The University of Michigan Asian/Pacific American Studies Program will be kicking off the Fall 2018 semester with a concert/keynote speaking event featuring The Slants, the world's first and only Asian-American dance rock band, as featured on Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, NPR, BBC, CBS, TIME, and 3,000+ radio stations, TV shows, magazines, and websites in over 150+ countries. This event is part of the program's goal to raise awareness of issues surrounding use of terms targeting numerous gender and ethnic groups and the plight of Asian Americans in our fractious society.

The Slants will preform some of their most popular hits and their founder/bassist, Simon Tam, will give a keynote lecture on the background of The Slants, focusing on their battle with the Supreme Court over trademarking their band name. Simon Tam is also an author, entrepreneur, and activist.

Following the set and keynote lecture, there will be a large-group Q&A session, time to meet the band, and an opportunity check out merchandise, receive autographs, and have 1 on 1 questions.

Check out our follow-up event collaboration with WeListen: https://events.umich.edu/event/53906

Simon Tam bio:
Simon was named a champion of diverse issues by the White House and worked with President Barack Obama's campaign to fight bullying. He recently helped expand freedom of speech through winning a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court of the United States for a landmark case in constitutional and trademark law (Matal v. Tam). He has also been a keynote speaker, performer, and presenter at TEDx, SXSW, Comic-Con, The Department of Defense, Stanford University, and over 1,200 events across North America, Europe, and Asia. He has set a world record by appearing on the TEDx stage 12 times.

Simon designed one of the first college-accredited social media programs in the United States. Bloomberg Businessweek called him a "Social Media Rockstar." Forbes says his resume is a "paragon of completeness." Recently, he was recognized as a Freedom Fighter by the Roosevelt Rough Writers, named Citizen of the Year from the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Portland Lodge, Portland Rising Star from the Light a Fire Awards, received a Distinguished Alum Award from Marylhurst University, and he Mark T. Banner award from the American Bar Association.

He serves as board chair for the APANO United Communities Fund and member/advisor for multiple nonprofit organizations dedicated to social justice and the arts. You can find Simon's appearances, writing, and current projects at www.simontam.org.