, thought-provoking, and, above all else, well-written, I'm all in. Yes, this sounds like a tall order. But there are plenty of bloggers who manage to fill it. And I just felt moved to tell you about them.
I encourage you to check out my fantastic tribe in this, the first in a new occasional series I'm tagging, "MyBrownTribe." Read them. Enjoy them. Leave comments if you're so moved. Oh, and tell me a few of the blogs in your tribe—I'd love to meet them! Without further ado...
TEA & HONEY BREAD This mixed-media artist, award-winning essayist, wife, and mom of two describes her blog as "musings on love, life, art, and beyond." I call it pure goodness—she's so peaceful and serene and smart, and introspective, and damn funny. The woman loves her cat and her beer and her photography and her craft, and it's clear she has a healthy respect for the written word. Check out how she's dealing with her life-long obsession with talking HERE.
ANY MOMMY OUT THERE
Renee at Cutie Booty Cakes introduced me to this blog back when I was all wet behind my blog ears and looking to join some tribes—specifically the tribes of bloggers who know how to turn a phrase. For sure, Any Mommy Out There fits the bill. She writes quite poetically/insightfully about the joys and struggles of rearing four kids, running a household, and living an authentic life. Her writing is, simply, addictive. Check out one of my favorite AnyMommy posts, her hysterical THE FISHER OF TURDS. Um, yeah—the title is self-explanatory.
AVERAGEBRO.COM
Dig it: When I wake up in the morning, before I turn on my computer and wipe the cold out my eyes, I read AverageBro.com on my Blackberry. Yup, I stan hard for AB, and I'm not afraid to say it loud and proud. AB writes about everything, from politics and pop culture to sports, music, and beyond—but all through the straightforward, no-nonsense lens of the average black guy. He's just sensible, you know. And hugely entertaining. Check out his take on THE COMPLEX CASE OF SKIP GATES VS THE CAMBRIDGE POLICE.
Enjoy—and tell my friends MyBrownBaby sends them lots of love and light.
[Photo credit: The beautiful, colorful neighborhood illustrating this post is by the talented artist Maria Cavacos. See more of her work HERE.]
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