Holly and I pleased to announce the unveiling of the final finalist list for the best Just Posts of 2009. In this post, you can find both the list of finalists by category, and the polls to vote for your favorite posts within those categories. [March 23, 2010: voting is now closed! Thank you for your votes! You can still scroll down to see the list of finalists. ]

Please vote! And spread the word. Spread the word to others to vote, contribute, nominate, write, and read!

Thank you thank you thank you for your interest, support, and involvement in the Just Posts!

Voting and prizes:

To get right to the voting, scroll or jump down.

• Vote within as many categories as you like, but please vote only once in each category.
• There’s no need to vote in all categories at once–come back as often as you like before voting ends.
• We’ll have the polls up and open for one week.

At the end of the process, if you have voted in more than one category, we’d love to hear from you about which post you felt was the strongest of all you read. To vote on the “best of the best,” and to give additional feedback, you can go to this page.

At the end of Monday night, March 22nd, we will close the poll and start to tally the results. The top votes in each category will receive a hand-made tile from a New Orleans artisan with a few trinkets thrown in for good measure. Using your votes and any additional written input, we will recognize a post (or two, we’re not ruling out ties) as the Best of the Best Just Posts. We’ll do something extra special for this, we’re just not sure exactly what yet.

The process:
For those of you who are interested in the process, here’s a bit about our (imperfect) process of post and category selection.

Category selection:
Looking through our massive list of semifinalists, we (mostly Holly) created categories that reflected all of those 130+ posts. Then we went back to our readers’ comments and ratings and narrowed down the categories. We tried to represent a variety of voices, writers and experiences.

Here are the categories for the Best of the 2009 Just Posts. To see the posts for each category, and the polls for voting, scroll down, or click on a category name to jump right there:

SOCIAL JUSTICE as political/legal :

• Posts Related to GENDER EQUITY
• Posts related to RACE
• Posts related to SEXUALITY

SOCIAL JUSTICE as health/wellness:

• Posts related to FOOD AND NUTRITION
• Posts related to DISEASE AND ILLNESS
• Posts related to CHILD WELFARE

SOCIAL JUSTICE as socio-economic inequalities :

• Posts related to VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
• Posts related to EDUCATION
• Posts related to SOCIAL/SOCIETAL VALUES

SOCIAL JUSTICE as advocacy/service :

Posts related to SERVICE AND ACTION
Posts related to INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY

SOCIAL JUSTICE…

serious topics approached with HUMOR
(because a laugh is important, too!)

In no way is this list or these categories representative of the broad theme of “Social Justice.” It represents what we’ve been able to gather, write and have nominated. If you there are topics and categories you’d like to see better represented in the Just Posts moving forward, we welcome your input. You can let us know in the comments, or using the form on this page. We also encourage you to write and nominate posts on topics that have been under-represented!

Post selection:
As you might imagine, choosing the finalists was tough. There were many excellent posts that we had to leave out, especially in categories with many posts. We also limited the number of posts that could be included by any one author to 2. Our goal was to narrow down the number of posts in a category to 3, a manageable number to read. (As you can see, we ended up with 4 posts in several categories…)

The Polls:

Please vote for your favorite post in as many categories as you can!

SOCIAL JUSTICE as political/legal : Posts Related to GENDER EQUITY

• Antifeminist Spam by Meloukhia at This Ain’t Livin’
• forgiveness by Christine at by flutter
• Oh Oh, She’s Back on Her Soapbox Again by Chris at Formerly Fun
• Oprah and the secret lives of moms by Liz Dwyer at love is not enough

SOCIAL JUSTICE as political/legal : Posts related to RACE

• 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
• Stuff black folks don’t do: Creating our own oppression by Tami at What Tami Said
• the great american melting pot (?) by Hispanic Fanatic at Hispanic Fanatic

SOCIAL JUSTICE as political/legal : Posts related to SEXUALITY

• Frozen by Meagan at A Certain Lack of Focus
• Maine. by Erika at Be gay about it.
• Uncensored II by Megan at Missing in Iraq
• Why the Prop 8 Decision Inhibits Equality by Zack Ford at Zack Ford Blogs

SOCIAL JUSTICE as health/wellness: Posts related to FOOD AND NUTRITION

• Pensioneering by Thordora at Spin Me I Pulsate
• The cost of a winter tomato by Rebecca at Flying Tomato Farms
• When is zero not really zero? When it describes your food. by Kimberly at The Gav Menagerie

SOCIAL JUSTICE as health/wellness : Posts related to DISEASE AND ILLNESS

• A Day with Fibromyalgia by Amy at Je Ne Regrette Rien
• A Voice from the Back of the Queue by Mary G. at Them’s My Sentiments
• In Health there is Freedom, Health is the First of all Liberties by thordora at Spin Me I Pulsate

