African-American Websites Not Black Owned

Image courtesy of aablc.org

Using the Internet is not a color issue. People use the Internet for every possible reason but it really boils down to what do you need or want? Are you looking for news, recipes, new shoes or lost friends? It’s the Internet and all it does is provide information. That’s what African-American websites do. Its what all websites do.  But if you think you are getting your news and information from other African-Americans or black owned media you would be sadly mistaken. You are about to see who really owns some black websites.

As a media and communications outlet black people use the Internet to search for their needs and we are specifically interested in finding information that is pre-digested to reflect our experience and point of view. Some people may find that funny but let me break it down like this; all people have a unique culture. We are all different and that is not a bad thing. But as African-Americans we have to see the world differently. Its not our choice but our reality.

So when it comes to news and information, we have a unique need and there are few websites that really reflect how we think, believe, experience and act. Its called being black. And its just as different and no more harmful than being Chinese or German.

For example did you know that many of the so called “black” or “African-American” website are not at all black owned or operated? The Grio.com, HuffingtonPost’s BlackVoices.com, Blackfamilies.org, and many others are either corporate owned or share ownership with non-African-Americans, a simple fact of life. But that is not to say they are doing anything wrong. We have to deal with the reality of money. Who has the money to create a powerful web presence? Who has the money to attract web advertising with relevant content? Who has the money to pay the top talent on the Internet? You don’t need me to answer those questions.

But lets take this one step further. These websites serve the black community, providing Afro-centric news and information and delivering targeted advertising to the African-American demographic but it’s non African-Americans that profit. Its all about black people except the money!

Black websites, that is websites owned by black people, like this one, have a place and responsibility in black culture. See black people are coming to understand something a teacher taught me a long time ago, she said; “He who controls the image controls the mind. He who controls the mind has no fear of the body.” So as black people we need to understand that we must portray how we are seen by others. We need to define who we are and not the other way around. That’s what Soul Train did. That’s what Essence, Jet and Ebony magazine did for us. They allowed us to portray who we are. And we did it honestly. We showed the world who were are, the good and the ugly. And we’re still doing it.

So with that being said let me provide you with the top black owned websites as determined by Huria.org. These websites are owned and operated by African-American people and provide information from a black perspective. As for the all the other websites serving the African-American demographic; keep doing what you doing. I ain’t mad at you!

Now you know.