Earlier this week, I gave the opening keynote for the Association for Community Design Virtual Conference. The title of my speech was #Equity (hashtag equity). In the speech, I discussed how traditional design practice plays an active role in the blatant killing and dehumanization of Black people.
I also shared a slide with Breonna Taylor’s name — a 26 year old Black woman who was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly while sleeping. Yesterday, after months of protests and demands for justice, a grand jury failed to charge any of the officers with her death.
Similar to design practice, our “justice” system continues to evade responsibility for the lethal attack on Black life and Black livelihood. Yet, this isn’t a surprise. It’s solely operating in the way it was intended and for who it was intended to serve.
Countless design organizations, corporations, non-profits and “allies” have adopted language related to equity and justice in recent months. Others have taken to social media to now follow Black-led organizations and leaders. Largely, these acts are nothing more than marketing stunts, and selfish attempts to appease momentary guilt.
It’s easy to copy and paste the language of a movement, but the work of dismantling systems requires DAILY sacrifice and action. Too many self appointed “allies” preach hashtag equity without sacrificing anything to dismantle the system that continues to kill and dehumanize Black people in this country. This isn’t a matter of neutrality or comfortability. If you’re not doing something everyday, you’re not doing anything at all.
If you are sitting on a majority white board doing “community” or “equity” work, you are a part of the problem. If your [friend, family member, co-worker, etc.] makes racist comments while you just sit there, you are a part of the problem. If you invite Black people to be a part of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion panels AND are audacious enough to not pay them, you are a part of the problem. If you think justice is, inevitably, a slow process, you are a part of the problem. If your reason for not hiring Black talent is because there is “a limited pool” of Black talent, you are a part of the problem. If you can’t empathize with Black people’s outrage and varied responses to injustice, you are a part of the problem. If you call the cops on Black people for walking their dogs, BBQing in the park, sitting in their cars, and simply being; you are a part of the problem. If your biggest complaint of the day is related to a miniscule task like having to wear a mask, you are a part of the problem. If you view a white man that shoots into a school or protest as mentally ill, while viewing a non-white person that commits a crime as guilty, you are a part of the problem. If your response to racist accusations is “I have a Black friend,” you are a part of the problem. If after yesterday’s indictment, you are back to “business-as-usual,” you are a part of the problem. If you only patronize Black leaders and businesses during trending moments, you are a part of the problem. If you were made aware of the unfair treatment endured by a Black woman or man and did nothing about it, you are a part of the problem. If you think being more progressive than your parents or grandparents is noteworthy, you are a part of the problem. If you [fill in the blank], you are a part of the problem.
If you are a part of the problem, you are also responsible for Breonna Taylor’s death.
