How Nandini Jammi flipped the script on the founder of Sleeping Giants
July 10, 2020 12:41 PM Subscribe
"I’m leaving Sleeping Giants, but not because I want to. ... I want to show you how a woman of color almost disappeared from the movement she built, and what you can achieve when you refuse to follow the rules your white male “leader” sets for you," she writes in her Medium post that details how co-founder Matt Rivitz denied her the title of "co-founder", refused to create an email address for her, left her out of meetings, campaigns, and even award ceremonies. At her lowest point, she wanted to quit. But in a stunning strategic move, she took control of her own brand instead.
More details in this Buzzfeed article: "In an all-volunteer organization where no one is paid, titles and credit took on an even greater significance."
24 hours later, Rivitz apologized on Twitter.
More details in this Buzzfeed article: "In an all-volunteer organization where no one is paid, titles and credit took on an even greater significance."
24 hours later, Rivitz apologized on Twitter.
“It costs nothing to make space for me .It costs nothing to cc me in. It costs nothing to empower other people to achieve their goals. Matt and I never appeared anywhere together. He never shared invitations with me. He shut doors on me, instead of bringing me in. It would cost Matt exactly nothing to have two leaders. It would only have made us more powerful.”
Yep. Bingo. Another asshole and his bloated ego.
posted by sallybrown at 1:01 PM on July 10, 2020 [36 favorites]
Yep. Bingo. Another asshole and his bloated ego.
posted by sallybrown at 1:01 PM on July 10, 2020 [36 favorites]
This is why I don't trust white progressives. They're not actually interested in learning or listening, they're here to build their own platforms and exploit the rest of us, no matter what they say. Actions speak louder than words.
I learned a LOT about how to write myself back into the story from Nandini's article. I've been exactly where she is--didn't get the credit, the salary or the title that my white boss did, though I did all the work--and her essay includes invaluable information for all of us WOC to get what we deserve.
posted by so much modern time at 1:05 PM on July 10, 2020 [50 favorites]
I learned a LOT about how to write myself back into the story from Nandini's article. I've been exactly where she is--didn't get the credit, the salary or the title that my white boss did, though I did all the work--and her essay includes invaluable information for all of us WOC to get what we deserve.
posted by so much modern time at 1:05 PM on July 10, 2020 [50 favorites]
His caughtpology confirms that he is a rat fuck.
Be suspicious of loud and fronting woke dudes.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:06 PM on July 10, 2020 [21 favorites]
Be suspicious of loud and fronting woke dudes.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:06 PM on July 10, 2020 [21 favorites]
I knew he was going to make it about him. Fucking hell.
posted by Etrigan at 1:10 PM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 1:10 PM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I generally avoid stories that enrage me, but I am glad I read Nandini Jammi's Medium essay and I am ENRAGED. So much rage. The sheer entitlement from this dude.
Was I just here performing free labor in service of a white man’s personal brand? I went rogue. I posted a passive aggressive note on his Instagram — and then I did what I wasn’t supposed to: take a press request.posted by spamandkimchi at 1:20 PM on July 10, 2020 [19 favorites]
After I spoke to the New York Times reporter, Matt called me, furious that I had dared to shade him on Instagram. It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, and I remember what he said perfectly:
“This is a betrayal. This is worse than anything that Breitbart could do. This is worse than being doxxed by The Daily Caller.”
“I’m older than you and I know more people than you. I’ve been working for like 20 years, and I used to work at an ad agency. I’m sorry you’re not getting the jobs you want. I’m sorry you don’t have the connections I have.”
“You’re such a pain in the ass. Every three months, like clockwork, you call me wanting something. No one does this to me, not my wife, not my business partner, not my friends.”
“Everything I do is for the movement. What about you? You’re in it for the glory aren’t you?”
