Lockey Lecture 2025

 

Join us in welcoming Andrew Slack to the Millersville University campus for the 35th annual Anna Funk Lockey Lecture.

DATE: Thursday, March 20, 2025

TIME: 7:00 PM

LOCATION: Biemesderfer Concert Hall, Winter Center (60 W. Cottage Avenue, Millersville, Pennsylvania 17551)

Registration is required: Register Here!

Millersville University proudly presents the Annual Lockey Lecture, featuring Andrew Slack, a pioneering advocate who transforms storytelling into activism. As co-founder of the Harry Potter Alliance, Andrew has mobilized millions to take action on human rights, democracy, and social justice—connecting iconic stories to real-world change.

This year’s lecture, "Advocacy for Humankind," will explore how narratives shape our world, inspire empathy, and drive collective action. Drawing from his global campaigns and work with leaders like Leonardo DiCaprio and Nobel Prize winners, Andrew will share how we can harness the power of stories to create a more just and compassionate society.

Join us for an inspiring discussion on the intersection of fandom, advocacy, and civic engagement!

Register Here!

Meet our Speaker:

Andrew Slack is a pioneer in transforming storytelling into advocacy and fandom into a force for human rights and social change. As co-founder of the Harry Potter Alliance, he spent a decade inspiring over a million fans to become activists, using the power of shared stories to connect people across cultures, build empathy, and spark real-world action. From linking The Hunger Games to economic inequality, Superman to immigrant rights, and Star Wars to democracy reform, his innovative campaigns have won major victories and fostered grassroots movements in over 30 countries—earning him fellowships at Ashoka, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and Civic Hall, as well as Millersville University’s Distinguished Civic Leadership Award.

Andrew’s work has been featured in over 100 major news outlets, from The New York Times and The New Yorker to Comedy Central and People Magazine. As a featured speaker, he has shared his insights on the power of storytelling and collective action at TEDx Rome, TEDx Youth, SXSW, the American Library Association, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, MIT, and over 100 other venues worldwide. His writing on civic imagination has appeared in the LA Times and CNN, and he has ghostwritten op-eds for A-list celebrities, Indigenous leaders, and Nobel Peace Prize winners that have shaped global conversations in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil.

Beyond storytelling, Andrew has helped reshape major philanthropic and civic initiatives. His ideas influenced a $65 million MacArthur Foundation initiative on digital learning and civic engagement, and he has advised organizations such as Ford Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies on using narrative strategy to advance human rights. He has served as a creative consultant with clients ranging from Netflix and the executive producer of a major Apple TV series to the Teamsters and a winning reproductive rights initiative in Europe.

As a narrative strategist for Avaaz, a global civic organization with over 69 million members, he mobilized Leonardo DiCaprio, Pedro Pascal, Meryl Streep, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, and Rosario Dawson, alongside political leaders, to champion pro-democracy, climate action, and human dignity. His advocacy for Indigenous peoples in the Amazon has not only drawn international media attention but also elicited responses from three sitting heads of state and helped prevent a “genocide bill” targeting Indigenous communities in Peru.

Andrew is also a content producer, with his videos reaching over 100 million views. He is the co-author of Save Santa’s Home, a children’s book that playfully inspires young people to advocate for climate action.

Ultimately, Andrew is dedicated to harnessing the power of stories, imagination, and human connection to build a more just and compassionate world. He lives in Philadelphia, PA, with his wife and son.