The Phil Lind Initiative: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

 Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (first name pronounced Shoe-Tez-Caht) is an advocate, leader, activist and hip hop artist with Indigenous Mexica roots. Now 23 years old, he has been on the frontlines of the climate and environmental movement since the young age of 6 and is widely recognized for his passionate and unwavering fight for climate justice. Named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “25 under 25” and one of Time Magazine’s “TIMES Next 100,” he has been involved as a plaintiff in multiple legal proceedings—calling out the U.S. government and giants of the fossil fuel industry for failing to take necessary action on climate change. Xiuhtezcatl has spoken multiple times at the UN, addressing the General Assembly and has also spoken on panels with the likes of Bernie Sanders, Van Jones, Shailene Woodley, Bill McKibben, and Pharrell Williams.

The 2024 Phil Lind Initiative series Pop Politics is a novel and nuanced exploration of how pop culture has influenced and shaped how we understand, experience, and practice politics in the United States. This dynamic series will feature talks with artists who have used their craft to take a political stance. Voicing the experience of refugees and the LGBTQ2+ community, demanding climate justice, questioning income inequality and uplifting marginalized communities, these speakers have tackled many of the defining debates of American political life and used their creative outputs as acts of connection, of resistance, and of survival. Presented by the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs in partnership with the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Read more at https://lindinitiative.ubc.ca/