Also the work that Jammi's been doing on deplatforming (and pre-platforming? if that is a word I can make up for promoting queer media group Salty) is amazing. From BRANDED, the newsletter for her Check My Ads organization:
Last week, I got white nationalist Stefan Molyneux suspended from popular streaming service SoundCloud. It took hours of research, months of back-and-forths with their team, jumping through multiple hoops, and finally a direct appeal to the company’s founder (Until then, Molyneux was protected by an inconsistently applied “three-strike policy”).posted by spamandkimchi at 1:27 PM on July 10, 2020 [49 favorites]
Molyneux is now locked out of nearly every major tech platform he used to build his white nationalist cult including PayPal, MailChimp, YouTube, SoundCloud and as of yesterday, Twitter.
There's a small tidbit in the Buzzfeed article regarding the whole Cannes Lions debacle where Rivitiz says that he "mainly traveled to Cannes on his own dime for a speaking engagement", which on first read seemed weird to me that he'd coincidentally be in Cannes at the same time but I figured there might be lots of ad industry stuff going on there at that time since the Cannes Lions are like the Oscars for advertising. But, when you click through the link, you find out that the "speaking engagement" was... a special session at the Cannes Lions itself, talking about Sleeping Giants. The freakin' nerve of this guy.
posted by mhum at 1:30 PM on July 10, 2020 [26 favorites]
posted by mhum at 1:30 PM on July 10, 2020 [26 favorites]
If the dude actually gave a shit about the goals of the organization he'd have already quit. That he is still there means he no longer gives a shit about it, if indeed he ever really did.
posted by aramaic at 1:33 PM on July 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by aramaic at 1:33 PM on July 10, 2020 [5 favorites]
Wow, that nonpology is total shit. Guy is an ass.
posted by maxwelton at 1:36 PM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by maxwelton at 1:36 PM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
What's odd is I always thought SHE was the driving force behind SG.
posted by waitingtoderail at 1:41 PM on July 10, 2020 [10 favorites]
posted by waitingtoderail at 1:41 PM on July 10, 2020 [10 favorites]
My favorite part of these fsuxpologies is always the "I am not perfect" part. Not being perfect would be forgetting to forward one media request to your co-founder. Not being perfect would be taking slightly more time during your shared speech at a major awards show. Deliberately denying your partner credit and side - lining her from your organization isn't less than perfect, it isn't t even less than acceptable. It is actively, purposefully harmful.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:58 PM on July 10, 2020 [19 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 1:58 PM on July 10, 2020 [19 favorites]
What's odd is I always thought SHE was the driving force behind SG.
Do you spend more time on Facebook than Twitter? I’d never heard of her before this came out, but she says she was the FB side, and he was the Twitter side, and I’d abandoned my FB early in the Trump era.
posted by Etrigan at 3:17 PM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
Do you spend more time on Facebook than Twitter? I’d never heard of her before this came out, but she says she was the FB side, and he was the Twitter side, and I’d abandoned my FB early in the Trump era.
posted by Etrigan at 3:17 PM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
Everyone reading this should reflect on their own behaviors & their own apologies. Don't tell anyone about it, just think about it. Did you refuse to let someone in who showed up, rolled up their sleeves & got the work done without you? Did that make you feel threatened? Did you react to it like a threat instead of recognizing it for an opportunity? Was that because you had never thought that an opportunity could come from someone who wasn't exactly like you? What else are you taking as a threat that isn't actually a threat? That's how you can avoid getting into a mess like this in the first place. Actually notice how he failed to treat this person like a person and maybe you'll be able to notice yourself doing it and fix it before the situation blows up.
posted by bleep at 3:42 PM on July 10, 2020 [18 favorites]
posted by bleep at 3:42 PM on July 10, 2020 [18 favorites]
That's really shitty news, especially considering that the Sleeping Giants tactic (and branding) has been replicated here in Brazil with explosive success — 200K followers in a week, 400K after two months, state chapters etc. It's had more impact than the US original and I remember Rivitz tweeting something along the lines of "my baby, it grew up so fast" with no mention of Jammi at all, what an asshole.
