Have you ever done “start up”? I mean have you ever been at the very beginning of a new organization, something that required the earliest participants to take a leap of faith that others would eventually step to offer support, too? If you have, count yourself lucky. It is a powerful experience to watch over time as that once “new” entity morphs into “established.” And once it is established, it seems like it has always been there.

If I had a high powered magic wand, all of you would have attended the Blogging While Brown conference right along side me. You would have met all of the talented and wise participants and sponsors gathered in Atlanta for this inaugural gathering. You would have experienced what some of us believe is the beginning of a new Niagra Movement. Instead I’ll do my best to translate the palpable energy of the event into a few words here.

Picture this… an entire room full of academically and street savvy young professionals all standing up and proclaiming they will never ever let you fall. Each introduction filtered more specific and intriguing. Everyone moving forward bound together with an obsession for documenting and spreading knowledge of the current state of black society in the US and at large. From Pocketbook Protest, Blogging While Brown

But for me, the core lesson of this experience is that if you see a problem or a void then you can take steps to solve it or fill it.

Engine of activism Gina McCauley had an idea, a vision for a wide-reaching gathering of bloggers of color. Gina believed that while we may share some ideas and support each other online, there is no stronger reinforcement of community than meeting, speaking and sharing hugs offline. That is how community is still solidified. Gina stepped out in faith and the result was a gathering that most of us believe was historic.

When we were taking the group photo, I was reminded of the picture from the Niagara Movement in 1905. One day far in the future -which means 2010 in internet years-we’ll look back at the photo and think that a new movement took root, or was furthered in Atlanta in July of 2008. Shawn P. Williams, Dallas South Blog

Like BlogHer unites women, and NetRoots Nation unites liberal progressives, (both BlogHer and Daily Kos BWB sponsors) Blogging While Brown united black bloggers from all over the country to share information and to create an atmosphere where the countless spontaneous exchanges of ideas and concerns led to bursts of new ideas and fresh strategies. I have no doubt that many of those ideas hashed out and fleshed out during the conference will manifest into effective initiatives in the coming months.

PS Thank you for your good wishes and support regarding my workshop presentation. Attendees gave me feedback that was roundly positive. I called my presentation “Secrets from a Media Insider: How to make news and make news work for you.” My goal was to help bloggers connect with TV news media in more effective ways. Keep in mind, with more than 20 million people watching network news every night, no medium is more powerful or essential to spreading important messages than network television news (cable, too.)

PPS Over the next few posts I will be exploring a few of the big ideas racing through my mind since Blogging While Brown. I hope you will weigh in with your thoughts, too.