5 Black Blogs and Reasons to Follow Them

There is no doubt that there are not enough black people blogging on the internet. A lot of it has to do with the socioeconomic status of African-Americans and the lack of a regular internet source, but some of it has to do with a culture that just isn't as inclined to use the web.

Still, for the relatively few black interested in blogs and interacting on the web on the daily basis, they do have their options. And even though their options may only amount to the television equivalent of having just one channel focusing on them (ehemm, BET), that still equates to hundreds of blogs, with some of the best being the five I have listed here.

Blog It Out Bitch (BIOB)
With charisma of a southern belle and the wit of a Generation X, BIOB brings you Nina, a mother, wife and burgeoning professional. Nina isn't your typical black person, as she makes some of her living writing a blog and conducting surveys, is apparently in an interracial marriage, and has no problem putting her family issues out there on the World Wide Web. Her daily stories about her encounters with racial issues, her children, school and her writing are told so well and in such an appealing fashion that you think you're reading a novel, not just some ordinary blog.

FreshXpress
FreshXpress is the only blog that's bringing you syndicated black opinion, analysis and more opinion day by day, hour after hour. Seriously, these guys should be running BET. They bring in tons of black writers from all over the blogosphere to contribute unique, substantial commentaries and rants of all kinds. They certainly take a very liberal stance, and their opinions of "The man" are anything but favorable, but once you get past all of that, you never really know where they are going to go on anything. From bashing the crap out of the latest rendition of The Real World to diving into black love and politics, FreshXpress leaves nothing to the imagination and rarely fails to expand mine.

Man and Wife
I don't know if you ever catch this couple on MTV (Lord knows I've never seen them), but legend has it that they have some kind of show on the network. Still, real followers of Man and Wife will love this extraordinary black couple's presence on the web more than anything. What does their site entail? Mainly just the two of them, legendary rapper Fan Man Scoop and his wife Shanda, talking about current events and giving their best advice to other couples watching. It really is a beautiful thing to see; two black people in love, sharing their love with the world and giving advice on the world from a very comfortable place in life. So if you're ever looking for an introspective take on black love, let this blog be the place you turn to.

PostBourgie
Want news from a black perspective? This is your place. While CNN throws Black in America at you twice every 3 decades, PostBourgie is bringing you black Americans 24/7. With great, educated, profound perspective on issues having to deal with black culture, advancement and life, PostBourgie is one of the best political blogs on the web for black people. They just recently launched a new podcast as well, and I have to tell you, it's one of the silliest, deepest takes on politics I have heard in a while. Check it out. You will love it!

Very Smart Brothas
Talk about opinionated without opining. Very Smart Brothas (VSB) skips the niceties and dives right into the meat of every societal subject they broach. And while everything they put out there is pure opinion, they're openly selling it as fact. They have no problem telling you what lies your spouse is feeding you, why a black man is going to leave his woman for a white girl or why R. Kelly has had a profound effect on your life. So yes, they are a little dogmatic and intolerant, but they do it out of love. Even when they're giving you the top 10 reasons why women can't get a man, they are always open to posting the opposing view of a woman, whether it is someone they know or someone who commented on the blog. So as much as they feed you're their opinions, the reason people keep coming back to VSB is because they manage to operate as a community, not as a series of lectures. I suggest you join the conversation if you're interested in being a part of one of the most entertaining black conversations happening on the web.