Tech Equity Advocate; 2024 MacArthur Fellow; Sociology & African American Studies Scholar, & Author
Ruha Benjamin Biography
Ruha Benjamin is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab, author of the award-winning book "Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code" (2019) and "Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want" (2022), the 2023 winner of the Stowe Prize, among many other publications. In 2024, she was awarded a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship.
Her work investigates the social dimensions of science, medicine, and technology with a focus on the relationship between innovation and inequity, health and justice, knowledge and power. She recently released her fourth book, Imagination: A Manifesto. At the center of all Dr. Benjamin’s work is the invitation to “imagine and craft the worlds we cannot live without, just as we dismantle the ones we cannot live within.”
Dr. Benjamin earned her BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Spelman College, MA and PhD in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA’s Institute for Society & Genetics and Harvard’s Science, Technology & Society Program. She is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships including from the American Council of Learned Societies, National Science Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholar Award, and the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton.
Her work is published in numerous journals, including Science, Technology, and Human Values; Policy & Society; Ethnicity & Health; and the Annals of the American Academy of Social and Political Science and reported on in national and international news outlets, including NBC News, Fast Company, WIRED, Slate Magazine, CBC, CNET, The Guardian, National Geographic, and Nature.
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Ruha Benjamin Speaking Topics
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Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want
If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that something almost undetectable can be deadly, and that we can transmit it without even knowing. Doesn’t this imply that small things, seemingly minor actions, decisions, and habits could have exponential effects in the other direction, tipping the scales toward justice: affirming life, fostering well-being, and invigorating society? In this talk, Ruha Benjamin introduces a micro-vision of change—a way of looking at the everyday ways people are working to combat unjust systems and build alternatives to the oppressive status quo. Born of a stubborn hopefulness and grounded in social analysis, she offers a pragmatic and poetic approach to fostering a more just and joyful world.
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Utopia, Dystopia or...Ustopia? Reckoning with the Future of Technology and Society
From automated decision systems in healthcare, policing, education and more, technologies have the potential to deepen discrimination while appearing neutral and even benevolent when compared to harmful practices of a previous era. In this talk, Ruha Benjamin takes us into the world of biased bots, altruistic algorithms, and their many entanglements, and provides conceptual tools to decode tech predictions with historical and sociological insight. When it comes to AI, Ruha shifts our focus from the dystopian and utopian narratives we are sold, to a sober reckoning with the way these tools are already a part of our lives. Whereas dystopias are the stuff of nightmares, and utopias the stuff of dreams… ustopias are what we create together when we are wide awake.
Ruha Benjamin Videos
Is Technology Our Savior — or Our Slayer? | Ruha Benjamin | TED
When it comes to technology, we're often presented with two contrasting visions of the future: one where technology fulfills all our desires, and...
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What are the speaker fees for Ruha Benjamin
Speaking fees for Ruha Benjamin, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Ruha Benjamin are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Ruha Benjamin, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Ruha Benjamin speak about?
Ruha Benjamin is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Civil Rights, Diversity & Inclusion, Family & Parenting, Government, Professors, Science, Social Activism, Social Sciences, STEM, STEM Education, Technology, TED, Women, Women in Tech -
Where does Ruha Benjamin travel from?
Ruha Benjamin generally travels from Princeton, NJ, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Ruha Benjamin’s agent?
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Ruha Benjamin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, Utopia, Dystopia or...Ustopia? Reckoning with the Future of Technology and Society, Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Beyond Buzzwords: Innovation, Inequality and Imagination in the 21st Century, Racial Literacy for the 21st Century and incubating Imagination: Possibilities & Practices Toward Liberating Learning. The estimated speaking fee range to book Ruha Benjamin for your event is $50,000 - $100,000. Ruha Benjamin generally travels from Princeton, NJ, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dorothy Roberts, Kimberly Bryant, Joy Buolamwini, Angela Davis and Tonya M. Evans. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Ruha Benjamin for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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