Tonight, as I watch the live feeds of events unfolding at the #4thPrecinctShutDown, I am feeling so much gratitude for all the organizers and ordinary people putting themselves in harm’s way as they collectively call for #Justice4Jamar in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Videos like this one of Jie Wronski-Riley, child of CLF senior minister Meg Riley, recounting blatant police brutality against peaceful protesters, remind me of just how important it is for these feeds to be widely available and accessible to all of us both as viewers and broadcasters.
Protestor @JieWronskiRiley brutalized by @MinneapolisPD while we hear nothing from @MayorHodges #4thprecintshutdown pic.twitter.com/3aSrhGdNiY
— Micky Black (@mickynoir) November 19, 2015
The movement for black lives grows stronger when we use technology to bear witness to the thousands of voices calling for change from Ferguson to Baltimore, Oakland to New Orleans, Cleveland to Charleston and Mizzou . . . and now Minneapolis. These feeds remind us of our interconnectedness, allowing millions of people to bear witness to the atrocities of state violence against non-violent protesters. We learn from one another through this witness and, together, we can sustain each other in the struggle for liberation.
This is technology at its best. It’s why I became enthralled with the potential of the world wide web (as it was then known) when I first started learning HTML as an undergrad at the University of Illinois just as the first graphical web browser, Mosaic, was being released. We’ve come a long way since those early days, but my passion for the radical democratization of information exchange persists.
That’s why I jumped at the chance to cover events related to the Commemoration of the Ferguson Uprising in St. Louis, MO this past August. On behalf of the Church of the Larger Fellowship, I broadcast events of that weekend to folks who could not participate in person using a free live broadcasting app called Periscope.
If you have been considering diving into the world of personal live streaming, now is the perfect time to learn. Watch the video below to get started. Then you can put your newfound knowledge to good use by taking part in one of the events in this weekend’s #YearWithoutTamir actions. Check for events in your area on the Ferguson Response Network tumblr, and check out the SURJ #YearWithoutTamir Action Kit.
Also, be sure to tune in to this week’s episode of The VUU (Thur, 11/19/2015, 11 AM ET) featuring Black Lives of UU organizers Lena K. Gardner and Leslie Butler MacFadyen who will discuss latest events in Minneapolis and planned #YearWithoutTamir activities this weekend.
To get started broadcasting, you will need a twitter account and a smart phone or tablet device with Periscope app installed.
NOTE: Periscope only saves your broadcast for 24 hours on their servers. If you want them available longer, there is a setting you need to make sure is set correctly before your start your broadcast. More details in the video.
Ask your questions in the comment section below and be sure to let us know what you have been periscoping!
Cover Photo: Screenshot from #Justice4Jamar Livestream by Unicorn Riot is used under CC 3.0.
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Quest for Meaning is a program of the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF).
As a Unitarian Universalist congregation with no geographical boundary, the CLF creates global spiritual community, rooted in profound love, which cultivates wonder, imagination, and the courage to act.