Recently Matt Stoller at OpenLeft, Kos at DailyKos and yesterday Jose Antonio Vargas at the Washington Post recognized the emerging force of African-American blogs. Check out their stories (and thanks for the links).

What’s driving black bloggers? There’s a new generation of African-Americans — mostly under 40 — who are frustrated at the lack of leadership and embrace of corruption among our leaders. Young progressives are disappointed and frustrated at baby boomer leaders who have turned away from community support toward crony support. We face a media that ignores real black leaders who are making a difference like Tavis Smiley to speak only to the opportunistic cynic Al Sharpton and the frankly weakened Jesse Jackson. We face a media that by turn distorts or ignores the issues most important to us. The organizations purporting to represent our interests are silent, ineffective or in collusion with those actively working against our interests. Sound familiar?

So through blogging, we’re holding our leaders accountable. We’re exposing socioeconomic bigotry, corporate corruption, media malfeasance and just plain tomfoolery. Or Uncle Tomfoolery. We’re getting organized in the Afrosphere. We’re joining forces with committed and wired new organizations like Color of Change who are bringin’ it. We are working on environmental justice, unequal law enforcement, protecting our right to vote, ensuring equal opportunity, fighting “the war on terror” and “the war on drugs” which look to us more like “the war on brown people” and more.

And baby, we are gettin’ all up in your face. Get used to it.

Going old school: Public Enemy’s famous declaration in 1988 “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” may no longer apply.

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