Fake news is hardcore shit around these parts, with heavy involvment from the government. Bolsonaro's sons run a shadow agency dubbed "The Hate Cabinet" dedicated to spreading lies, attacks and COVID disinfo, with a whole network of Breitbart-like websites supporting and amplifying them.
So when Sleeping Giants Brasil happened it was really exciting and a relief. ("irritating shock troops and the government") They've managed to demonetize three of four Breitbart clones to the tune of half a million BRL, mobilized federal prosecutors to remove ads from Banco do Brasil, our state bank, which were financing hate sites directly – not through adsense – under Bolsonaro's sons direct orders. They've cancelled crowdfunding financing for a pro-government, pro-coup neonazi militia and and set in motion a Supreme Court judicial action against it; now taking on Paypal and kicking major ass in general.
Rivitz's involvement was minimal, just permission to use the name and tactic. Unlike that jerk, who seems to treat it as a job networking and self-promotion opportunity, the people behind Sleeping Giants Brasil are all anonymous and fearing for their lives.
Which brings us back to Jammi. I'm really pissed off about what he did to her, no one here even knew she existed. I'm glad that she was able to turn the tables on him and leverage it into a career for her. But it's difficult to imagine Sleeping Giants Brasil addressing this without turning on a SLEEPING GIANTS IS SEXIST AND RACIST shit firehose against themselves. I wish they do it though, and hope they can pull it off!
posted by Tom-B at 3:43 PM on July 10, 2020 [28 favorites]
Fake news is hardcore shit around these parts, with heavy involvment from the government. Bolsonaro's sons run a shadow agency dubbed "The Hate Cabinet" dedicated to spreading lies, attacks and COVID disinfo, with a whole network of Breitbart-like websites supporting and amplifying them.
So when Sleeping Giants Brasil happened it was really exciting and a relief. ("irritating shock troops and the government") They've managed to demonetize three of four Breitbart clones to the tune of half a million BRL, mobilized federal prosecutors to remove ads from Banco do Brasil, our state bank, which were financing hate sites directly – not through adsense – under Bolsonaro's sons direct orders. They've cancelled crowdfunding financing for a pro-government, pro-coup neonazi militia and and set in motion a Supreme Court judicial action against it; now taking on Paypal and kicking major ass in general.
Rivitz's involvement was minimal, just permission to use the name and tactic. Unlike that jerk, who seems to treat it as a job networking and self-promotion opportunity, the people behind Sleeping Giants Brasil are all anonymous and fearing for their lives.
Which brings us back to Jammi. I'm really pissed off about what he did to her, no one here even knew she existed. I'm glad that she was able to turn the tables on him and leverage it into a career for her. But it's difficult to imagine Sleeping Giants Brasil addressing this without turning on a SLEEPING GIANTS IS SEXIST AND RACIST shit firehose against themselves. I wish they do it though, and hope they can pull it off!
posted by Tom-B at 3:43 PM on July 10, 2020 [28 favorites]
Something that made my head hurt as I read through the ways that she decided to take control of her own narrative is that that's exactly how white men empire-build and women are routinely punished for daring to even try. We're taught to wait until we "deserve" credit, believing a fair world will give it to us, or that we're not getting it because we don't deserve it rather than because some dude's seen a prime opportunity to take it all for himself.
And damn am I grossed out that because I only follow the Twitter account, I had absolutely no idea the org wasn't just Matt.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:44 PM on July 10, 2020 [30 favorites]
And damn am I grossed out that because I only follow the Twitter account, I had absolutely no idea the org wasn't just Matt.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:44 PM on July 10, 2020 [30 favorites]
Wow, this guy.
