Well, the readers of Booker Rising have spoken! Eighty individuals were nominated this year. Over four days of voting, a semi-finalist list of the Top 5 nominees was then whittled down to three finalists by Booker Rising reader votes. The combined semi-finalist and finalist tally for the top three candidates: Congressman-Elect Allen West received 45.8% of the vote, black Tea Party activists received 37.4%, and Congressman-Elect Tim Scott received 16.8%. The 26 individuals in the Top 25 Bookeristas of 2010 (there was a tie for 25th place) are:
1. Allen West, 49 - 2010 Bookerista Of The Year
Congressman-elect and conservative Republican |
Plantation, Florida, USA
2010 claim to fame: Florida's 1st black Republican elected to the U.S. Congress since 1876, unseating an incumbent in the process
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
U.S. President Barack Obama campaigned against him. The all-Democratic Congressional Black Caucus campaigned against him. The Democratic Party of Florida even "accidentally" released his Social Security number. Yet the former Army lieutenant colonel prevailed in unseating liberal Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.). The firebrand politico even raised a whopping $5.4 million - more than any other congressional challenger in America - for his congressional bid. Mr. West has more than 43,000 fans on Facebook. Although he doesn't take office until next month, Mr. West is already challenging Congressional leadership regarding what he calls a lax work schedule and cushy retreats. He has also stated his plan to join the Congressional Black Caucus, citing a goal to increase its ideological diversity.
2. Black Tea Party Activists, various ages
Center-right | USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting limited government
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
2010 was a year of heightened black center-right activism in America. Even kids, like Pashai Oway, 6 (pictured left) - whose family fled Sudan - were in the mix. Which is probably why various folks sent in nominations for "black Tea Party activists", "black Tea Partiers", "black Tea Party movement" and the like for this year's award. They are the only collective entity to make this year's list.
3. Tim Scott, 45
Congressman-elect & conservative Republican |
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
2010 claim to fame: first black Republican elected to U.S. Congress from the Deep South since 1898
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
In the Republican primary, the South Carolina state legislator beat two scions of South Carolina politics: the son of the infamous late Sen. Strom Thurmond and the son of former South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell Jr. (and six other candidates). Tim Scott had token Democratic opposition in making history on Election Day last month.
4. Bright Simons, 29
Libertarian entrepreneur | mPedigree | Accra, Ghana
2010 claim to fame: developed technology to combat Africa's huge counterfeit drugs problem
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
Mr. Simons developed a system which enables Ghanaian consumers and patients to verify the authenticity of their medicines by sending a free text message of the unique, product-embossed codes. The mPedigree's system has been so successful that it's now spread to Nigeria and Kenya. Mr. Simons won this year's Best Start-Up Prize in the Global Security Challenge...and an infusion of capital and collaboration with global technology giant Hewlett Packard and the U.S. Department of Defense. In addition, he is the development director at IMANI Center for Policy and Education, a Ghanaian libertarian think tank.
5. Thomas Sowell, 80
Conservative economist & syndicated columnist | Hoover Institution | metro San Francisco, California, USA
2010 claim to fame: father of contemporary U.S. black conservatism
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 1
Dr. Sowell was the 2009 Bookerista Of The Year. For more than 30 years, he has been holding court as America's most influential black conservative voice. He is also one of USA's most prominent conservatives, across race. This year, he released two books, Intellectuals And Society (which hit #13 on the New York Times bestseller list) and Dismantling America. In his weekly column - which is in more than 150 newspapers in USA and Canada - Dr. Sowell opines about economics, politics, & social issues.
6. John Hope Bryant, 44
Philanthropic entrepreneur & moderate | Operation HOPE |
Los Angeles, California, USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting financial literacy as the next Civil Rights Movement, in USA and abroad
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 3
Mr. Bryant is the founder of Operation HOPE, an L.A.-based organization that helps poor individuals and families achieve increased stability and self-reliance. Possessing an entrepreneurial background where he developed a $25 million business, he is also the vice chairman of the President's Council on Financial Literacy. This year, Mr. Bryant extended his operation to places such as Harlem and Atlanta.
7. Justice Malala
Moderate-conservative columnist | The Sunday Times |
Johannesburg, South Africa
2010 claim to fame: keeping government officials accountable to citizens
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 18
In his weekly "Monday Morning Matters" column, Mr. Malala - who is one of South Africa's most respected political analysts - focuses on improving South Africa. Whether it's focusing on government malfeasance and out-of-control government spending, advocating for capitalism against efforts to nationalize South African industries, chastising Marxist politicians who claim to be "for the people" while living like royalty off the taxpayers, taking on the police for their "shoot to kill" policy, or opposing cultural practices that he believes are outdated, Mr. Malala is on the case. He raised the ire of the ruling African National Congress quite a few times.
