I’m late to this, but I had to share. I’ve been listening to as much political spoken word that I can get my hands on, as research for a new collaboration with a band (more soon!). And this speech by Killer Mike of Run the Jewels was suggested to me.
Killer Mike spoke just hours after the Ferguson grand jury decision, and put all of his sadness and rage into it. Incredible. Especially how the room explodes going into their first song. Watch it below… [click to continue…]
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‘ve been invited to deliver a keynote address at the 2015 Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference. I’m really looking forward to the event, and also to Mike German’s interview with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
From the organizers:
The Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference is the premier event examining the intersection of policy, technology, and action. The 25th anniversary CFP 2015 will feature events bringing together technologists, policy experts, and activists in forums designed to engage the public and policymakers in discussions about the information society and the future of technology, innovation, and freedom.
CFP 2015 will focus on the growing tensions between, on the one hand, maturing information technology and its benefit to innovation and free speech online and, on the other, the threat that technology poses in areas as diverse as consumer privacy, racially biased policing, political dissent worldwide and, indeed, to the teeming marketplace of digital speech and association enabled by that very technology.
We are pleased to announce the following keynotes for CFP 2015:
- Edward Snowden and Mike German will open the conference with a historical comparison of surveillance programs and their impact on civil liberties, from COINTELPRO to the Snowden revelations.
- Malkia Cyril, Executive Director of the Center for Media Justice, will discuss the history of surveillance of people of color in America as well as her work with Black Lives Matter and the “new era of civil action.”
- John Gosier, an inventor, data-scientist, and serial tech entrepreneur, will discuss “trickle down techonomics,” the unintended consequences of technology in the face of a digital divide, and how increased attention to “outcome design” can help address this issue and spread global wealth.
- Will Potter, investigative journalist and TED senior fellow, will discuss government surveillance of activists, particularly in environmentalist movements, and the chilling effect these practices have on our First Amendment rights.
I had a great time chatting with Ray Harkins for his podcast, 100 Words or Less. If you haven’t heard Ray’s show before, please check it out. He interviews folks involved in independent culture, especially those connected to punk and hardcore, but the conversations are much broader and deeper than that.
We talked a bit about how those subcultures are connected to the social movements I write about, and also looked at burnout, dealing with high-stress situations, and why I still find reasons to be inspired.
Will Potter is on the show this week and he’s incredibly smart. He’s a published author with a great book (called Green Is The New Red) on the animal agriculture industry and how the people who rally against it are considered domestic terrorists as well as an accomplished public speaker with two TED talks underneath his belt. In this episode Will and I discuss the romantic notions of some professions, high pressure situations and activism in general. It’s a chat I am proud to present to you fine folk.
You can listen to the show here.
I’ll be speaking at the Michigan Animal Law Symposium this weekend, addressing the constitutional concerns with ag-gag laws that target journalists and whistleblowers.
It’s organized by University of Michigan Law School, Michigan State University College of Law, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, and Wayne State University College of Law. Other speakers include Matt Dominguez of the Humane Society of the United States, and Jill Fritz, the Michigan Senior State Director of HSUS.
It’s from 10 am to 4pm on Saturday, October 3rd. More information is on this flier. Hope to see you there!
