Artificial Intelligence, Black Realities, Part II

Join WURD Radio and DiverseForce at the P4 Hub, a Black-led event and convening space in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, for a powerful continuation of last year’s sold-out Philly Tech Week forum exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the realities of Black and Brown communities.

This year’s event will feature a virtual appearance by Dr. Timnit Gebru, one of TIME 100’s Most Influential People and a globally recognized leader in AI ethics. As the former co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI team, where she was controversially fired after speaking out about bias and discrimination, Dr. Gebru’s voice brings unmatched insight to the movement for responsible, community-centered tech. She’ll join us live via livestream for this timely conversation.

Artificial Intelligence, Black Realities, Part II builds on last year's conversation at the intersection of tech, justice, and equity—unpacking the political, economic, and social impacts of AI during a time of rapid technological change.

As tech giants align with new White House priorities and pull back from DEI commitments, our expert panel will explore urgent questions:

• Who is shaping AI, and who’s being left behind?
• How do we protect civil rights in an era of facial recognition, algorithmic bias, and automation?
• What role must Black and Brown leaders play in ensuring equity, transparency, and inclusion in AI?

Whether you're a policymaker, technologist, nonprofit leader, or simply curious about the future of innovation, this event will spark solutions, inspire advocacy, and build resilience in the age of AI.

🔍 Topics include:

• Advancing Black and Brown leadership in AI design, development, and policy
• Ensuring transparency and accountability in tools like facial recognition and large language models
• Navigating workforce disruption and building strategies for resilience and re-skilling
• Equipping social impact orgs with tools to use AI responsibly and ethically

Panelists & Moderators (TBA):

This event will feature dynamic voices from tech, academia, policy, and grassroots advocacy. Stay tuned for our full speaker lineup, including national thought leaders and Philly-based innovators.

🎤 FEATURED VIRTUAL GUEST:

Dr. Timnit Gebru

Dr. Gebru is the Founder and Executive Director of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a trailblazer in AI ethics. She was previously co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI team and was controversially fired after raising concerns about workplace discrimination.

She also co-founded Black in AI, a nonprofit focused on increasing the presence, inclusion, and visibility and health of Black professionals in the field of AI, and serves on the board of AddisCoder, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching algorithms and computer programming to Ethiopian and Jamaican high school students.

Her accolades include being named one of Nature’s Ten people who shaped science and one of TIME 100’s Most Influential People. She is currently writing The View from Somewhere, a memoir and manifesto arguing for a technological future that serves our communities instead of one that is used for surveillance, warfare, and the centralization of power by Silicon Valley.

Panelists:

• Rep. Napoleon Nelson – Chair, PA Legislative Black Caucus
• Brandon Washington - Educator, Technologist & Entrepreneur

Moderator: Dr. James Peterson, WURD Radio

Event Partners

This event is a part of Every Voice, Every Vote, a collaborative project managed by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The William Penn Foundation provides lead support for Every Voice, Every Vote in 2024 and 2025 with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Comcast NBC Universal, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation, Judy and Peter Leone, Arctos Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, 25th Century Foundation, Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, and Philadelphia Health Partnership. To learn more about the project and view a full list of supporters, visit www.everyvoice-everyvote.org. Editorial content is created independently of the project’s donors.

Thank you to our generous sponsors, Comcast and PECO for their support in making this event possible.

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Date: Wednesday, May 7th, 2025

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Venue: P4 Hub, 4537 Wayne Avenue, Philadelphia

Dress: Business Casual / Professional Attire

Price: Complimentary with RSVP

Space is limited — RSVP today.
Let’s build a more equitable future, together.