Adam Yauch Makes Me Wanna Holla: Generation X Session at #AAM2012

By James G. Leventhal

Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch and The Venerable Palden Gyatso, Tibetan Freedom Concert, SF, CA 1996

So quotes my friend Jennifer Caleshu:

These times especially call for more than mere incrementalism. Let’s demand that our leaders get in over their heads, that they remain a little bit naive about what they’re getting into.

It’s from WIRED.

And my friend Erin Potts wrote about Adam Yauch, our “MCA”:

He was deeply strategic–most of the time–always passionate, and always welcoming. He believed in our team of inexperienced but determined 20-somethings, and our ability to do the impossible. And with that belief in us and in nonviolence, together we DID do the impossible. Never before has more fun been had while changing the world!! Yauch’s work for Tibet helped jumpstart and nurture an international youth movement for Tibet and nonviolence–the best example of which can be found in Students for a Free Tibet, our sister organization and partner during all of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. That this organization and movement is stronger today than when the last Concert ended is a testament to Yauch’s vision, leadership, and belief in young people.

Adam Yauch died last week at the age of 47.

Jennifer Caleshu, Director of Earned Revenue and Project Management, Bay Area Discovery Museum at the podium at AAM in Minneapolis, MN

At the tailend of last week’s American Association of Museums meeting in Minneapolis I had the good fortune to be part of a panel about Gen X leadership in museums.

It was on honor to be there with you on stage, Amparo Leyman Pino and Stacey Swigart.  And it was fun.  Were we the only session with a DJ?!  Thanks, Scott Stulen…and what you do at the Walker rocks our worlds!  Thank you, Jennifer for bringing us all together.  To see the slides, please click here.

This post is intended as a rally cry, a gathering place and a link garden.  Were you there?

With the passing of Adam Yauch, I am overwhelmed at the need to plant this seed as a tribute, without a ton of exposition.

Please can I encourage others who weren’t at the podium to craft longer posts or comments and submit them here? @Louiseoffcourse? @jolifanta? @bathlander?

And a more cogent post with more links and documentation is forthcoming.

‘Til then let us celebrate our own potential, in life and what’s next.