SPECIAL EDITION: Happy 1 Year Anniversary Brownstone!

Happy Birthday Brownstone! Today marks our 1 year blogaversary. I can’t believe that a year has gone by already! My baby is growing up so fast...lol. We’re accomplished so much this year. I don’t think you understand how much hard work has gone into this blog! So much planning (a year and a half) went into the actual launch of the site. It’s amazing to see how much Brownstone has grown and to see it slowly maturing into such an amazing resource for you our readers.

Her Story. In my very first post, I introduced Brownstone as a new blog that would empower young African-American girls of color. After growing up with magazines like Teen People and Seventeen that I loved reading, but couldn’t really see myself in; I had a dream to create an outlet that not only represented the interests of black teens but would also serve as voice for your generation. Like our tagline says, it’s about your story, the journey you are taking into womanhood, and the legacy you are creating.

From hair to beauty to relationships, we understand that as girls we may go through the same issues, but as young black women our struggles are different. And rather than ignore that, we choose to acknowledge it! In addition, we strive to highlight the successes of black women. There are so many negative stereotypes in the media regarding black women that we want to empower young girls with positive images and stories of what black woman really can do!

Hopefully by now you have an understanding of my story and why Brownstone is so important. I hope that you will be inspired to share your story with us too, so that we can help each other along our journeys.

Her Journey. Many times, I’ve heard the saying “It's about the journey, not the destination.” I think that I finally get it now that I’ve been actively working on Brownstone for 2 years. Creating and managing a blog is not easy! But when you think about it...nothing worth having is. A lot of time has gone into recruiting writers and thinking of content that is appealing to you girls. Some days have been great and others not so much. But rather than focusing on the long term goals for this project, which is to ultimately turn Brownstone into an online magazine, I’m learning to take the growth of Brownstone day by day. It’s very crucial that we do this right! I’ve seen so many black publications (with similar goals to Brownstone) come and go. Brownstone is here for the long run, so I don’t mind taking my time if that means being known nationally in the future. At the end of the day I’m thankful to say that we’re still here! I’m so proud of what our little blog is becoming :)

In year one, I’ve been most excited about our Brownstone Women’s Spotlight (BWS) that is featured at the end of each month. We introduced BWS back in February as we honored Black History Month. Our goal has been to feature everyday women to show that you don’t have to be a celebrity to be successful. We’ve highlighted some pretty amazing women from Kristin Jones, the White House intern to Nicole Gray, an up and coming sheriff. In addition, recently we’ve had several jr correspondents from Berkeley High School report on popular youth trends in fashion. I’m so excited to see teens interested in writing for Brownstone and hope that more will follow.

Her Legacy. Brownstone is just a piece of the legacy that I want to leave behind. We hope that you have enjoyed the stories we’re shared so far and we look forward to what is to come. Brownstone was created for you, so we definitely want to hear more from our readers in the future. Don’t be afraid to share with us what you like and dislike. Believe me our feelings won’t be hurt! We have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming year: more jr correspondent reporting, exciting features and a NEW website. As Brownstone continues to grow, I hope that a brighter light will shine on the stories of our journeys that will one day become our legacy.

Special Thanks. I personally would like to thank my team of writers: Kyle, Martine, Brittany, and Rebecca. You ladies have been a tremendous help to me over the past year! A special shout out to guest bloggers Nyvia and Chevonne, who have both added a unique point of view to the site. And of course, I would like to acknowledge our other guest bloggers and jr correspondents who have stepped in to make this dream of mine a reality. Thanks to my friends and family who have offered their support and advice. A special thanks to Myshell Tabu who designed the Brownstone logo. Stay tuned...the best is yet to come!

Cheers to Brownstone and many more years of telling “Her Story. Her Journey. Her Legacy.”

-- Tymika Morrison
Brownstone Team