Official Start of the Spring Semester
At Winter Convocation, new and returning students, faculty and staff are welcomed to a new semester. Music is provided by Susquehanna students, who are prominently featured during the program. Organized by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the event also celebrates the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by featuring a speaker or performance that ties the civil rights movement to current events.
From Civil Rights to Digital Rights: How Black Technologists Are Shaping the Future of AI
Erin Reddick
Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, 7 p.m.
Degenstein Center Theater
As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes the way we live, work and interact, the question of who controls and develops these technologies has never been more important. This keynote will explore the parallels between historic civil rights struggles and today’s fight for digital equity, emphasizing the importance of Black representation in addressing algorithmic bias and preventing the reinforcement of systemic inequalities.
Artificial intelligence cultural technologist Erin Reddick is founder and CEO of ChatBlackGPT, a culturally inclusive platform providing perspectives from the Black and African American communities. With a career encompassing significant roles at major tech companies, including Meta, Microsoft and AWS, Reddick’s journey in tech — marked by her identity as a Black woman — led her to become a certified ChatGPT expert and prompt engineer with the goal of addressing the racial biases she found present in AI.
