On the early morning of 2 a.m. February 1st 2012, the Black Girl Nerds blog was born. It started with a simple Google search of a term that defined me. A term that always defined me, yet I tried for so many years to stay away from. A term that made me realize that I am not a one-dimensional cultural stereotype. A term that made me realize I am not a part of the "status quo".
I am simply a nerdy black girl who likes to blog.
In Februray 2011 (this month apparently has some sort of significance) I launched a page called Black Girl Nerds. It was quite random. A friend of mine on Facebook liked a page called "Black Hotties" that featured images of beautiful Black men and women and the page had hundreds of fans. I thought it would be interesting to simply create a page called Black Girl Nerds. It was just an arbitrary moment to be honest. However, little did I know that by creating the page it turned out to become the foundation that allowed preparation for something greater. The Facebook page received a modest amount of 20 fans or so when it was first launched. When I noticed each day there would be a new like here and there I started updating more frequently.
The night the blog was born I wasn't quite sure what I was doing with the blogsite, I just wanted to create a site where girls like me can feel free to express themselves without judgement or bitter criticism. I also wanted to come to terms with who God created me to be --quirks and all-- to the entire world and no longer be ashamed of who and what I am.
In 2012 the seed was planted. Over the course of less than a year, the BGN blog has received a large readership and heavy support from nerdy girls everywhere and not just women of color. BGN has also received alot of support from nerdy guys to who love to comment on the Facebook page and tweet to the BGN account on Twitter.
I want to first and foremost start out by thanking Amaya Radjani, who immediately emailed me the very day I launched this blog. She instantly offered her talented skills asking to contribute to the site. I knew God was behind the details when a published author proposed to help write blog posts on this site.
I also want to personally thank the writers who also started in the early this year:
Terra Cooke - Thank you for your honest posts and your candid way of expressing your love life! I also appreciate your social causes that you express to us and I love your funny quotes on Twitter!
Barbara Murray - Thank you for always sharing updated posts and images on Facebook to other social networking sites. You continue to spread the love of BGN everywhere and it allows other girls out there who don't know about the blog, to know exactly where to find us!
Nikki Lajoy - Thank you for your amazing ideas that has generated alot of buzz about the blogsite and has exposed more nerdy black girls to the blog. You always provide great insight and I'm so grateful to have you be a part of this site.
Shanna Evans - Thank you for your absolute realness. You're writing style is phenomenal and I always look forward to what you have to say. You have the unique talent of being serious and funny at the same time and I enjoy seeing that dichotomy in your work!
Truphena Matunda - Thank you for being a part of this blog :-) Your contributions have been a delight and please don't feel like because you can't always post as frequently that you are not a contributor to this site. You are a part of the BGN team and I am so blessed your talent is featured on the pages of this site.
Jeffrey Sims - Our only guy! Thanks for offering your posts to the site! Although we may not always agree with what you have to say, we appreciate the time and effort in writing for BGN. You are appreciated!
I also want to say thank you to the newbies who joined our team late this year:
Angélique Roché - Thanks for joining us and I look forward to seeing more from you in the New Year. I've started watching episodes of Dr. Who because of you!
Latanya Barrett - Thank you for your awesome fashion-forward related posts and to joining the team! I enjoy chatting with you on Google and look forward to more of your awesome posts as well!
The social commentary and personal stories of these contributors, is what gives this blog its diverse flavor and helps build into a safe place for nerds everywhere to read stories for people like them. I know for certain that if this blog was only authored by me, it would not have nearly as much substance as it has currently, and I am grateful to each of you for that. This blog just wouldn't be the same without any of you.
In 2013 be prepared for some new material and new projects to be birthed from this blog. I'm working and praying that the new year will bring more opportunities to allow our voices and faces to be heard and seen, and my dream is that our subculture will be heavily represented in TV, Films, Print, and Social Media. As a believer in a Father who can do ALL things, I know that if He stays behind the details then His fruits will blossom in abundance. With that said, I just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and please have a safe and happy holiday as you celebrate 2013.
Thank you for your emails, love, support, insight, and comments.
Here's to 2013!
J.
