There’s a new website spreading across the Internet as of late, and with any luck, it’s revolutionary implications will help re-instate a sense of black solidarity and empowerment the likes of which haven’t been seen since Black Wall St.
Welcome to The Blackground – a site designed to bring about easy access to black community, businesses, love and economic solidarity – created entirely by and for black folks. Think of it as “an online country that provides a wow factor for its tourists,” site creator and Michigan native Noble Williams states in an email interview. “It’s Yelp, Craigslist, the Yellow Pages, PlentyOfFish and MySpace all in one, except it’s theblackground.com.”
The site was launched at the beginning of October, but has been in the works since last May. “I wanted to connect black people to black services and opportunities that were hard to obtain or hadn’t been realized,” Williams states. When it came to building the site, though, Williams says, “My ability to build websites only goes so far. I constantly implement content, layout, visuals and color schemes, but I have a small team that helps with hard coding.” He adds, “I wanted to make a site that was functional and gave people something to look forward to.”
“It was manifested from a place of frustration,” Williams says. “It gets hard to visit cities that have black-owned companies that you can’t find or only lasted eight months.” From that frustration, Williams stepped into his vision:
“The goal is to bring awareness that businesses and services exist within and for black communities. The Blackground is a way for small businesses that can’t compete from a marketing perspective to stake a claim in their own communities via the Internet. It’s an opportunity to build a new Black Wall St. online, and with no threat of a bombing!”
How important and empowering is black community, especially black economic empowerment? Take a listen to Dr. Claud Anderson, author of the forthcoming “A Black History Reader: Questions You Never Thought To Ask” in a clip from Tariq Nasheed’s three-part documentary series, “Hidden Colors,” below:
Williams states, “I created the website so that there would be an opportunity for black dollars to continue to circulate within the black community. That’s the only way to build up the community. Handouts are not necessary. This is also a way to truly be my brothers’ keeper. Now, there’s a platform to hold one another accountable in commerce.”
The Blackground requires no fees to sign up and start interacting online, from placing your own ads or listing your own business, to searching for romance or the next great hidden spot for a savory dinner at a locally-owned black restaurant. “Anyone wanting to advertise, sponsor, list a classified or dating profile, just has to click on the appropriate category and the site walks you through the process. It’s easy!” Williams states. “Users have the ability to rate experiences, add multiple photos, video content, link to URL’s and their Facebook profile.” He adds, “Members can expect to see a different video each day that promotes growth, knowledge and harmony, on the home page.”
And if one has any doubt about theblackground.com’s potential, Williams puts it all into perspective for you:
“If you go to your phone and search for barbecue all that will come up is Famous Dave’s, Applebee’s, Smokey Bones, TGIF’s, etc., but what you really want is the old man from Mississippi with the toothpick hanging out of his mouth.
“This is how you’ll find him.”
All that’s stopping theblackground.com from becoming a grand success, and a most useful tool for black community and economic empowerment, ironically, is for a wide enough segment of the international black community to find the site and take a few seconds to sign up and begin interacting.
This is how you build community and expand empowerment through solidarity. Sometimes, revolution can be this easy: enter The Blackground.
Featured image by theblackground.com, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.
