AWARD-WINNING POET THEO WILSON DISCUSSES ACTIVISM IN AN

INCREASINGLY RACIALLY CHARGED WORLD

COLLEGE PARK, Md. Over 150 people filled the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at The Clarice
Smith Performing Arts Center on Wednesday night to hear award-winning slam poet and social
justice advocate Theo Wilson, who appeared as part of the University of Maryland College of
Arts and Humanities Deans Lecture Series.

Wilson skyrocketed to social media fame after posting beliefs about hate and bias. During his
lecture, he discussed his experiences as a black man in an increasingly digital and racially
charged world.

Wilson went undercover in white supremacist online communities to get a gist of the gathering
storm because nothing is more dangerous for black people than white supremacy.
While undercover, he learned how social media creates digital echo chambers that steer users
toward content that affirms their ideological beliefs. He also learned about the dangers of
groupthink, a psychological phenomenon in which a group of people make irrational decisions
based on the desire for harmony. Noticing how alt-right online communities gained momentum
through these realities propelled his career as an activist.

Throughout the lecture, he detailed events that changed the way he thought about his own race.
From the racially motivated bombings at Florida A&M University, a historically black college,
in 1999, to the election of George W. Bush in 2001, Wilson described how race permeated his
everyday life.

Wilson began his public speaking career in the NAACP at the age of 15, and has always had a
passion for social justice. He helped found the Denver Slam Nuba team, which won the National
Poetry Slam in 2011. Wilson also performed at this years TEDxMileHigh event.

He concluded his lecture by reciting a slam poem called Impossible, which expressed the
possibility of the impossible and the barriers African Americans have overcome. The poem
captivated the audience as Wilson proclaimed My breath is like humanity/ Limitless/
Unbounded/ And impossibly free.

During a question and answer session moderated by Linda Aldoory, associate dean for research
and programming, Wilson responded to questions about slam poetry, his personal utopia and a
world without racism.

Wilson ended his performance by reminding the audience that theres this new generation that
has this attitude thats unbreakable, and encouraged the continuation of self-expression.