There’s A Conference A-Comin’
We’re getting closer to one of my favorite times of year, forged in tragedy yet still brimming with a certain exuberance and a sharing of ideas among friends old and new.
Though I wasn’t there the first time the Rising Tide conference was held, I can attest that, in the conferences that followed that event by the lakefront – held in full view of the West End marina that still bore many scars of the surges of the storm, surrounded by a neighborhood destroyed by poorly designed and poorly maintained levees – there was a headiness to being surrounded by people who loved New Orleans with all their hearts, hated what had happened to it during the events of August 29th, 2005 (and well before then) and were involved, to varying degrees and in various ways, with the city’s rebirth from the calamities that had befallen it. Just the act of being in New Orleans after all it had been through was something in itself in those early times; the act of writing about it online and gathering a community together from that act was even bigger. Making the effort to harness the power of all these voices to effect real, lasting change is one thing Rising Tide has always striven for. It hasn’t been perfect, by any means, but it keeps us all talking, convening, and doing our best to get to the heart of issues that concern us all.
I still can’t think of many better ways to commemorate 8/29/05.
Once again, I invite every last one of you to join me for a great event. It’s headed to Xavier University this year, and joining the fray will be Richard Campanella, David Simon, Jordan Flaherty, Big Red Cotton, Dr. Len Bahr, Cherri Foytlin, and many, many more. The schedule is here, complete with something new we could all use: a Tech School to enhance your knowledge and understanding of social media’s tools.
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