|
Reader, A disabled, Black, Muslim woman walked into some of the most talked-about rooms in global media and tech — and noticing, as I always do, exactly what was there and exactly what was missing, and the conversations nobody was having — until I walked in. I spent time in London attending SXSW and Muslim Tech Fest. Here’s what I brought home. The need for marginalized voices hasn’t gone anywhereThere is still a profound gap when it comes to fully acknowledging all disabilities. Not just the visible ones. Not just the ones that are easy to accommodate. All of them. The people who feel that gap the most are the ones who were never meant to be in the room in the first place. I was there anyway. And I found my people — the way I always do, intentionally and in small doses. Five meaningful connections per event. Quality over quantity, always. When energy is a finite resource, intentional connections matter more than collecting business cards and LinkedIn Connections. I left both events feeling like I had found people thinking about technology, media, storytelling, faith, inclusion, and the future. People asking bigger questions about who gets to participate and who gets left behind. The media conversation everyone needs to hear and talk aboutOne of the clearest threads running through both events: content ownership. YouTube is having a moment — a real, sustained one — as the platform where creators build lasting libraries of work. But the conversation I kept hearing underneath that was this: own what you build. Because algorithms change. The creators who endure are the ones who have ownership over their work, their archives, and their communities. If a platform goes dark tomorrow — and we’ve watched platforms disappear, get acquired, get restricted — what do you have? Your email list. Your website. Your community. Build there first, amplify everywhere else. The networking moment that looked different for meMore than once, someone I connected with assumed I had already moved to London. Not visiting — living there. When I told them I was there for 96 hours, the surprise on their faces was something. Maybe that’s manifestation at work. People saw me in that space and assumed I belonged there. As I adjust back to home in the U.S. (Maryland, to be specific), and resume building something big for Essence Fest, New Orleans I’m carrying questions with me: What would our conferences look like if accessibility was built in instead of added on? What would our media landscape look like if disabled creators were funded at the same level as everyone else? What would happen if we designed spaces assuming disabled people would be in the room from the beginning? What’s one accessibility feature that makes it easier for you to participate in work, travel, or events that you did not realize was built with disabilities in mind? Book an accessible strategy, AI brand clarity, TEDx speaking career, or partnerships session with me by clicking on this link. Come ready to do real work.
|
96 hours in London. Here’s what I learned
