I like some of the sites but they vary in their depth and the commitment of the individual(s) behind them. Some of very good while others won’t be around long given the nature of their content and their lack of focus.

A couple of examples that I see in a quick Google search (I have no stake or involvement with either of them):

1) Young, Black and Fabulous has done a great job of garnering search engine attention and taking a lead on the gossip column theme but I find this type of site only appeals to those who use the internet primarily for entertainment. Many of us who are running online businesses just don’t have the time to keep up with the latest celebrity sightings.

2) Young Black Starz is a great effort in showcasing our talented up and comers while providing a fairly active community experience.

The “Young, Black, and …” theme runs through a lot of website content but there seem to be few sites strictly dedicated to a specific view of the theme. Sadly, when you check domain names that begin with “youngblackand”, most are reserved by cyber squatters who have seen the trend as an opportunity to capitalize and thereby preventing legitimate use unless you’re willing to purchase the domain.

There’s certainly a need for sites that cater to the African-American/Black demographic and niche. Whether youngblack (which I agree are often visited by those of us who are not so young but who identify with their themes) or something else, the key going forward is to focus on more than just being black and to further narrow your niche in order to be relevant to an audience of black internet users who are becoming more discriminating in our online content choices.

There’s plenty of opportunity remaining for great sites by black internet website authors and social network builders who can focus on where we have keen interests in connecting, sharing and learning from one another.

The readers though — i agree are all across the board — my 57 year old mom is a big fan of a couple of them

They definitely fill a huge gap when it comes to the images and opinions of us in the media.

Also, they are not just Young, Black (…..) many of the readers are older (the Young Black (…..) + 10-15 years.

@TomBoutus, Very interestingly and eloquently put “We are the middle child, the media shows blacks as either old civil rights leaders, young thugs or square sellouts.” I know when I was growing up I didn’t know or know of any “hip” lawyers, doctors, ect. Though there may have been many that is not the social status I associated those people with.