Michael Baisden, who as bold as a hot pink dress at a funeral, savaged Color of Change, a venerable Black online advocacy organization tried to slide an “apology” to Color of Change under the door as he slunk away for the weekend hoping no one would notice . Now some would consider his cowardly and half-hearted apology an olive branch. Well fine, its an olive branch-- an olive branch the Black blogosphere needs to snatch from Baisden's hand and beat him about the head with.
I'm a blogger. I may blog primarily about issues affecting African American women and girls, but I am a blogger first. There would be no What About Our Daughters? If there wasn't a Black blogosphere.That is why I will often weigh in on things that don't directly pertain to moi. For example, when folks started telling Sandra Rose that they were leaving her blog because of her thoughts, I cried “FOOLISHNESS.” When some idiot male bloggers ( y'all know who they are) repeatedly launched vicious attacks and attempted to intimidate and harass Black women bloggers who blog about interracial dating and marriage, I cried “FOOLISHNESS!” When someone came to me asking me to proclaim “I love Black men” at the beginning of my podcast because some wackjob and psycho Black male blogger was going around saying that I hated Black men, I cried FOOLISHNESS! FOOLISHNESS! FOOLISHNESS!
Although I have a pretty good sized megaphone in the form of videos, a podcast and this blog, I have only directed my wrath at another Black blogger ONCE and that was in self defense after a long campaign launched against me in coordination with Viacom employees and even then, I didn't mention the guilty party by name. Why don't I attack and mock other bloggers for what they think? Well first, because they have a right to say whatever in the heck they want to, but second, because I realize that whatever this thing is that is exploding right now, it could change the course of human history so I avoid trying to take out another blogger even one out to destroy my own blog.
Though I may vehemently disagree with many of its members, I will defend the Black blogosphere from all threats, foreign and domestic.
I don't support all of the campaigns they undertake, but there is no more organized group of Black online activists than the folks over at Color of Change. These relatively small campaigns I launch from this blog are minuscule when compared to what Color of Change with its amazing organizational infrastructure can do. When WAOD grows up, I want it to be just like Color of Change. Color of Change is the benchmark for grass roots organizing and fund raising among online activists as far as I am concerned. It is the crème de la crème - the gold standard.
Y'all know I try to make it plain. For some of my idealistic blogging bretheren and sistren, let me paint a picture”: Michael Baisden just dropped a 200 kiloton bomb on our gold standard.
This was no mistake. This was planned and intentional and launched in coordination with Michael Baisden's own fund raiser this weekend. In other words, he sacrificed Color of Change and Black online activists for his own selfish gain.
( Ironically or hypocritically, Baisden is running a CORNY “Web-a-thon” using a Chip-In Widget... A fund raising tool that wouldn't be available if it wasn't for.... THE INTERNET!)
Wake up folks this was not a coincidence. They didn't make a mistake. Baisden did this on purpose. This was a premeditated unprovoked attack on all of us. Go back and listen to the audio again. They aren't just talking about Color of Change, but all online activists. Why did he do it? Because he thought he could get away with it. After all, they are just a bunch of folks online. No need to respect them.
The damage Baisden has done to Black online activism is possibly irreparable. Tell me how Color of Change is supposed to continue its work helping Katrin victims, which most folks have forgotten about, if they can't raise money because Baisden is running around calling them “Shady.”
And Baisden did it for what? Because he wants to be Tom Joyner's water boy? He wanted to take out the competition so he would be able to say “I raised a MILLION DOLLARS!” in order to stroke his...ego.
Listen to this FOOLISHNESS as he talks about James Rucker of Color of Change.
Let us be clear. BAISDEN can't stand that Black bloggers shared credit in the media for what happened in Jena. He did this to let the world know that Black online activists are somehow second class citizens or they are to be viewed with suspicion, while he, a smutty book writer who gives bad relationship advice and parties at Hedonism II, is supposed to now be some kind of social justice movement leader. This is no different than the Rev. Jesse Jackson calling Newark's Mayor Corey Booker, “A wolf in sheep's clothing.”
Now all of a sudden Michael Baisden wants unity? Hell no! Before there can be in “reconciliation,” there must be contrition and accountability.
I could care less about the Jena 6 at this point.
My question is this:
Is the Black blogosphere willing to fight for ITSELF as zealously as it fights for EVERYBODY ELSE?
A long time ago, I said I would never fight for anybody that wasn't willing to fight for themselves so I will follow Color of Change's lead in this. However, may I make a few “suggestions” as I am prone to do from time to time.
Michael Baisden MUST invite Color of Change onto his show.
- He MUST apologize like the man he “purports” to be.
- He needs to drag Michael Bell's daddy on the show to apologize as well
- AND He needs to do all this with the same BOLDNESS he used to savage Color of Change in the first place.
If he doesn't, then the Black blogosphere needs to be prepared to ask each and every ABC radio affiliate to preempt Baisden's show to run a response from Color of Change. I mean flood the station managers' phones from coast to coast. Baisden ain't THAT big. If they won't, then the Black blogosphere needs to launch a nation campaign to DEFUND HIS SHOW. I mean “Greasy Jerry's Check Cashing Chicken N' Waffles” ought to be scared to purchase space on Baisden's show.
In an ideal world, old school and old media activists would form coalitions with online activists to leverage our resources and maximize results. Color of Change is a really good example of leveraging online activity for offline results. We want to be allies with the BEE and the CRIC. However, if we cannot, let's try not to be enemies either. But if you choose to wage war on us, we have a right to engage in self defense.
Let it be known that the next member of the Black Elite Establishment (BEE) and Civil Rights Industrial Complex (CRIC) to launch this type of unprovoked vicious attack on the Black blogosphere will be met with a swift and severe response. If somebody else wants to burn this burgeoning form of activism to the ground to suit their selfish purposes, then they need to know that the cost of doing so will be painful...FOR THEM!
If you can't get respect, settle for out and out fear.Think people online can't do it? He better go pick up the phone and call George Allen and Britney Spears. Because I can assure you that more people read a Black blog in a day than listen to his show, and we have the ability to keep it that way.If Michael Baisden wants to throw poisoned arrows the Black blogosphere, so be it, But I'll be dayumed if the Black blogosphere is going to go down without a fight. If he wants a fight, I say take it to him.
Let's roll.
See also:Jena 6 Families to Black Blogosphere..."We Don't Know Who Y'all Are."- THE IRON RULE
WARNING: Dear Mr. Federal Agent, the use of the phrase "daisy cutter" is intended as a figure of speech and not intended as a literal invitation to drop a bomb on anyone.
