Traditionally, when the media wanted African-American commentary on the news topic of the day, there were the predictable go-to-guys: Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson or Reverend [insert name here], to name a few. However, in the midst of a digital revolution and in the age of Obama, a new generation of African-American scholars has emerged. While they are all educated, opinionated and engaged, interchangeable they are not.
It is their experiences combined with their individuality that shape their resounding and distinctive voices. Nowadays, in order to have a fresh and modern analysis of political and cultural affairs, the media and the public welcomes these faces. Beyond the national press, these individuals have adopted the social web [Twitter, Facebook] and personal websites as vehicles to communicate their insights and advocate on behalf of the issues dearest to them. Through writings, activism, interviews and commentary, they have proved to be some of the most interesting African-American voices heard above the crowd. And, obviously, there are many riveting pundits out there but we had to narrow down our list to a mere 11.