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Jun

13

Blog launch: Michelle Obama Watch


What About Our Daughters has started Michelle Obama Watch. I think it’s a great idea. I think it’s horrific that it has to exist and I pray that it doesn’t get maligned the way people who tried to sound the bell on sexism against Hillary Clinton did. But these are all efforts to stop the madness. And I cannot argue with that one second.

Just an aside, since I haven’t really taken the time to mention this, some of you may have noticed that I beefed up my “All Things Women” section of the blogroll about two or three months ago. There are several that are WOC (women of color) blogs from which I’m learning so much. I don’t always agree, but I don’t have to. Just being exposed and knowing what’s there, e-mailing the bloggers offline and asking questions, trying to figure out something about which I know embarrassingly little but about which I can do so much more than I am has made a huge difference in what sticks out to me and the range of perspectives I try to consider or seek out or notice are missing. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’ve met some incredible people along the way who, if you give them a chance, won’t give up on you or let you give up on yourself.

It’s weird to realize how few of the Ohio blogs I read have any links to blogs by POC (people of color) and I can’t judge others about that when I really hadn’t gone out of my way trying to find them, to link to them. But that’s really a whole ‘nother post – maybe a whole ‘nother blog.

Anyway, please visit Michelle Obama Watch. Gina, of What About Our Daughters, was credentialed by the DNC for the convention in Denver. If you’re going, please please let her know that you’ve read about her and maybe even read her blog and the new effort to keep everyone on their toes about the media and other’s wrongness in portrayals of Michelle Obama.

If you’re going to talk the talk about what’s racist and what isn’t, the least you can do is read what the people who are most affected have to say about it, you know?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:42 pm June 13th, 2008 in Announcements, Barack Obama, Blogging, Campaigning, Civil Rights, Culture, Debates, Democrats, Gender, Media, Michelle Obama, Ohio, Politics, Race, Sexism, WH2008, Women 

Comments

5 Responses to “Blog launch: Michelle Obama Watch”

  1. 1 Jeff Hess on June 14th, 2008 9:35 am

    Shalom Jill,

    When I first started blogging I sought to create some diversity in my blog reading. It was tough. It was particularly tough to find blogger of color.

    It’s good to know that nearly four years later, that is no longer the case.

    B’shalom,

    Jeff

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on June 14th, 2008 9:54 am

    Hi Jeff -

    Yeah, as I wrote, I’m embarrassed to say that I really didn’t even think about it much – I’ve always realized that Derek Arnold is the only non-White blogger I can think of in NEOhio. I know Cincinnati has a few bloggers of color, but other than that? There have got to be more, I keep thinking but I don’t like that they aren’t more apparent. Maybe I need to ask George more about it but I guess I just would have thought that “blogs would bring us together” or something and it wouldn’t be segmented. I know – naive.

    Anyway – I’m going through the quandary of whether to blogroll blogs AS “WOC” or “POC” – I mean, personally – I really don’t like that notion, but on the other hand, I’m finding that that reference is common within the blogs by bloggers of color. I’m just not sure and also, I think preferences vary from blogger to blogger.

    Do you have an opinion on that?

  3. 3 Jeff Hes on June 14th, 2008 10:54 am

    Shalom Jill,

    Yes. My preference is to not make note of gender, ethnicity, race, political faction or any other criteria in my blog roll other than geographic, i.e. NEO vs Non-NEO.

    I wouldn’t feel right qualifying you as a female blogger because that implies that you are measured on a different scale than non-female bloggers.

    You are on my daily read list not because you’re one of my favorite blond, Jewish, suburban female bloggers under 50, but rather because you’re one of my favorite bloggers. Full stop.

    B’shalom,

    Jeff

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on June 14th, 2008 10:59 am

    Yeah, I totally get that but well, it’s really too much to go into right at the moment, but the women of color whose writing has started to influence me and others who are involved in anti-racist and other “anti-ism” activity seem to be absolutely okay with the labeling – it’s turned a lot on its head for me.

    I honestly don’t know how it works/should work so to speak.

    The main flaw I see in being “blind” to all that as you describe it is that then, we don’t get the benefit, necessarily, of a variety of first-person voices who are living something we never will. This is very important, I believe. And it’s part of what I’m trying to remedy/rectify/offer as a choice for readers who visit this blog.

    I’m barely in the embryonic stage of this so if I’m not making sense, well – no surprise. :)

  5. 5 Jeff Hes on June 14th, 2008 11:34 am

    Shalom Jill,

    How we classify ourselves is different from how others classify us.

    I don’t have a problem making West Virginia/Redneck/Hillbilly/White Trash jokes about myself. But I’m might go all Deliverance on someone else who makes that kind of crack.

    If a group of Black Female Lesbian bloggers want to group themselves under that banner, that’s their choice and I applaud it. It would be totally different for me to impose that label upon them — even if they use it themselves — in my blogroll.

    B’shalom,

    Jeff

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