The Dithering of a District Diva

The Dithering of a District Diva is the fresh and insightful chronicles of a twenty-something Christian black woman seeking God and purpose.

The blog, which was started in November 2009, invites viewers into the experiences of Brooke Obie including both her triumphs and her tribulations; it gives keen advice to those women balancing their life goals and their faith on a day-to-day basis. It has been crafted for the female spirit, but guys can certainly learn from this blog as well.

The Dithering of a District Diva underwent an evolution in June 2009 from a site focused on dating advice and event coverage to a source for young women who desire spiritual support, as Obie focused on her own relationship with God. She began to fiercely study biblical scripture and wanted to share what she learned with friends and readers.

"My blog is centered around Christian guidance for young, single black women," Obie said. "I couldn't find anything that was catering to us."

Obie works fulltime as an online communications director for a nonprofit law firm, and uses her off time planning, building and penning articles for her blog, which attests to her work ethic and passion.

Because of her dedication to The Dithering of a District Diva, Obie has had the opportunity to write for Clutch Magazine, appear on numerous radio broadcasts, host a breast cancer awareness fashion show and interview legends such as Patti LaBelle and Jesse Jackson.

She has also been able to partner with different organizations and programs, most recently collaborating with upcoming Broadway play, The Mountaintop based on the final days of Martin Luther King Jr.—starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, to give away two free tickets to one of her devoted readers.

"The blog is not what pays my bills," Obie said. "The most profit to me comes when I receive emails from readers who are saying things like ‘I really feel like I hear God speaking to me through this article' and ‘this is exactly what I needed.' That's why I do it."

During her first year of blogging, Obie was fortunate enough to win a Black Weblog Award as the "Best New Blog" of 2010. This past summer, she had a chance to attend the live ceremony and take home an award for the "Best Faith based Blog" up against popular Nation of Islam blogger, Brother Jessie, and This Black Witch, a column dedicated to the African-American pagan perspective.

"Just to see Christ exalted above every name, I was glad to be a part of that. It was definitely a pivotal moment for me," Obie said.

Obie is currently developing a web series, titled ‘Broken Cisterns,' which will follow 26-year old Willow Tanner and her friends as they deal with life's unexpected drama, while trying to stay true to their faith. Viewers will learn about Willow's life through conversations with her Christian therapist. The series is set to launch in 2012.

"I really want to break down the stereotype of the strong black woman, that we don't need help," Obie said. "There's this kind of stigma that if we seek counseling, there's something wrong with us. We're weak. So that's what I really want to break down with this web series."

In keeping with the spirit of the other founders in the DMV Blog Series, Obie agrees that creativity should be encouraged and cultivated.

"Entrepreneurship is absolutely important. I really feel like too often black people are taught to get a job instead of to create a job," she said.

According to Obie, to build a kingdom—or in most cases, an idea communication with God and dialogue with professionals are essential. She suggests that students soak up as much knowledge as they can from their professors and pray constantly to see what God would have them do with their talents.

"The tagline of my blog is ‘chasing God plus purpose,'" Obie said. "So I really hope that that would be the inspiration. That people would realize that before we were even formed in our mothers' womb, God created us for a purpose. And we should seek out that purpose, and do whatever it is that He has for us to do, above all else."