Last weekend I attended the inaugural Blogalicious conference, a gathering aimed at female bloggers of color and their allies (yes, you’re ALL welcome if you come with a positive vibe). I started a blog post on the plane there where I talked about how nervous I was. I didn’t know a lot of people attending, I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in and, honestly, I was afraid that I’d be burdened with some sort of expectations about who I am and how I should act. It’s a biracial thing.
In contrast to my fears, Blogalicious was a life-changing experience. The women (and men) present represented every hue you can imagine, but there was a collective sense of purpose and energy throughout the weekend. Race and ethnicity were certainly topics of discussion, but they didn’t dominate us. And most importantly, as a woman who has felt marginalized throughout her life, it was one of the few experiences where I wasn’t lumped into some pre-defined group. I was able to just be me, with all of the complexities and quirks that come with that.
The thing that really stood out was that I didn’t experience an ounce of negativity the entire weekend. Sure there were tiny complaints about trivial things (Dear W hotel, we want MAPLE syrup on our pancakes, not elderberry – what the heck is that anyway?!), but the energy was positive, constructive and supportive. Consistently. And Wow! Blogalicious had more hightlights than I could possible mention in one blog post, but I’m going to share some that jump out at me:
Listening to Denene Millner talk about her life work, her passion and her mom.
Sharing a ride, having lunch and stalking celebs/bloggers with @KeepItClassyJen (More about Jen)
Hanging out with fab ladies from The Blogrollers and CleverGirls Collective (I loved them even before I won a great prize bag!
Some deep and engaging conversation about race, ethnicity, parenting and all sorts of other things with Gina Carol (@MaDonnaNegra) and Carrie Ferguson Weir (@Carrie_in_TN).
Listening to Karen Walrond (@chookaloonks – which I can now pronounce) speak on “The Beauty of Difference.” Karen has a fantastic voice that I could listen to all day, plus a wonderful presence. Hey, Disney, how ’bout giving her a role in an upcoming animated film…?
Donning a tiara (a la Disney princesses) for a night of great music and glowy-blue drinks.
Sleeping in a wonderfully comfortable bed with no kids to wake me up.
Thanks to the ladies of MamaLaw for putting on a great conference. I’m looking forward to Miami in 2010!
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