As we all know, February is Black History Month. It’s a month where we honor those who have made an impact on American culture for equal rights, those who have invented, those who have a helped others and those who have inspired everyone to be the best they can be, not only as a person of color but as a human. Last year for Black History Month, I started an online series called 28 Days Diversity where I would feature someone new everyday during the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. Even though it’s black history month, the goal for 28 Days of Diversity is to feature not just African-Americans but other minorities in the web/tech space. Also note that 28 Days of Diversity is not a popularity contest or an influencer list but a list of thought leaders in the social web sector, including entrepreneurs, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends not ranked in any particular order who I have either met in person or followed online. Each post will include a picture, bio, two links from the selected person and this paragraph.
For 2011 I wanted to not just feature individuals but also address a topic that affects everyone. For 28 Days of Diversity 2011 each post/person will answer the question “How can we use technology to close the digital divide?” So for the next 28 days, come back to visit SocialWayne.com/tag/28daysofdiversity and 28daysofdiversity.com to see who’s on the list. For day 26, I would like to introduce to some and present to others:
Pam Perry
Twitter: @pamperry
Website/Blog: pamperrypr.com
Bio
Pam Perry is a PR Coach and Social Media Strategist delivering online branding and marketing solutions for best-selling authors, nonprofits and entrepreneurs. She was voted the Top 100 “Savviest in Social Media” by the StartUp Nation, one of the Top 25 Urban Professionals to Follow on Twitter by BrandMakerNews.com and one of the Top 50 Black Business Women Online by ww.mybbwo.com. She is an internet radio host of several popular shows including the Chocolate Pages where she has interviewed authors such as Kirk Franklin, Rev. Run, Demond Wilson and Yolanda Adams. Pam Perry is also a local Detroit Emmy-award winning TV producer, a columnist with Gospel Today magazine and blogs for MyBlogalious.com, Examiner.com on banding, marketing and public relations 2.0 tactics.
How can we use technology to close the digital divide?
Answer: We must continue to pound the digital pavement with relevant information to the “JOE BLOW person on the street” that the internet in not the future – it is now. And it is a lucrative economy. We must make our appeal and approach to our African American communities fresh, fun and SWAG. Create music videos if we must! We must quit being so “techy” and start showing how technology is really part of our lifestyle and not just for those who work in the computer/internet industry. Real people where they are – and bring them up. And once we do that and really break it down to folks, they’ll come in and add their FLAVOR.
You can follow the status of 28 Days of Diversity 2011 on http://28daysofdiversity.com, http://socialwayne.com/category/28-days-of-diversity/ and syndicated on BlackWeb 2.0.
