SDLC Speaker
This schedule may be updated and is subject to change. All times listed are Mountain Time.
SDLC Keynote Speaker
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Friday, December 06, 1:45–2:45 PM MT
A musician, activist, and prolific voice for his generation, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez began his relationship with music as a means of preserving his Indigenous culture and language, which influence the sound and direction of his releases to this day. His thought-provoking lyrics are anchored by his Xochimilca and Mexican roots and the environmental justice work in which his mother raised him.
Growing up with deep ties to family and community on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, Martinez incorporates Spanish and English interchangeably in his music. With his decades of work as a community activist, he has always believed in the prominent role music and art can play in creating social change. Martinez began touring the world and sharpening his musical craft at age 17. He has performed and collaborated with artists such as Raury, WILLOW, and Jaden while reaching outside the boundaries of the music industry to use art to challenge systems of injustice.
Formerly the youth director of Earth Guardians, a global environmental activist organization, Martinez has given multiple TED talks and delivered several speeches before the United Nations. In 2019, Time named him to its next 100 list. He has hosted podcasts and published multiple books on the intersections of community organizing, art, and culture. Martinez continues to use his voice and his art to reclaim space, build community, and engage his generation in reimagining our future.
Growing up with deep ties to family and community on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, Martinez incorporates Spanish and English interchangeably in his music. With his decades of work as a community activist, he has always believed in the prominent role music and art can play in creating social change. Martinez began touring the world and sharpening his musical craft at age 17. He has performed and collaborated with artists such as Raury, WILLOW, and Jaden while reaching outside the boundaries of the music industry to use art to challenge systems of injustice.
Formerly the youth director of Earth Guardians, a global environmental activist organization, Martinez has given multiple TED talks and delivered several speeches before the United Nations. In 2019, Time named him to its next 100 list. He has hosted podcasts and published multiple books on the intersections of community organizing, art, and culture. Martinez continues to use his voice and his art to reclaim space, build community, and engage his generation in reimagining our future.