Blogging While Black Tween and Teen

Blogging While Black Tween and Teen
By William Jackson, M.Edu

The opportunity for Black tweens and teens to write is making a transformation into the world of blogging. Although the styles of writing; narrative, persuasive, argumentative and other styles learned from formal education are used. The performance or execution of writing is changing. The art of creating digital content has shifted from paper to electronic design. Blogging at the “Speed of Thought” (Bill Gates) is being etched onto digital manuscripts that empower Black tweens and teens to be authors of digital content.

Now tweens and teens have a voice that can be heard across the blogosphere if they only exercise their writing talents. The integration of blogging into academic curriculums has shown that more work needs to be done in English subject areas to help Black tweens and teens to write with confidence, comprehension and creativity. The use of blogging provides a resource that encourages writing and develops creative literary talents in youth who have a desire to write.

Blogging allows the writer to create content that is personal and expressive. Blogging is understood as; original content designed to provide diverse information. A blog or weblog is no longer textual, but integrates graphics, music, video and other multimedia elements. These elements are manipulated by tweens and teens to weave digital stories.
Information online no longer is stale (static) in development. It can be dynamic (interactive) because of the infusion of a multimedia foundation that can bring about the “WOW” factor of writing.

Each tween and teen posses their individual writing traits, blogs are just as unique and individualistic. Rappers and musical artists share a creative talent that can be formed in blogging. Each using words to tell a story, Black tweens and teens should understand that blogging is representative of their ideas, personalities, passions and emotions.

Blogging goes beyond rudimentary (random) thoughts and feelings; although they are useful, digging deep in literary expression, transforming thoughts and personal experiences into meaningful expressions and lexis (words).Anthony Butler, Sr. (Executive Director) E3 Business Group states that, “tweens and teens can develop their identity through blogging,” and “youth need to develop their public voice. Blogging allows youth to create and grow that voice.” Youth can expand their voice in January 2012 in the first ever, Real Talk Real Change III
“Youth Rights” forum (http://www.e3businessgroup.us/gpage2.html). Youth are expected to blog about their perceptions about youth rights in their communities and share with E3 leading up to this powerful and empowering event on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.
(http://www.e3businessgroup.us/gpage2.html)

This is why the use of video, music and the rich resources that technology can provide are important. Blogging thoughts transmitted through the use of expressive words, phrases, rhymes, raps, lyrical manipulations and the integration of youthful or generational slang,creating a “voice” as Mr. Butler stated that can be heard.

Blogging can be used to tell a story, share a feeling, express an idea, share a passion and start a movement. Words are powerful tools to start a revolution, change a country,create a constitution of ideologies that governs people.Black tweens and teens must understand; “to be a better writer a person must write every day.” There is a passion that many bloggers put into their blogging that sets them apart from just writers of words. Passionate bloggers write on what they perceive as blogging on a spiritual level or in a “Bloggers Zone.”

Bill Gates (Microsoft) stated that because of blogging people are “developers of (their own) content.” Separate from traditional news media bloggers add a dynamic to reporting of world events from the perspective of the “man/woman on the street” not guided by policies of news industry or corporations.

Tweens and teens should understand that their content is what makes their blogs unique and valuable.

Blogging content can be a ticket to college, creating an opportunity to an internship, or a career in broadcasting. The value of content information (CI) is to cultivate Black tweens and teens into bloggers that create relevant information worth reading.

Tweens and teens have the talent to blog, but may lack the knowledge, skill, confidence and courage. A part of blogging is accepting praise and criticism, so blogging can prepare tween and teen writers for real world exposure in writing.

The future is now, the Gutenberg Press created a paradigm shift in book production, the microprocessor created a shift in processing power for computers and the Internet has created a new shift in digital content. Tweens and teens will learn valuable skills that will be useful throughout life and applied in career choices.

Black youth can be reporters, journalists and publishers (digital) authors, but these opportunities will only be possible with writing skills. Minority tweens and teens are included in blogging; their voice can be spread but Black youth need to be Educated, Encouraged and Empowered, for the value of education and participation in community involvement. Instead of using rap to threaten, demean and use profanity why not use a tool that people will listen to in a format that opens minds and changes hearts for the positive.

Blogs are not complex they are about communication. What makes a good blog? One that gets read and in order to get read you have to start Blogging… So Black tweens and teens go forth and Blog..
More information can be found at:
HBCU Contributor -
Why Should African Americans Blog

Copy and Paste in a new browser:
Black Blogger Network - http://www.blackbloggernetwork.com/
Black Bloggers Connect - http://www.blackbloggersconnect.com/

Developing Blogs from students at Edward Waters College
Dionne Goodwin - Animal Kingdom - http://dee-animals.blogspot.com/
Tierra Frazier – On Acting - http://tierrafrazieronacting.blogspot.com/
Anthony Wines - http://g-1basketballprogram.blogspot.com/
LaShonda Mukes - http://mamamukes.blogspot.com/
Tierra Johnson - http://princesssyndee.blogspot.com/
Nikki Broadnax - http://nikkieslittlecorner.wordpress.com/