Christopher Martin
Christopher Martin, noted entrepreneur, entertainer and educator from Durham, NC, was the keynote speaker when the Department of Mass Communications at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) hosted a Liberty Tree Project Conference “Social Media: Free Speech at What Cost?” during its Mass Communications Week April 12-16.
The conference focused on responsible use of social media and the impact it can have on users’ lives. The WSSU event is one of eight programs presented at U.S. colleges and universities in 2009-2010.
Martin, who is known to many hip hop, movie and music fans as “Play” of the duo “Kid ‘n Play,” spoke and participated in a panel discussion on social media and free speech that included Capt. Bill Cobb of the Winston-Salem Police Department, City Councilman Derwin Montgomery and Dr. Denise Nation, assistant professor of Justice Studies at WSSU.
The week’s activities included a video display in the university’s O’Kelly Library, featuring student responses to questions about their use of social media. An American Liberty Elm tree was also planted on campus as a tribute to free speech.
The Liberty Tree Campus Initiative, funded by a grant from the McCormick Foundation, is designed to build awareness of the First Amendment by bringing thought-provoking First Amendment programs and speakers to campuses nationwide.
