Naomi Smith

writer | journalism and media researcher | events coordinator @bisa_bbk | she/they

[Naomi Smith @naomiruthsmith]

Last year, I spoke at the @FIAT_IFTA Media Studies Seminar about the founding of the @vutvnews, and how the identity of archivists might affect how researchers "read" archives. If that sounds like something you might find interesting, you can watch here: https://t.co/zqdEifbEWr

[Justin Schlosberg @jrschlosberg]

Next Thursday 5th I'll be speaking about the creeping repression and authoritarianism impacting on academics (and others) for my inaugural lecture @UniWestminster, and paying tribute to those who have inspired and supported my work.
All welcome!

https://t.co/uIPEore5EK

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

In case you missed it, Prof. Derek Penslar's lecture on 'The 1948 Palestine war: from the local to the global' is now available to watch: https://t.co/PSGufXuQzJ

[Brendan McGeever @BrendanMcGeever]

The violence in Amsterdam has been widely described as a ‘pogrom’. This is misleading and politically dangerous. It also does a disservice to Jewish history. My piece for @BylineTimes. https://t.co/phmSVOlKgm

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

Gary Younge opening BISA's conference this morning on Anti-racism and anti-antisemitism.

[Ryan Reynolds @VancityReynolds]

There is no Fox Marvel Universe or MCU without Blade first creating a market. He’s Marvel Daddy. Please retweet for a Logan-like send off. #DeadpoolAndWolverine

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

And in case you missed it, you can now watch @JenniferVEvans on 'Ties that bind: kinship, adjacency, and the trans camera' at https://t.co/SEyn57hcE7

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

Dr Spencer Sunshine (@transform6789) will discuss ‘Neo-Nazi terrorism and countercultural fascism’ at @BirkbeckUoL on 20 June. Book your ticket here: https://t.co/MgYkYiaJRB

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

Join us at @BirkbeckUoL on 17 June to hear Prof. Jennifer Evans (@JenniferVEvans) on Jewish refugees, trans communities and photography. Book here: https://t.co/SEyn57hKtF

[Chasten Glezman Buttigieg @Chasten]

Donald Trump is not a convicted felon because of the judge. Donald Trump is a convicted felon because a jury of his peers unanimously found him guilty over and over and over again.

[Birkbeck, University of London @BirkbeckUoL]

We're delighted to offer 10 #scholarships of £5,000 per year to Black undergraduate students to increase diversity in Finance, provided by a partnership between Birkbeck and Goldman Sachs! Find out more about eligibility & how to apply: https://t.co/6Al17ZGnP3

[Naomi Smith @naomiruthsmith]

@hankgreen It was 2010 and that dang giraffe sex video kept showing up in my recommended videos on YT. No matter what I watched, there it was.

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

Join us at @BirkbeckUoL Arts Week on 8 May to hear Prof. Bryan Cheyette (@CheyetteBryan) on 'Decolonizing testimony: Frederick Douglass and Primo Levi'. Book here: https://t.co/irCt4MyJvt

[Naomi Smith @naomiruthsmith]

@hankgreen I think it would depend on the video? I think if it means you can make a video that you otherwise couldn't, but want to, then you should have an editor for that video. Otherwise, I agree that it does feel important that you edit your own videos, but I don't know why! 😂

[Birkbeck Climate Action Network @DivestBirkbeck]

Fantastic to see @BirkbeckUoL state its desire to see its funds being used to address the climate crisis rather than accelerating it…next step full divestment? @BirkbeckUnion @peopleandplanet @sosukcharity @BbkEnviro

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

Join us @BirkbeckUoL on 21 Feb to hear U.S. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt explore the landscape of antisemitism as she delves into the unexpected commonality of the right and the left - with @ucl Tickets: https://t.co/TIQYAbg5SR

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

How have the Germans changed since 1942 and why? And who are they now? Join us at the @wienerlibrary on 29 Feb to hear Prof. Frank Trentmann discuss his new book ‘Out of Darkness’ and Germany’s place in the world today. Tickets: https://t.co/CKuUlAzsd9

[BISA at Birkbeck @bisa_bbk]

How did the Nazis’ attempt to annihilate the Jews of Europe become known as ‘The Holocaust’? Join us on 30 Jan at @birkbeckuol for our Holocaust Memorial Day lecture with @ihr_history to hear Prof. Jane Caplan on naming Nazi policies & practices. Tickets: https://t.co/rzLshfxPVh

[Hank Green @hankgreen]

I think a harm of online activism is the "THIS IS ACTUALLY EASY" argument.

I've seen lots of folks indicate that a single billionaire could solve homelessness, or that there are 30x more houses than homeless people so we could just give them all houses.

These words are fantastic for activating people, but they are also lies.

The US government currently spends around 50B per year keeping people housed. States, of course, have their own budgets. If Bill Gates spent the same amount of money the US does just to keep people housed, he would be out of money in 3 years. I think that would be a great use of his money, but it would not be a permanent solution.

The statistics about there being more houses than homeless are just...fake. They rely on looking at extremely low estimates of homelessness (which are never used in any other context) and include normal vacancy rates (an apartment is counted as vacant even if it's only vacant for a month while the landlord is finding a new tenant.) In a country with 150,000,000 housing units, a 2% vacancy rate is three million units, which, yes, is greater than the homeless population. But a 2% vacancy rate is extremely low (and bad, because it means there's fewer available units than there are people looking to move, which drives the price of rent higher.)

Housing should not be an option in this country. It should be something we spend tons of money on. It should be a priority for every leader and every citizen. it should also be interfaced with in real, complex ways. And it should be remembered that the main way we solve the problem is BUILDING MORE HOUSING, which I find a whole lot of my peers in seemingly progressive spaces ARE ACTUALLY OPPOSED TO.

Sometimes they are opposed to it because they've heard stats that the problem is simple and could be solved very easily if only we would just decide to solve it, which is DOING REAL DAMAGE.

By telling the simplest version of the story, you can get people riled up, but what do you do with that once they're riled up if they were riled up by lies?

There are only two paths:

1. Tell them the truth...that everything they've been told is actually a lie and that the problem is actually hard. And, because the problem is both big and hard, tons of people are working very hard on it, and they should be grateful for (or even become) one of those people.

2. Keep lying until they are convinced that the problem does not exist because it is hard, it exists because people are evil.

Or, I guess, #3, people could just be angry and sad all the time, which is also not great for affecting real change.

I dunno...I'm aware that people aren't doing this because they want to create a problem, and often they believe the fake stats they are quoting, but I do not think it is doing more good than harm, and I would like to see folks doing less of it.

One thing that definitely does more good than harm is actually connecting to the complexity of an issue that is important to you. Do that...and see that there are many people working hard.

We do not have any big, easy problems. If we did, they'd be solved. I'm sorry, it's a bummer, but here we are.

[Naomi Smith @naomiruthsmith]

@hankgreen Which is, of course, also a massive oversimplification. And very unlikely any time soon.

[Naomi Smith @naomiruthsmith]

@hankgreen But, like, also, most governments would be able to do more for their citizens if we spent less on fucking wars and defence spending in general than we do. And if we all did that, theoretically there might also be less war and death and exploitation. A net good, if you will.