“Let it be messy. Be uncertain." And other advice for 2019

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Dr. Safiya Noble was studying Library Science when an academic colleague suggested she google ”black girls.” The top search results were images that perpetuated negative stereotypes, misogyny and exploitation. That discovery was the beginning of an investigation that eventually became Safiya’s book, “Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism”.

Immediate access to powerful search engines is seen as an empowering force in this world, but what if our reliance on search engines is perpetuating oppressive ideas and hateful ideologies--even swaying elections?

And when you’re done, come on over to The Inflection Point Society, our Facebook group of everyday activists who seek to make extraordinary change through small, daily actions.

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More recommended reading: The Googlization of Everything (and why we should worry), by Jesse Daniels

How Sabaah Folayan Is Changing The Narrative of Ferguson, Director of "Whose Streets"

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When Michael Brown was shot by a police officer in Ferguson, MO in August, 2014 and the protests began, Sabaah Folayan felt the media’s coverage was overly focused on the looting, rioting and property damage, and not nearly enough on the stories of the people who rose up. So she dropped everything and went to Ferguson to see for herself what was happening on the ground and to talk with the people who live there. The result is her documentary film Whose Streets? She shares what it was like to be there and how she made her film in such extraordinary circumstances. Whose Streets comes out August 11th.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Allyson Hobbs, "A Chosen Exile. A History of Racial Passing in American Life."

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Companies are now paying consultants to increase the diversity of their workforce, with an eye on innovation and the bottom line. But is that the only motivation businesses should be considering? Lauren talks with Allyson Hobbs, an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Stanford University and the author of "A Chosen Exile. A History of Racial Passing in American Life." Hobbs argues that what is missing from our society is a deep understanding of the lives of others.

ALLYSON HOBBS, STANFORD