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Hello friend,
Welcome to the Summer 2022 edition of Blink’s internal DEI newsletter.
This season shines with stories of liberation, authenticity, and perseverance, as we honor Juneteenth, LGBTQ+ Pride, and International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
These observances remind us that change is possible, while simultaneously calling on us to listen to the voices of marginalized people, lean into uncomfortable conversations, and continue working toward a more equitable future.
- Blink's Internal DEI Committee
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What's Happening This Season
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Article: Pride Month Would Not Exist as We Know it if Juneteenth Did Not Happen
By Karen Marie, The Buckeye Flame
"Pride month would not exist as we know it if Juneteenth did not happen. It all comes together as we recognize that the most vulnerable of any group is generally the Black, Indigenous, and other members of color of this group. If we can shift our focus to safety, providing access to the most historically marginalized, and centering their experiences, we can approach equality and equity in integrity as a country."
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Article: Juneteenth: The History of a Holiday
By Derrick Bryson Taylor, NYT
Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War, has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s.
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President Biden signed legislation last year that made Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, a federal holiday, after interest in the day was renewed during the summer of 2020 and the nationwide protests that followed the police killings of Black Americans including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
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promoted the importance of indigenous knowledge in the UN system, among policymakers, governments, academia, and in research, and creates opportunities for exchange with indigenous peoples.”
In September 2019, Caribbean indigenous people and local communities met with climate experts from 16 countries to share their experiences of anticipating and responding to different environmental challenges, including natural disasters and climate change impacts, during the first Caribbean workshop on indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). “This enabled the elaboration of a Caribbean-wide overview of how indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) are being used to predict, prepare for and tackle the impacts of climate change, and to consider ways in which ILK, science, and policy-making can better collaborate."
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Presented at In/Visible Talks 2020
Length: 25 min.
“Systems of oppression, inequality, and inequity are by design, and they can and must be redesigned. Working toward equitable outcomes is a complex and messy process. Join Antionette D. Carroll, founder and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, as she examines how integrating humility and vulnerability into our efforts of continuous improvement — embracing and learning from both successes and failures — allows us to dismantle the barriers that have kept us from collectively moving toward a more just society.”
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By Them
"Though it was only formally adopted in 1990, the term Two-Spirit — an umbrella term that encompasses a number of understandings of gender and sexuality among many Indigenous North Americans — has its roots in traditions and cultures dating back centuries. In this episode of Inqueery, the video series that breaks down LGBTQ+ vocabulary, educator and storyteller Geo Soctomah Neptune explains how the term 'Two-Spirit' came to be, and addresses the centuries of colonial violence and prejudice Two-Spirit people continue to fight against today." Check out the video above to learn more about what it means to be Two-Spirit.
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Brené Brown is a research professor who’s spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Her podcast Unlocking Us “reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human.”
In this episode, Brené talks to writer, poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. "His new book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, took my breath away," says Brené. "Hanif’s ability to straddle the tension of grief and gratitude, beauty and horror, mourning and jubilation is where the miracle and the genius happen."
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By Digital Accessibility: The People Behind the Progress
In this new interview series, Blink's Director of Accessibility Joe Welinske explores the many paths that accessibility leaders have taken to get to where they are today. Tune in to meet the folks who are working to make digital products and services more accessible, such as software test engineer Zack Klein. In this fascinating episode, Zack talks about his work as an accessibility tester and his unique perspective as a person who is blind.
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Inneract Project
"Inneract Project empowers marginalized students of color through design education that links them to opportunities to explore design in college, career, and life. Inneract Project (IP) serves primarily middle and high school youth who identify as Black, Latinx and/or of low-income backgrounds. A professionally-supported organization, IP offers a pathway of free design classes and initiatives, in order to introduce youth to the field of design and help channel their creativity into viable career paths."
Lesbians Who Tech & Allies
"LWTA is a community of LGBTQ women, non-binary and trans individuals in and around tech (and the people who support them)." LWTA's goals are: to be more visible to each other and to others; to get more women, POC, and queer and trans people in technology; and to connect their community to other organizations that are doing incredible work.
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Creative Reaction Lab
"Creative Reaction Lab was founded in support of the Uprising in Ferguson. Today, CRL is building a youth-led, community-centered movement of a new type of Civic Leader: Redesigners for Justice. Their mission is to educate, train, and challenge Black and Latinx youth to become leaders designing healthy and racially equitable communities. We’re challenging the belief that only adults with titles (e.g. mayors, CEOs, etc.) have the power and right to challenge racial and health inequities."
Queer Design Club
"Queer Design Club is building a community where LGBTQ+ designers can celebrate queer contributions to the design industry and visual culture, share their work, and connect with each other." Their mission is "to promote and celebrate all the amazing work that happens at the intersection of queer identity and design world wide."
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