8. Akindele Akinyemi, late 30s
Conservative blogger | Westland, Michigan, USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting urban conservatism
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 20
No longer with the Republican Party, Mr. Akinyemi is now an independent conservative in metro Detroit. On his Facebook page, he seeks to educate urban conservatives on educational policies, family values and creating a better community for our children. On The Urban Counterculture blog where he is a co-blogger, he also pushes for black urban conservatives to organize around an agenda that is unique from white American conservatism, and has influenced other similar urban conservative blogs.
9. Kevin Jackson, 47
Conservative Republican blogger | St. Louis, Missouri, USA
2010 claim to fame: criticizing the Obama administration, liberals, and the Democratic Party
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 7
Mr. Jackson holds court at his blog The Black Sphere, where he opines about political issues. My American readers have also seen him on cable television, heard him on talk radio and speeches on the Tea Party movement circuit a number of times this year.
10. Star Parker, 54
Conservative Republican columnist and president of CURE |
Long Beach, California, USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting limited government and social conservatism
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
A syndicated columnist with Scripps Howard News Service, Ms. Parker's weekly column focuses on reducing government and promoting Judeo-Christian values. She is also the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Ms. Parker unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Congress this year, against incumbent Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.).
11. Ron Miller
Conservative Republican blogger & author | Regular Folks United | Huntingtown, Maryland, USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting limited government and social conservatism
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
The conservative Republican blogger heads up Regular Folks United, a non-profit group dedicated to "the education and advancement of individual liberty and our nation's founding principles". The Air Force veteran authored Sellout: Musings From Uncle Tom's Porch - which focuses on race in America - this year.
12. Walter E. Williams, 74
Libertarian economics professor & syndicated columnist |
George Mason University | metro Washington, D.C., USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting limited government in USA
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 9
Since the 1980s, Walter E. Williams has been prominently arguing for laissez-faire capitalism and against Big Government. In his weekly column - which is syndicated in 140 newspapers across the U.S. - Dr. Williams opines about the role of economics in various facets of American life, discussing his field in language that laymen can understand.
13. Michael Steele, 52
Party chairman & moderate-conservative | Republican National Committee | Prince George's County, Maryland, USA
2010 claim to fame: heads USA's main opposition party
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 12
The RNC's first black chairman has been the controversial face of the GOP in the media, and played a role in the party's comeback in the 2010 mid-term elections. However, the GOP base is busy trying to prevent him from winning a second term in next month's election, citing financial issues and "insufficient" conservatism. Despite the drama, Michael Steele is pretty much tied with Reince Priebus (Wisconsin GOP chair) in the RNC chair race so far.
14. Cory Booker, 41
Mayor & moderate-liberal Democrat | City of Newark | Newark, New Jersey, USA
2010 claim to fame: trying to turn around a troubled city
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 11
Mayor Booker is making changes in Newark, once considered one of America's worst cities. Mayor Booker takes a hands-on approach to tackling crime, even going out with regular citizen patrols and the police. He is also known for his regular use of social media to help spread the word about his policies, and for raising money for local charities. That paid off when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg pledged $100 million toward education reform in Newark. Mayor Booker also won a second term, handily defeating three challengers with 59 percent of the vote.
15. Dambisa Moyo, 41
Conservative economist | London, England
2010 claim to fame: opposing government foreign aid to Africa, emerging markets vs. Western markets
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 4 (tie)
The Zambian-born economist continued sounding the anti-foreign aid themes of her 2009 best-selling book, Dead Aid, which was translated into more languages. Dr. Moyo also started her pivot toward the focus of her next book, How The West Was Lost: emerging markets and structural problems in the U.S. economy. Dr. Moyo posts on Twitter (where she has 28,000 followers) and Facebook (where she has almost 14,000 fans).
16. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko
Libertarian-conservative executive director & lawyer |
Danquah Institute | Accra, Ghana
2010 claim to fame: promoting free enterprise and a property-owning democracy in Ghana
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
Mr. Otchere-Darko, who heads the center-right Danquah Institute in Ghana, is a regular thorn in the ruling center-left government's side. When it overstates economic growth figures, he's on their case. When Ghana's socialists try to deify the late President Kwame Nkrumah, Mr. Otchere-Darko makes sure to remind folks of his totalitarian tenure. When it recently released a slew of tax hikes (on top of out-of-control spending), he cried foul. Mr. Otchere-Darko will also take the center-right New Patriotic Party to task when it diverts from the core center-right themes of Ghana's Danquah-Busia tradition.
17. Andrew Mwenda
Libertarian journalist | The Independent | Kampala, Uganda
2010 claim to fame: press freedom in Uganda
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 10
As founder of The Independent, Mr. Mwenda focuses like a laser on government malfeasance and Big Government to help ensure accountability to Ugandan citizens. He is so vocal that he has been detained by police, and they frequently harass him and his staff. This year Mr. Mwenda even beat 21 charges (including sedition for publishing a political cartoon that was critical of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni) against him for his hard-hitting journalism.
