The Best of the Best of the 2009 Just Posts

Strike up the band! Break out the champagne! Holly and I are ready to announce the results of the “Best of the Best of the 2009 Just Posts” voting. Can you believe we’ve finally gotten here? The imperfect process has taken us almost 3 months, and it’s been a remarkable experience. We’ve learned lots, and read and re-read lots, and been gratified by your comments and support. And we got lots of help, for which we are hugely grateful. Thank you, again, to all of you who read, reviewed, promoted, voted, and were otherwise there for this project. I could go on and on, but I’ll spare you. (For now. [cue ominous laughter])

And now [cue drumroll] the voting results, by category:

SOCIAL JUSTICE as political/legal :

• Posts Related to GENDER EQUITY
  forgiveness by Christine at by flutter
• Posts related to RACE (a tie)
  Attention White Folks by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
  Ma: Little Bigot On the Prairie by Mary at The Eleventh
• Posts related to SEXUALITY
  Maine. by Erika at Be gay about it.

SOCIAL JUSTICE as health/wellness:

• Posts related to FOOD AND NUTRITION
  When is zero not really zero? When it describes your food. by Kimberly at The Gav Menagerie
• Posts related to DISEASE AND ILLNESS
  In Health there is Freedom, Health is the First of all Liberties by thordora at Spin Me I Pulsate
• Posts related to CHILD WELFARE
  The Speech, Remix Edition by Kyla at The Journey

SOCIAL JUSTICE as socio-economic inequalities :

• Posts related to VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
  guilty pleasure monday: millworker (james taylor) by wreke at wrekehavoc
• Posts related to EDUCATION
  On Social Justice and Education by Brigitte Knudson at A Liberal Education
• Posts related to SOCIAL/SOCIETAL VALUES
  American Me by jen at one plus two

SOCIAL JUSTICE as advocacy/service :

• Posts related to SERVICE AND ACTION
  No More Hall Passes by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• Posts related to INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY
  Charity vs. Democracy by Magpie at Magpie Musing

SOCIAL JUSTICE…

• serious topics approached with HUMOR
  My, what a gayngled web we weave. by Erika at Be gay about it.

We have a prize for each of the post authors above in the form of a hand-made piece of New Orleans art (from Holly) and a bit of fair trade Theo chocolate (from Alejna). To collect your prizes, please send your snail mail addressess to Holly at (coldspaghetti at gmail dot com) or Alejna (alejna99 at gmail dot com).

And, for the post that received the largest number of votes in any category:
When is zero not really zero? When it describes your food. by Kimberly at The Gav Menagerie

Congratulations, Kimberly! We’ve got an extra special prize for you (and we promise it won’t have trans fats!)

Editors’ Picks:
And just because we’ve gone absolutely mad with power, we also wanted to recognize a couple more posts that, in addition to all those voices that have been recognized above, have really spoken to us. So we’ve got loot for two more, too! (Mind you, I wish we could send prizes to every single participant in the project: finalists, semi-finalists, and everyone who read, commented, posted and contributed in various ways. But that much fair trade chocolate and postage would definitely break the bank…)

I had a hard time choosing just one, as so many of the posts from the year really moved me. There are, for example, quite a few posts by authors in this lists above that have moved and inspired me. For example, Stacie, Emily, Erika and Jen have all written powerfully on so many different topics, and they each have written posts that, for me, really capture the spirit of the Just Posts: posts that bring in personal experiences to the larger social issue, posts that move me emotionally as well as make me want to act. But they each already have posts on the list above. I also really appreciate it when writers bring in humor to address serious subjects, and I confess that I am quite fond of submom’s All Things on Cable TV Considered, I wish my Hotel had Porn…. (Come on, is that a great post title, or what?)

In the end, though, I decided that I want to highlight a post that has really kept me thinking, for months after I read it: When Allies Fail, Part One by Tami at What Tami Said, as well as its companion post,Part Two.

I love that these posts gives practical advice on furthering activist movements, and in particular “maintaining alliances in the face of failure.” They speak to my periodic frustrations with some members of activist communities, where the discourse between those working towards the same ends is often more bitter and caustic than that directed against those who more actively demean marginalized groups, or who actively oppose the agenda of the activist movement. But I suppose the reason that these posts stuck with me most is that they speak to me as an activist, and to my ongoing internal struggles with my imperfect self. They lay out what it means to be a member of marginalized group vs. what it means to be an ally who comes from a more privileged group. They have helped me to process thoughts and actions in my own past that have shamed me, as I have bumbled along as a well-intentioned yet often insecure and under-informed individual.

Please also see which post Holly has chosen for her editor’s pick.

If you have a post in the lists above, we invite you to display a button:

On the left is a png (transparent background) and on the right is a jpg (white background).

For more information on the Just Posts, please visit the Just Posts information page.