When Netroots Nation, the nation’s largest progressive activist conference, hits Detroit this week, most Team Eclectablog will be there. Here are some of the things we’ll be involved in.
First of all, I have the distinct honor and privilege of being the opening speaker at the Thursday evening Opening Keynote, welcoming Netroots Nation attendees to our fine state and our state’s largest city. The Keynote Speech that evening will be the Rev. William Barber, the charismatic preacher who is the driving force behind North Carolina’s Moral Mondays movement. I will hit the stage at 7:20. Other speakers Thursday evening include Senator Chuck Schumer, Joel Silberman, Christina Jimenez, Ilyse Hogue, with the evening emceed by the always-entertaining Elon James White.
On Friday, I will be moderating a panel titled “The Corporate Takeover of Our Neighborhood Public Schools: A Detroit Case Study”. The panelists for this important session are State Representative Ellen Lipton, Dr. Thomas Pedroni, Detroit teacher Brooke Harris, and education activist Sherry Gay-Dagnogo.
Amy Lynn Smith will be presenting during the final evening’s Closing Keynote which features an exciting format called “Ignite”. Under the Ignite format, each speaker has 5 minutes to talk while 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds are shown on the screen behind them. Amy’s piece, which she discusses more in-depth HERE, will be about the Affordable Care Act and the use of personal stories to push back against the onslaught of lies put out by Republicans. The Closing Keynote will be hosted by Eclectapal Lizz Winstead and the other speakers include Deepak Bhargava, Mansur Gidfar, Sara Haghdoosti, Feminista Jones, Christopher Massicotte, Zerlina Maxwell, Jess Morales, Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Leanne Pittsford, Rinku Sen, Anat Shenker-Osorio, and Lauren Windsor. Clearly Amy is in very fine and auspicious company.
As you make your way around Netroots Nation, you’re sure to see Anne at some point, most likely behind the lens of a large camera. For the third year in a row, Anne is one of the official photographers for Netroots Nation. In fact, the photo of Elizabeth Warren used in many of the online Netroots Nation 2014 ads was taken by her. It’s a rather grueling job and she spends an enormous amount of time behind the scenes processing photos at the end of each day for immediate use during Keynote presentations. If you see Anne, be sure to stop and thank her and the other photogs for their tireless work.
Jason Sattler (LOLGOP) and our webhost Charles Gaba will also be in attendance at Netroots Nation this week so be on the lookout for them, as well.
Don’t forget, there are discounted rates for Michigan residents so, if you are interested in attending for a day or for the whole conference, click HERE for more information.
[Photo credit: Marta Every | Netroots Nation]
