About this Event
Educated citizens are the lifeforce of democracy. Across all aspects of modern life, and especially in education, AI is raising existential questions. Like any new technology, it is both transformative and problematic.
In The Bullwhip’s Algorithm, Dr. Kamau Bobb meditates on the convergence of American memory and the colorblind promises of AI in education. At the critical milestone of the US’s 250th anniversary, Bobb argues that enthusiasm and clamor for AI are a veil for the vacuous neglect of our nation’s racist past.
American educational history is overflowing with abuse, segregation, and smoldering scorn from white nationalists who have historically cracked the bullwhip, attempting to subjugate Black Americans to the bottom the racial caste system. Bobb’s exploration of race, tech, and society makes it clear: the potential of AI in education to be justly realized depends on our ability to assess and learn from our past of limiting Black students’ academic achievement.
Kamau Bobb is joining us on the Busboys stage to share “an essential contribution to a much-needed national conversation about education, democracy, and civil rights in the age of AI," (Jill Savitt, CEO, National Center for Civil and Human Rights). Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Bobb will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Doors open to guests at 5:30pm. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of THE BULLWHIP’S ALGORITHM will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is IN PERSON and will NOT be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Kamau Bobb is the founding Senior Director of the Constellations Center for Education in Computing at Georgia Tech. He is the former Director of STEM Education Strategy and Research at Google and a former Program Officer at the National Science Foundation in the Directorate of Computer and Information Science and Engineering. During his federal service, he served on President Obama's MBK STEM Taskforce. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Bobb was the Director of the STEM Initiative for the University System of Georgia. Kamau holds a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Policy from Georgia Tech and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
BOOK DETAILS
The Bullwhip’s Algorithm
Artificial Intelligence and America's Racial Caste System
By Kamau Bobb
October 20, 2026 | Hardcover, Page 240, $27.95
Event venue & nearby stays
Busboys and Poets 14th & V, 2021 14th St NW, Washington, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.