18. Rama Yade, 34
Former Secretary of State for Sport & moderate | Colombes, France
2010 claim to fame: outspoken maverick
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 6
Known as "La Rebelle" (The Rebel), the Senegalese-born politico polls as one of France's most popular politicos. While the former sports minister and human rights minister got the boot in President Nicolas Sarkozy's cabinet reshuffle earlier this month, that ain't slowed Ms. Yade down. She recently made national headlines when she announced that she was bolting from the center-right UMP party for the centrist, pro-free market Radical Party (which is in coalition with the UMP) because she was dissatisfied with the UMP's increased focus on national security and coopting some themes of the white supremacist National Front party. She also authored a book, Letters To Youth, this year. Ms. Yade's Facebook page has almost 49,000 fans.
19. MP Helen Grant, 49
Moderate-conservative politician & lawyer | House Of Commons | Maidstone & the Weald, England
2010 claim to fame: first black center-right woman in British Parliament
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
Earlier this year, MP Helen Grant made history by becoming the Conservative Party's first black female member to be elected to the British Parliament. The moderate-conservative politico represents the rural Maidstone & the Weald district. A lawyer born to a Nigerian father and a British mother, her law experience lies in family law and health care. In her spare time, she also tweets.
20. Juan Williams, 56
Moderate-liberal commentator | Fox News Channel | USA
2010 claim to fame: center-left voice on Fox News Channel
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
2010 was a financial bonanza for Juan Williams. While the liberal National Public Radio fired him as its senior news analyst for stating on the FOX News Channel that visibly Muslim folks on planes make him nervous, he bounced back within 48 hours with a $2 million contract with Fox.
21. Sophia A. Nelson, 43
Moderate commentator | Ashburn, Virginia, USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting centrism
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
Ms. Nelson is known for her cable TV appearances and critiques of the Republican Party (her former political party) in relation to black voters. The German-born commentator also takes aim at the Democratic Party on fiscal matters. This year, she snagged a columnist spot in JET magazine. Ms. Nelson also advances issues related to professional black women, and has a forthcoming book (Black Woman Redefined)..
22. Franklin Cudjoe
Executive director & libertarian | IMANI Center for Policy & Education | Accra, Ghana
2010 claim to fame: promoting free markets & individual liberty in Ghana and the rest of Africa
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 21
As head of the IMANI: Center for Policy and Education, Mr. Cudjoe oversees seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, to promote a more open Ghanaian society. He is also one of the individuals behind the AfricanLiberty.org website, which promotes African libertarian thought.
23. James Shikwati, 40
Libertarian activist | Inter-Region Economic Network |
Nairobi, Kenya
2010 claim to fame: training Kenyans to be entrepreneurs
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: 13
As head of the Inter-Region Economic Network, Mr. Shikwati's goal is to get more Africans to create wealth through free enterprise. The libertarian activist works with small farmers to help them increase their agriculture output, trains university students on free-market principles, and holds activities to get youth involved in entpreneurship. He is also one of the people behind The African Executive website, and writes a weekly column in Business Daily (Kenya) about organically building Africa's skill base.
24. Lenny McAllister, 38
Conservative Republican commentator | Chicago, Illinois, USA
2010 claim to fame: promoting conservatism in Black America
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
My American readers have seen him on cable TV and heard him give speeches on the Tea Party movement circuit. This year Mr. McAllister snagged a radio show ("Launching Chicago With Lenny McAllister") on WVON-AM, a popular black talk radio station in Chicago. He also writes for conservative website The Daily Caller and provides a conservative perspective for black liberal website TheRoot.com.
25 (tie). MP Sam Gyimah, 34
Conservative politician & banker | House of Commons |
Surrey East, England
2010 claim to fame: first black MP elected from Surrey East district to British Parliament
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
With 71.1% voter turnout in his Conservative-dominant district, Mr. Gyimah put a spanking on the field in May's parliamentary election. He even very slightly increased the vote percentage that his predecessor received in the 2005 election, becoming Surrey East's first black Member of Parliament in the process.
25 (tie). MP Kwasi Kwarteng, 35
Conservative politician & historian | House of Commons |
Spelthorne, England
2010 claim to fame: first black MP elected from Spelthorne district
Position on Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2009 list: *
With 67.1% voter turnout, Mr. Kwarteng garnered 47.1% of the vote, with the second-place finisher getting 25.9%. Holding a PhD in British history from Cambridge University, MP Kwarteng is also working on a book, Ghosts of Empire, about the British Empire's global legacy.
Top 25 Bookeristas Of 2010