I honestly really sympathize, having founded a business with a man and being the (at the beginning, anyway) quieter half who really just wants to do the work. But I insisted from the very beginning that we were co-founders and it is 50/50, and I’m not saying she did anything wrong but I’m saying I got lucky by working with a man who got it (not right away!) and is loud about my involvement. I really do feel for her and I hope she does bigger and better things. I’m honestly shocked at his brazenness.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 6:05 PM on July 10, 2020 [4 favorites]
I honestly really sympathize, having founded a business with a man and being the (at the beginning, anyway) quieter half who really just wants to do the work. But I insisted from the very beginning that we were co-founders and it is 50/50, and I’m not saying she did anything wrong but I’m saying I got lucky by working with a man who got it (not right away!) and is loud about my involvement. I really do feel for her and I hope she does bigger and better things. I’m honestly shocked at his brazenness.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 6:05 PM on July 10, 2020 [4 favorites]
So lemme get this straight. Sleeping Giants is essentially a strategy, and the brand to rally around.
A brand can be trademarked, a strategy cannot.
And this genius just pissed all over the brand.
posted by butterstick at 6:46 PM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
A brand can be trademarked, a strategy cannot.
And this genius just pissed all over the brand.
posted by butterstick at 6:46 PM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
Honestly I wish I were still teaching women’s studies because I’d use this as a case study. If I tried to make up a textbook example of how white men take credit for and overshadow women of colour, it would basically come out exactly like this.
Matt Rivitz is a weaselly shitbag, and I am glad Nandini Jammi spoke up and told everyone exactly who was hiding behind his woke persona. I hope she goes on to do even more great work and be recognized for it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:26 PM on July 10, 2020 [17 favorites]
Matt Rivitz is a weaselly shitbag, and I am glad Nandini Jammi spoke up and told everyone exactly who was hiding behind his woke persona. I hope she goes on to do even more great work and be recognized for it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:26 PM on July 10, 2020 [17 favorites]
I was only vaguely aware of SG, but glad to get this opportunity to blacklist Matt Rivitz and follow Nandini Jammi!
posted by Meatbomb at 8:44 PM on July 10, 2020
posted by Meatbomb at 8:44 PM on July 10, 2020
Is this the right place to talk about Sleeping Giant's activism's effect on non-american creators such as Naomi Wu? She's pretty pissed at them costing her income (link). Naomi previously.
I mean this seriously, if this isn't the place for that no problem, but can we talk about how Sleeping Giant's work has consequences that they won't acknowledge or accept.
posted by Braeburn at 1:29 AM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
I mean this seriously, if this isn't the place for that no problem, but can we talk about how Sleeping Giant's work has consequences that they won't acknowledge or accept.
posted by Braeburn at 1:29 AM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
Whoops hit post instead of preview. My question is can we talk about how activism against right wing elements by American PoC and white Americans repeat the marginalisation of WoC in the rest of the world, without acknowledgeing that?
I was fairly sympathetic to Jammi but her response to Wu was incredibly rude and thoughtless.
posted by Braeburn at 1:33 AM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was fairly sympathetic to Jammi but her response to Wu was incredibly rude and thoughtless.
posted by Braeburn at 1:33 AM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
Braeburn, explicitly pull out the issues inherent in that last comment of yours.
posted by infini at 1:46 AM on July 11, 2020
posted by infini at 1:46 AM on July 11, 2020
Mod note: One deleted. Yes, probably better to make a separate post rather than get into a significant sidebar or derail on Naomi Wu and related problems or incidents. Thanks.
posted by taz (staff) at 5:52 AM on July 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 5:52 AM on July 11, 2020 [2 favorites]
Here's what I don't get, my fellow white dudes. Why not share credit? It costs us nothing. Particularly as white dudes; everyone's gonna assume we're the one in charge anyway. Share any adulation, pass on the credit. It is the right thing to do and the necessary thing when your colleagues really have done the work. And it costs you nothing. Hell, it even makes you look good doing it. Really as a white dude we can't lose; share some of the rewards with folks who deserve them.
posted by Nelson at 7:31 AM on July 11, 2020 [12 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 7:31 AM on July 11, 2020 [12 favorites]
As per Taz, it's a derail so I'll leave it.
posted by Braeburn at 7:56 AM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Braeburn at 7:56 AM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
I will be forwarding this to young relatives since this contains so many examples of bad office politics. I've experienced many of these things and would be stunned if she is exaggerating any of it.
