Families from the United Kingdom and the U.S. who have been affected by state violence will talk about the global impact of racism with the group Black Lives Matter next month at Politicon, a political convention in Los Angeles.
They plan to discuss "the ways in which communities and families have, for a long time, been at the forefront of fighting for justice," said Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the group who also works at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. The Oct. 10 appearance will conclude a weeklong tour by the groups from Oakland, California, to LA to draw attention to racial injustice and police killings of civilians.
Politicon, which bills itself as "the unconventional political convention," is rounding out the panel with moderator Touré and representatives from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Dignity and Power Now, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The inaugural conference, which runs Oct. 9-10, aims to be a bipartisan event for political junkies, featuring politicians, pundits, comedians and entertainers.
"It's about that mix of politics and pop culture that's really important," Politicon founder Simon Sidi said. He added that presenters across the political spectrum have even been excited to participate in panels that will offer a range of viewpoints.
As an example of the spirit of the convention, Sidi pointed to a panel titled "The President's Body Man: Reality vs. Fiction," in which Tony Hale of "Veep" and Reggie Love, former body man to President Barack Obama, will talk about their fictional and real-life roles, respectively, in serving presidents.
"It's about politics, but it's also about comedy and art and music. It's not just a straight political convention," Sidi said.
Other speakers for the event include former presidential adviser David Axelrod, Democratic strategist James Carville, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), and pop music star and former political candidate Clay Aiken.
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