UPDATED: Many thanks to Congressman Miller for always being available to hear out North Carolinians (bloggers and non bloggers alike) and for livebloging on this diary!
Yesterday, I had the privilege of joining other BlueNC women bloggers for a Meet and Greet with U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, D-NC, who often liveblogs here on DailyKos, where we discussed women’s issues and inclusiveness related to the blogosphere.
Photo: Tina Kissell,
wife of future US Congressman Larry Kissell
& US Rep Brad Miller (NC-D)
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF BLOGGER MEET AND GREET WITH CONGRESSMAN MILLER
The Meet & Greet was a result of SouthernDem’s efforts, who has worked tirelessly for Democratic candidates, particularly Larry Kissell, and is organizing women bloggers in NC to network and explore ways to empower women bloggers of diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who all too often are not given their "rightful place at the table." ;) Photo: SouthernDem and Momomaizo
Historically, the blogosphere has been dominated by white males and as Democrats, who embrace diversity, it’s up to us to take action to engage and empower women and bloggers of all racial, ethnic, a socioecomomic backgrounds.
Further, as the blogosphere transforms from a smaller, more specialized, far left group to a wider population, which is more representative of mainstream America, it will be increasingly important to build up communities where women and people of diverse racial, ethnic and socioecomonic backgrounds are fully included and even suburban moms, relatives of candidates, professional women...all of whom were are our meeting today, are hitting the blogs. And we vote. And we donate. And we get out in our communities as precinct captains, Dem party committee members and campaign in various ways. And now we are hitting the blogs to further our activism interests which is built in part upon our social networking.
The blogosphere is a growing political force which, as John Edwards, the top presidential "e candidate" recently said, "is a brave new world" which will "have a huge effect," and is "grassroots politics at it's best." As candidates "struggle with how to leverage Web 2.0 and online communities, it’s up to us, as bloggers, to ensure we navigate our course in a socially responsible way to maximize our potential as online activists. If we want to become a respected institution within the political arena, the question of inclusion needs to remain on the forefront.
There are countless ways in which we can support all voices being included within the blogosphere---but where do we start? How do we work together to promote our goal of embracing diversity? What are some practical ways in which we can actualize this goal?
These are the questions that we began to explore as we had lunch at a local Seagrove café and walked around central North Carolina and through the pottery galleries, taking in both the countryside and the glorious works of art by local North Carolina artisans .
This small "Seagrove area" of central NC has been home to many potters since the late 1700s.
Potters who grew up in NC pottery families, locals inspired by NC pottery traditions who learned their trade at Seagrove area community colleges,
and potters from elsewhere attracted by the Seagrove pottery community run the nearly one hundred Seagrove area pottery shops.
Beyond sharing our common political interests and discussing the blogosphere, we all came together as women who seek to work together, to "be the change we wish to see."