lready a successful businesswoman and an inveterate networker, Anita
Brown is at the heart of a growing community of African-Americans working
to translate their real-world values to the Internet -- and make it work
for them.
Anita maintains a cybershop on Melanet, a website owned by an
African- American family. There she sells her "Wearable Memories" T-shirts,
hats, and aprons, and meets weekly in cyberspace with other
African-American professionals and entrepreneurs.
"Every chance you can, put your money in another Black hand," she exhorts
in Buying Black, a list of online black entrepreneurs.
Anita's forceful, positive
personality and strong sense of community have made her a sort of virtual
den mother for others seeking resources, advice, and spiritual
refreshment. She runs a weekly online chat forum and sends daily
inspirational emails to a list of over 200 African- Americans.
"I can't decide which of my stories to share," she says, "announcing
the birth of my brother's first grandson via email; meeting and working
with folks across the country via weekly online meetings; hearing the voice of a
cyberfriend for the first time; or the many electronic prayers and
condolences from my cyberfamily since my mother's death on January 22.
Thank you, all."
