Racists by design
❝ In a racist society, it’s not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racists.❞
— Angela Davis
This post wasn’t meant to be like this. I rewrote it as I was thinking that I was validating my previous email; we people forget about history. We didn’t have to see a terrifying video of a white policeman keeping his knee planted on George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes to react. Or did we?
We live in ugly times.
2020 will be recorded as one of the darkest years in History. And we’re not even at the half of it. Yet just following the news can wear one down. We are sharing and retweeting videos, photos, and quotes, raising awareness about the world, and questions about the future.
Is this the world we’re bringing up our children? How can we help stop racism? Can it actually be stopped or have lost the battle because the world is designed to work like this?
We share images of Trump, Boris Johnson, dead black people, abandoned immigrants, dead animals, and burned forests as news as if this content consumption is critical for our survival, but it is not. It’s only addiction, and every addiction has a lousy ending. The repetition of something terrible makes it acceptable. Think about the confusion from the ways we react on social media (i.e., clicking ‘like’ or ‘favourite’ on a video or news about murder). We are generating bad data and wrong perception. Enter fake news. Now think some more.
The real reaction is not on social media. It’s on the streets. Unfortunately, we have allowed fascists to rule this world. Riots are a natural consequence when people find themselves living in injustice.
Of course, there is the next day. There is always the next day. We need to strengthen ourselves for this as well. Teach our kids and prepare everyone. But, let’s focus on the first step first.
Be human. Fight for the right thing.
For a better future. For beautiful times.
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻
Related links
Becoming a parent in the age of Black Lives Matter.
The design community must not stay silent.
James Baldwin 1968 interview after death of Martin Luther King Jr.
Racism in the interfaces.
The Problem with Liberal White Designers.
Facebook Employees Stage Virtual Walkout to Protest Trump Posts.
Donald Trump, the Most Unmanly President.
This can’t keep happening. Demand justice. By Maria Fabrizio.