Oh, we’re so back

It’s a new year! The exclamation point might be a bit much for a year that is already shaping up to be just as wild as the last. But I am genuinely excited to be here with y’all again.

But before getting too far let's address 2 things:

1: Who am I? And why am I in your inbox? Well hi, I’m Jelani. I’m the Senior Communications Strategist at Kairos. I love storytelling, I love talking about technology, and I spend entirely too much time on TikTok. I’m also a Virgo and I’ll be your guide through all things ReOrganized.

2: You may have noticed we’re no longer on Substack. Kairos decided to migrate away from Substack after the company refused to remove Nazi publications from their website. Not only does this content moderation decision not align with Kairos organizational values, but it illustrates why Kairos is fighting for a world where everyone is safe online. No place on the internet is perfect, but Kairos is choosing to host ReOrganized on a corner of the internet that doesn’t actively support hate.

Ok moving on…

Welcome back to ReOrganized, a place where we talk about technology, the internet, and organizing. I promise it won’t be boring or full of words that you have to stop and google while you’re reading. 

What you can expect: a monthly newsletter and posts about the ways in which technology continues to change how we live and how we fight for political power. We specialize in talking about tech in ways that don't have you preparing for “impending” doom.

I won’t lie and get all rainbows or unicorns on you though. Sometimes the internet is a trash fire, but in this corner of the world wide web, we will have conversations about all of the good, the bad, and the Elon Musk of it all. So I invite you to comment, respond, and share what you read here. 

You’ll also hear what’s going on at Kairos. Not just because I want to tell you about our campaigns and programs, but because all of what the Kairos team does helps to illustrate or experiment with ideas for a world where tech works for all. Here’s a preview of what Kairos is up to this year:

User Error

Last year Kairos put out three comprehensive reports on the intersection of tech and some of our movement's biggest issue areas: climate, housing, and democracy. These reports are part of a series called ‘User Error’ that not only includes examples about tech’s impact but also outlines demands and solutions for some of the highlighted problems. This year, User Error will explore tech’s impact on queer and trans issues, organizing, and workers. 

Campaigns

The Kairos Campaigns Team is setting sights on new targets and old faves (looking at you, Meta and Google). This year, the Campaigns Team is continuing to keep an eye on how Big Tech contributes to the climate crisis, affects our democracy, and feeds systemic oppression. Expect Kairos campaigns to target federal agencies and tech companies, as well as weigh in on state and federal legislation.

2024 State Fellowship

In order to organize our communities for the elections and other high-stakes matters this year, our strategies will have to be strong in person and on the internet. That’s where the State Fellowship comes in. The Kairos Organizing Team will be running a six-month program from February through August for power-building organizations to explore the tactics and strategies that help them win for their communities both offline and online. 

Building a world where tech works for all will take all of us—across issue areas, with different strategies, in-person and online. I’m excited that in ReOrganized we can talk about our visions for the future and how to get there.

Thank you for reading the first ReOrganized of 2024. Look out for more in February and if you have topics you’d like to see covered in ReOrganized or just want to say hey, reply to this email or leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!