SOCIAL JUSTICE as health/wellness : Posts related to CHILD WELFARE

• 250 Children Dead of Cold in Andes: Death Toll Keeps Climbing by Barbara Drake at An American in Lima
• Safety and Self Worth: $175 by Stacie at If you want kin, you must plant kin…
• The Speech, Remix Edition by Kyla at The Journey

SOCIAL JUSTICE as socio-economic inequalities : Posts related to VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

• Faces of Poverty by Ashley at The Dhaka Diaries
• guilty pleasure monday: millworker (james taylor) by wreke at wrekehavoc
• The Holy Land by Emily at Wheels on the Bus
• War Ends, Schools Begin by Shahrazaad at Shahrazaad

SOCIAL JUSTICE as socio-economic inequalities : Posts related to EDUCATION

• Creative Freedoms and the Not Now Book by Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven
• On Social Justice and Education by Brigitte Knudson at A Liberal Education
• school daze by jen at one plus two

SOCIAL JUSTICE as socio-economic inequalities : Posts related to SOCIAL/SOCIETAL VALUES

• American Me by jen at one plus two
• Free speech, free range by almostidealist at One Year to Change the World
• peace train by wreke at wrekehavoc
• Quote of the Day by Adrianne at The Bodhi Tree

SOCIAL JUSTICE as advocacy/service : Posts related to SERVICE AND ACTION

• The Afghanis by Antropologa at Antropologa
• B is for Backpack by Laura at Our Feet are the Same
• A mini home makeover by Quadelle at Quadelle
• No More Hall Passes by Emily at Wheels on the Bus

SOCIAL JUSTICE as advocacy/service : Posts related to INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY

• Archbishop of Cusco to Evict More Local Restaurants by Barbara Drake at An American in Lima
• Charity vs. Democracy by Magpie at Magpie Musing
• Marriott is a Disgrace by Ilina at Dirt and Noise
• When Allies Fail, Part One by Tami at What Tami Said

SOCIAL JUSTICE… serious topics approached with HUMOR (because a laugh is important, too!)

• All Things on Cable TV Considered, I wish my Hotel had Porn… by submom at The Absence of Alternatives
• Can we talk? by Country Girl at Country Girl/City Girl
• My, what a gayngled web we weave. by Erika at Be gay about it.

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

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

Holly and I are roundly pleased to present the February Just Posts, the latest round of social justice posts that have been rounded up for our roundtable. Gather ’round!¹

We’re getting quite close to having the Best of 2009 JPs up and running for voting–I can say quite confidently that we will have this together by the end of 2010. And quite likely by the end of the week, even. In the meantime, please enjoy the February list.

Just Posts for a Just World, February 2010:

• Heather of finding atman with We can do better
• Emily at Wheels on the Bus with You Gotta Fight for the Right to Plie
• Tiffany Sellers of PR Musings of a Clemson Student with The Line Between Charity and Justice
• Eric at It’s the Question that Drives Us with Helping Haiti or Hurting Haiti
• girlgriot at If You Want Kin, You Must Plant Kin with Common Ground
• Country Girl at Country Girl/City Girl with That Slacker Blogger Thing
• Absence of Alternatives and Velva of Tomatoes on the Vine with The Price of Tomatoes
• Morganna of Lizbeth’s Garden with bombs
• Communication for Change with Todays’ Bad Word: Working Poor
• Oh the Joys with Enormity of Need
• Cecilieaux at Antipode with Piling on Muslims
• Barbara of An American in Lima with How to Prepare for an Earthquake in a Third World Country
• Flying Tomato Farm with Sounds Corny to Me and Stockholm Syndrome for Farmers
• Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven with Testing the Ice
• Ilina at Dirt and Noise with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative

• Alejna
• Denguy
• Holly

¹I’ve been running around in circles lately, so clearly I’m feeling a bit loopy.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Just Posts, a monthly roundtable of posts on topics of social justice hosted here and at Holly’s.

January was tough month. The earthquake in Port-au-Prince was a tragedy of such mind-numbing proportions, and the healing and recovery for Haiti has barely begun. Many of the writers this month’s roundtable have reflected on these events.

January also saw the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, an occasion which inspired some happier reflections on progress our society has made.

Slow as it seems, it helps to remember that progress has been made. In my quest for new voices to bring into the Just Posts community, I came across a short post from early February that really stuck with me:

On February 1, 1960, for the first time, black students went to a drugstore, made some purchases, sat down at the lunch counter, and wouldn’t get up. It was the first sit-in.

In six months, that drugstore counter in Greensboro, NC, was desegregated.

(An excerpt from Fifty Years Ago Today By Morganna of UUCIF Social Justice)

Something to think about.