For anyone who wonders why women and minorities aren't moving ahead in organizations, you can just do the opposite of what this man did, in order of importance:
-NEVER confuse loudness and confidence with talent and hard work
-Ask yourself if everyone who needs to be in meetings was invited, send follow up notes to others whenever possible
-Dig deeper to find out who contributed what to a groundbreaking/unusual project
-Repeatedly credit people, especially when speaking to other departments
- If one person claims someone is incompetent, difficult, or a whiner, dig deeper to find out exactly why they feel this way
-When it is time to get special bonuses or awards, double-check who should be nominated
posted by Freecola at 10:24 AM on July 11, 2020 [14 favorites]
For anyone who wonders why women and minorities aren't moving ahead in organizations, you can just do the opposite of what this man did, in order of importance:
-NEVER confuse loudness and confidence with talent and hard work
-Ask yourself if everyone who needs to be in meetings was invited, send follow up notes to others whenever possible
-Dig deeper to find out who contributed what to a groundbreaking/unusual project
-Repeatedly credit people, especially when speaking to other departments
- If one person claims someone is incompetent, difficult, or a whiner, dig deeper to find out exactly why they feel this way
-When it is time to get special bonuses or awards, double-check who should be nominated
posted by Freecola at 10:24 AM on July 11, 2020 [14 favorites]
NEVER confuse loudness and confidence with talent and hard work
Ugh, QFT. I have sat on many hiring committees where committee members were just so fucking impressed with any loud, confident (usually white, always) male candidate. It’s predictable and depressing and I always think, am I the only one who can see through this jerk? Loud confidence does not equal talent, but a lot of people are really drawn to it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:48 AM on July 11, 2020 [10 favorites]
Ugh, QFT. I have sat on many hiring committees where committee members were just so fucking impressed with any loud, confident (usually white, always) male candidate. It’s predictable and depressing and I always think, am I the only one who can see through this jerk? Loud confidence does not equal talent, but a lot of people are really drawn to it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:48 AM on July 11, 2020 [10 favorites]
Great post, thanks OP!
posted by Bella Donna at 10:22 AM on July 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Bella Donna at 10:22 AM on July 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
My favorite part of these fsuxpologies is always the "I am not perfect" part.
Mine too. I always want to reply with "don't worry, we never thought you were."
More seriously, this article is a textbook illustration of why I no longer collaborate with men without very explicit divisions of labour and job descriptions, and why I insist on credit being regularly and explicitly given to anyone who contributed to a project. Over the years, I've noticed that whenever a dude says "I don't care who gets the credit" (and then looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to agree) it means that he is going to find a way to take it.
posted by rpfields at 9:07 PM on July 12, 2020
Mine too. I always want to reply with "don't worry, we never thought you were."
More seriously, this article is a textbook illustration of why I no longer collaborate with men without very explicit divisions of labour and job descriptions, and why I insist on credit being regularly and explicitly given to anyone who contributed to a project. Over the years, I've noticed that whenever a dude says "I don't care who gets the credit" (and then looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to agree) it means that he is going to find a way to take it.
posted by rpfields at 9:07 PM on July 12, 2020
The fact that he used his wife as an example when they are talking about work recognition tips his hand definitively where maybe there had been ambiguity. “Why am I so henpecked?!” is the whine of a man who knows he doesn’t deserve all the credit he is taking.
posted by amanda at 7:31 AM on July 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by amanda at 7:31 AM on July 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
Even worse, using his wife as a point of comparison puts all females on a "sexual relations" lens / footing - super misogynistic and generally icky thinking.
posted by Meatbomb at 8:20 AM on July 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Meatbomb at 8:20 AM on July 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
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