Pegasus News content partner interview: Dallas South

by Alex Bentley

Shawn Williams of Dallas South is another of our earliest content partners, with his first piece, an interview with South Oak Cliff High School basketball coach James May II, appearing on Nov. 14, 2006. Since then, he's taken on a wide variety of subjects, including sports, theater, food, politics, music, and more. Much like Michael Davis of Dallas Progress, though, he's gradually gotten more into politics, even covering the Democratic National Convention last summer.

Pegasus News: When did you start Dallas South and what were your reasons for starting it?

Williams: I started Dallas South in June of 2006 after reading an article in Men’s Health that suggested using a blog as a forum to express your opinion or as a start up business. The thought of a blog as a business didn’t make much sense at the time so I thought it would be a good way for me to represent my passion for the African-American community in Southern Dallas

Pegasus News: What is the main focus of your blog?

Williams: When I started the website, it was designed to focus on street level, ultra local issues in Southern Dallas. The blog is now an extension of my personality and since I have trouble focusing, so does Dallas South. I believe if I had to choose, I’d say politics is the main focus, but we talk a lot about health, the economy, religion and education as well.

Pegasus News: What would you like your readers to get out of your blog?

Williams: I want my readers to get stories that they may not easily find the mainstream media and an opinion that is not represented there as well. With the transition that’s going on in traditional media, there are less African-American voices that are able to use that platform to express their opinions. My hope is that Dallas South will help fill that void.

Pegasus News: What role, if any, do your readers play in how you approach your blog?

Williams: One of the great things that happened in 2008 is a number of my readers stepped up to provide guest posts. Also one of my readers (Kristin who blogs at Because I Said So) stepped in as co-host of the Shawn P. Williams Show on Blog Talk Radio. Other readers forward me stories that they think will make for great posts. I’ve tried to create a community amongst readers and contributors which we refer to as the Dallas South Family.

Pegasus News: You were able to attend last year's Democratic National Convention – what was that experience like for you?

Williams: It was an amazing experience that wouldn’t have happened if Michael Davis of Dallas Progress had not sent out a last minute email reminding me of the deadline to apply for credentials. Once I arrived in Denver it was as well organized and historic as I thought it would be. But what surprised me was how in many ways, bloggers had better access at the event than the mainstream media folks. Our workspace was inside the Pepsi Center and equipped with hard wired connections. We were even able to tour the podium where all the action took place. It was a great time to be part of the blogosphere.

Pegasus News: Do you have any favorite topics that you like to write about or have written about?

Williams: In ’07, I was able to chime in on civil rights issues in Paris, Texas and Jena, Louisiana early on. And in 2008 of course Dallas South was a big player in the Texas Presidential Primary because we were one of the first spots to outline the Texas Two-Step and the precinct conventions. But this year I’ve focused on stepping outside my comfort zone and writing about topics that aren’t as easy for me, whether it’s the plight of homosexual black men or higher education in Texas.

Pegasus News: You have an event tomorrow, March 13, called Get Into the City – what is the purpose of this event and what was your inspiration for holding it?

Williams: The main purpose of “Get Into the City” is to allow readers to experience parts of Dallas that they may not think to visit. Our first stop will be at South Side Station and more specifically Texas Caribbean Foods. I often meet people there are at Opening Bell Coffee and they say “I didn’t even know this was down here. Hopefully after Friday more people will know about the South side. The added benefit will be meeting more of our readers and putting a username with a face. If all goes well, we’ll do it again in June.

Pegasus News: What do you see as the future of your blog?

Williams: This is an interesting time for Dallas South. For the last two months I’ve been working to see if we can turn this social media thing into a full-time gig through blogging, freelance writing, consulting, and speaking. I’ve got another couple of months to pull it all together, but so far the venture is a little bit ahead of schedule. I’ll have a better feel for our future by the time summer rolls around.

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