And now, the The January Just Posts:

• Amber of Making the Moments Count with Teen Pregnancy, Is Education Helping?
• Andrea of Andrea’s Buzzing About with I can haz civil liberties?
• Casey of Moosh in Indy with on giving depression a voice
• communicationsforchange of bad words blog with Today’s Bad Word: Gay Marriage
• dodgerdeliberation of A Dodger’s Deliberation with Sweat Pants and White Privilege
• Emily of Wheels on the Bus with Take my hand come along
• girlgriot of If you want kin… with You can’t hear me …
• Holly of Cold Spaghetti with A Forgotten Hero for Modern Times
• Jane of Finding My America with Louisiana: A Story I Can’t Tell, An Unsolvable Mystery, and the Joy of Acceptance
• jen of one plus two with civic dreaming and toupatou
  Julie of Using My Words with When does the end justify the means?
• kgirl of The Kids Are Alright with Miami
• litlove of Tales from the Reading Room with Books, Ebooks and the Environment
• Mary G. of Them’s My Sentiments with Headlines. And a Mission
• Mary Lee of Merrilymarylee’s Weblog with reading by moonlight
• meloukhia of this ain’t livin’ with The Next Phase
• Meredith of PR Unfriendly with Tribute to MLK
• pgoodness of Life as I Live It with The (Monetary) Costs of Melanoma
• slouchy of Slouching Past 40 with On Haiti, The Baggage We Carry and Their Bodies, Themselves
• submom of The Absence of Alternatives with We are all in this
• Susan of Toddler Planet with In the name of awareness
• thordora of Spin Me I Pulsate with The scars of others should teach us caution.
• Tiffany Sellers of PR Musings of a Clemson Student with Sometimes the voiceless have brilliant things to say

This month’s posts were nominated by:

submom
Mad
Emily
Kitty
Holly
Alejna

If you have a post in the list above, or would just like to support the Just Posts, we invite you to display a button on your blog with a link back here, or to the Just Posts at Cold Spaghetti. If you would like to have a post included next month, you can find out how to submit posts and all sorts of other stuff about the Just Posts at the information page.

—

We should have more updates soon on our big project to highlight the fantastic Just Posts of 2009. We have gotten 2 independent reviews on all 300 posts, and are working on finalizing our lists of finalists. (Hmmm…our final lists of finalists…) Thanks so much to all of you who have participated in this project! We couldn’t do it without you.

Welcome to the December 2009 edition of the Just Posts. Holly (of Cold Spaghetti) and I are pleased to be hosting our 12 roundtable.

It’s hard to know what to say in response to some world events. The world is reeling from news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti yesterday. Living far away as we are, it is hard to know how to help.

Many organizations around the world are gearing up to join relief efforts, and many people are ready and willing to go to Haiti. (I was very moved reading the comments on this post from Mercy Corps, as dozens of people offered up their qualifications to serve as relief workers in Haiti, and offered to fly there immediately to help.)

For most of us, though, the best way to help is to donate to organizations that are active in relief efforts.

I made a donation this morning to UNICEF, and will probably make one to IRC as well. Both are international relief organizations of which I am a regular supporter, and both are actively sending relief to Haiti.

Holly has suggested donations to Hôpital Albert Schweitzer as a smaller, Haiti-based organization where funds will have more of an immediate impact.

You can also find a fairly extensive list assembled on the NPR blog of ways to help.

And now, for this month’s list. As ever, I am inspired and heartened by the range of voices speaking out on topics of social justice.

The December 2009 Just Posts:

• Claudia at The Bottom of Heaven with:Some Thoughts on the Princess and the Frog
• Country Girl of Country Girl/City Girl with Can we talk?
• Emily of Wheels on the Bus with A letter to the peeps in Copenhagen
• Erika of Be gay about it. with Everybody hurts., Merry Christmas to all. and Shine your light, share your story …AND WIN A CONTEST!!
• Ginny at Praying to Darwin with: A Tree Grows in the Psych Ward
• girlgriot at If you want kin… with: I’m asking again: How long? and Safety and Self Worth: $175
• h.e.g. of Faith and Aids with Speaking out against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009
• Kitty at The Show Must Go On with: See Ya in Your Nightmares
• Magpie of Magpie Musing with Charity vs. Democracy
• Meloukhia at This Ain’t Livin’ with: Glee: Sectionals and Antifeminist Spam
• submom of The Absence of Alternatives with” All things on cable TV considered, I wish my hotel had porn…
• Thailand Chani of Finding My Way Home with Sacred Life Sunday: No Slime Zone!
• wrekehavoc with world aids day 2009

Thank you for your support in our efforts this past year. Your comments and contributions are what keep us going!