Paul Rucker

Paul Rucker

Artist & Activist | Exploring Racism and Social Justice

Paul Rucker is a Fine Art speaker who has appeared at 2 events including TED 2019 and TED 2018, most recently in 2019.

🇺🇸United States3 talks · 2 events2 with video

About

Paul Rucker is a multidisciplinary artist, composer, and TED Fellow whose work explores the legacy of racism in America. His multimedia installations have been featured at the Seattle Art Museum, the Telfair Museums in Savannah, and the California African American Museum.

Rucker has been recognized with a Joan Mitchell Foundation grant, a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, and an Open Society Foundations Fellowship to support his powerful projects that confront systemic injustice. His keynotes and workshops guide audiences to unpack the complexities of racial bias and work towards a more equitable future.

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Talks3

Featured Talk

The symbols of systemic racism -- and how to take away their power

Multidisciplinary artist and TED Fellow Paul Rucker is unstitching the legacy of systemic racism in the United States. A collector of artifacts connected to the history of slavery -- from branding irons and shackles to postcards depicting lynchings -- Rucker couldn't find an undamaged Ku Klux Klan robe for his collection, so he began making his own. The result: striking garments in non-traditional fabrics like kente cloth, camouflage and silk that confront the normalization of systemic racism in the US. "If we as a people collectively look at these objects and realize that they are part of our history, we can find a way to where they have no more power over us," Rucker says. (This talk contains graphic images.)

TED 2018🇨🇦VancouverApr 2018

More Talks

"Criminalization of Survival"

TED 2019🇨🇦VancouverJul 2019
What events has Paul spoken at?· 2 appearances · 2 events · 2018 to 2019
EventYearLocationTalks
TED 20192019🇨🇦Vancouver, Canada1
TED 20182018🇨🇦Vancouver, Canada2
Speaking Style

At a Glance

3
Talks
2
Events
8+
Years Speaking

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Who has Paul shared a stage with?

Speakers who appeared at the same event editions as Paul

SpeakerShared eventsWhere they appeared together
Rokia TraoreMalian Singer-Songwriter | Cultural Bridges Through Music2TED 2018, TED 2019View shared history →

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