New TED Talk from Sarah Jones on reframing cancel culture
/An actor, comedian, writer, producer, and activist, Sarah Jones is a multi-faceted and brilliant thought leader who seeks to impact more than just the entertainment industry. As part of a deeply personal and vulnerable journey to reckon with her own unique experiences as a Black woman with multicultural roots, she is devoted to building a movement that promotes collective healing and affirmation for all people, starting with Black women and femmes.
Sarah has been invited to the coveted TED Talk stage a record four times with millions of views each time. In her latest talk from TED in April 2023, she reframes “cancel culture” as a way to have meaningful discussions about social justice by poignantly noting that Black communities, communities of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, women and other long-underserved individuals have already been canceled for years. Sarah provides a powerful call to action for allies with good intentions to begin the real work toward solutions that dismantle systemic injustice.
Given the horrific events in the Middle East, this conversation has become even more timely and relevant as a way of calling people into a larger conversation on inequities. Sarah’s call to action to have an individual reckoning with ourselves is truly the start of something greater than all of us. When we do the hard work of bettering ourselves, we make space for collective healing and justice for all
“As a Black woman from a multicultural background, my passion is to center all of our unique stories—especially for those of us who have been most marginalized. Not just our trials, but also our laughter and joy, as reminders of our collective power, and that we are all more connected than we may realize.”
Featured Talk:
LET’S REFRAME CANCEL CULTURE
In recent years, we’ve all felt the seemingly sudden rise of cancel culture—a chilling trend in society that everyone’s afraid of. Except cancel culture hasn’t been sudden, and it’s certainly not new. If the definition of being "canceled" is being silenced, excluded, disempowered and disinvited from the larger conversation, then, for many, cancel culture has defined their lives for much of history. As a Black woman from a multicultural background, Sarah Jones knows what it’s like to be... "pre-canceled," you might say. Just like other people of color, LGBTQIA+, communities, women and other long-underserved individuals, she has already had this experience of exclusion for years.
In this talk that touches on a personal experience with cancel culture, Sarah slips in and out of various characters to help audiences to stop living in fear in order to get at what’s actually underneath these conversations. This reframe of cancel culture becomes a way to have meaningful discussions about social justice, and how it benefits us ALL, regardless of background. It's a powerful call to action—and an invitation—to begin the real work toward solutions that dismantle systemic injustice. Whether your organization is falling short on your DEIB initiatives or in an industry that has been seen as problematic or “canceled” for past or present situations, this talk will provide a roadmap to share differences rather than be driven apart by fueling a continuous loop of fear. When we do the hard work of bettering ourselves, we begin to make space for collective healing, affirmation and understanding (not just empathy) that will ultimately lead to justice for those waiting far too long. So sit down and get ready for an honest conversation with Sarah Jones. It won’t go on your permanent record, but it just might bring about permanent change for the better!
Featured Media:
NPR: TED Radio Hour - Who is allowed to tell certain stories? Click here >>
Additional TED Talks:
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