Thomas Blair - The Audacity of Cyberspace

The struggle for Internet power

Thomas L Blair's Mission

In today's age, managing publication of one's work is a sign of personal liberation. Professor Blair's book, The Audacity of Cyberspace: The struggle for Internet power, is one result of his commitment to cyberfreedom for millions of the world's Internet poor communities.

Strikingly, it shows the brilliance of social networking in Black communities in the Internet landmark era - 1996-2006. This was a decade before the "net-generation" launched Senator Barack Hussein Obama into the White House.

Barack Obama's "net-generation" ignited his journey to the White House as 44th President of the US - and its first Black leader. However, the brilliance of Internet social networking was clear a decade before. Globally, cyberorganisers in America, Britain and Africa were putting the equality and justice demands of Black communities online. Chances are their radical cyberactivism impressed Barack Obama, the young community organiser in Chicago's volatile Black voting districts.

Professor Thomas L Blair, an African American resident in the UK, has a long academic career as professor of sociology and urban planning in Britain, Europe and America. Since 1996, he has contributed to the Obits and Letters pages in the dailies, The Independent and the Guardian. His website www.chronicleworld.org is cited by the British Library as a contribution to cultural and community studies in the UK Internet domain. His Chronicleworldweblog at chronicleworld.wordpress.com has increasingly gained notice.

The Audacity of Cyberspace is about cyber-action to empower communities

Professor Thomas L Blair's new book, The Audacity of Cyberspace: the struggle for Internet power, reveals how Black internet activists were demanding equality and social justice a decade before President Barack Obama's "net-generation" launched his journey to the White House.

Globally, the children of the digital age created their own Internet - "Yes We Can". Surprisingly, information-poor Black communities in the USA, Britain and Sub-Saharan Africa were amongst the first progressive voices.

Publish Date 2009

ISBN 978–1–906942–00–7

Published – UK

Rights available – contact :– jonathan@m-ybooks.co.uk

It offers case studies of Black communities bridging the digital divide in America, Britain and Africa, 50 of the best empowering strategies, and more than 200 internet sources for cyber rights and community development -- drawn the author's pioneering web site, www.chronicleworld.org

• Case studies of how people at the bottom of the information pyramid are Taming the New Technologies
• Reviews of the most important training projects for community-based cyberorganisers and information scientists
• Profiles of 200 or more Online Community Organisations creating social capital, cultural diversity and political action
• Articles promoting strategies to connect communities, expand Internet access and tackle the scourge of the Digital Century - information poverty

"Investing in the new information technology is a key factor in the future of Black communities".
Devon Thomas, Black community leader and consultant, Brixton Business Forum, London

"Prof. Blair addresses many contentious, but little understood, Internet, communications and technology social issues"
C. Gerald Fraser, former New York Times reporter, and member, National Association of Black Journalists

"Sound advice for best practices in adapting information technology, and a handbook for 21st century cyberaction for e-Black Power."
Prof. Abdul Alkalimat, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois, Urbana

"Thomas L Blair refutes the stereotype of a technologically ignorant Africa by citing hard data and anecdotes, showing the race for cyberspace extends to, is embraced by and benefit's the entire continent - with the promise of so much more to come."
Adam C Powell III, Vice Provost for Globalization, University of Southern California