Dallas South nominates Texas Bloggers for Texan of the Year

Here’s my nomination for Texan of the Year that appeared in Monday’s Dallas Morning News.

Texas bloggers kept social activism alive

In 2006, most Americans did not know what a blog was or where it was from. Now, Web journalism and social activism are an integral part of Americana.

Our state is honorably represented in this space, which is why I nominate the Texas blogger as Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.

Locally, the blog Dallas Progress is a prime example of webroots advocacy. Michael Davis has used the site to highlight economic disparities in our city. He helped shut down hot-sheet motels and tear down crack houses in southern Dallas neighborhoods.

Statewide, a number of political blogs were active in this transformational year for Web politics. The Texas Progressive Alliance – a group of about 40 lefty blogs – formed in hopes of changing Texas politics from red to blue.

And give a shout-out to Grits For Breakfast, a criminal justice blog; What About Our Daughters, the Austin-based blog whose publisher hosted the first convention for bloggers of color this year; and even gossip blogs, like Mrs. Grapevine, based in Grapevine, and Young Black and Fabulous, written by a graduate of Texas A&M.

Shawn Williams, publisher, dallassouthblog.com