Blackbird – seriously, we need our own broswer now?

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Fine, I could understand BET before it became the moral-less hoochie-call that passes for entertainment it is today.  There’s Jet and Ebony, both were staples in my home growing up.

In the Detrot market we have WADL TV38, which I’m guessing will empower and uplift, right after the re-runs of Sanford and Son, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and A Different World.

Now we have BlackBird – a browser by Blacks for Blacks.  Why you ask?

“Because we know that 85% of African Americans prefer online news and information from the Black perspective.* ”

I seem to be in the lowly 15% because I prefer news and information from an informed perspective, not slanted. I can think back to when Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was first indicted. The Michigan Chronicle in one of the oldest continually running Black Owned and Operated newspapers in the country, yet their early pieces, and even news items as the evidence mounted, were positive about the Mayor, and even served as his mouthpiece. It wasn’t until he a few weeks before he plead guilty did they finally ask him to step down – not because he was a crappy human being, but because he was wrecking the neighborhood.

That’s not perspective – that’s bias. I don’t want my news full of bias against The Man. I don’t like editorials in my newscasts as it is, and now you want to give me an entire browser full of the kind of crap I left my former university for?

Asinine.

That’s the only word I have for this.

Blackbird is a huge step backwards. Is there a skin that translates all of the text into ebonics?

There seems to be this idea that Blacks need their own little carved out space on the Internet, because only “Blacks understand Blacks”, which I find kind of hard to believe since there seems to be a language barrier and a few levels.

“Because we know that you are twice as likely to be among the first to discover new trends and use advanced technology compared to the general population.* ”

I can’t possibly see how. Using the new Pay As You Go phone isn’t exactly cutting edge. Will Google AdSense be replaced with ads for Kool and Colt 45?

“The Blackbird Browser gives you access to Internet sites just like Internet Explorer, plus more community-specific features when you want them. For example, Black Search moves important information from African American sites higher in your search results. Try the Blackbird Browser and see how we are customizing the web experience just for you.”

So I did.

And it’s not for me, and I’ll leave it at that.

I’m not so ignorant and technologically illiterate that  need a browser to tell me where I need to surf for information and friendship.  I’m Black, but it doesn’t define me.  I’m more than the color of my skin but the makers of Blackbird seem to want to pigeonhole me into into a few Black-centric/Christian site, because I’m Black and that’s what Blacks do.