First new writer to Hillombo!

Português: Busto de Zumbi dos Palmares em Brasília. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Starting today you will begin to occasionally (at first) see new writers on the Hillombo blog. As noted in the "About" section, Hillombo takes its name from the Quilombo communities of Brazil, but those communities in order to exist had to be collectively supported, so it only makes sense that the blog function in a similar way. (In fact, the bust to the right is of Zumbi, one of the famed leaders of the most famous of the Quilombos, Quilombos dos Palmares). This idea has a couple of inspirations, one, information I gathered preparing for the Hill District Consensus Group's Citizen Journalism a panel. A panel that included  the author of Homewood Nation, Elwin Green, a blog that preceded Hillombo by 7 years. Blogger Matt Hawkins was to take part as well, but was feeling a little under the weather. The second piece of inspiration comes from the community of bloggers at the Crunk Feminist Collective. If you want to get some inspiration and a thoughtful take on what's happening on the national scene, reading what these women are talking about will make you sit up in your chair and work the grey matter.

So, I am honored that the first blogger besides myself on Hillombo is Ms. Renee Aldrich, longtime resident of the Hill District.  Ms. Renee's post is a beautiful piece about an unopened envelope she found that pertained to her grandmother, "Ma Pitts". This is one the many stories that are tribute to this community's  resilience and brilliance and made me wonder what stories will be told by granddaughters fifty years from today.  If you are a Hill District resident and are interested writing an article, please send me an email at jdlaing@gmail.com. Let's Get Free. Enjoy.