Design Against Racism

A historical and philosophical exploration of the impact of design on underserved communities, examining the field's shortcomings as well as its potential to create positive change. Through essays that delve into history and practice, and case studies that demonstrate practical strategies, Design Against Racism explores how designers of all disciplines can address, through their work, the legacies of racism and oppression.

Design profoundly influences culture. The heart of this book is its powerful blend of essays on design historyillustrated case studies, and discussions of practical methods to approach design work, adapted from the restorative justice movement. It explores how design as a professional practice and academic discipline directly affects historically excluded communities, offering frameworks and examples that foster collective improvement.

Topics from author Omari Souza, founder of the annual State of Black Design conference, and contributing design professionals include:

• Unveiling the White Gaze: The Narrative of Whiteness and Colonial Nostalgia
• Language as a Tool for Marginalization—and Resistance
• Hip-Hop Architecture: Transforming Spaces through Culture and Innovation
• Afrofuturism as a Design Strategy
• Whose Knowledge Is It? Reclaiming Histories, Narratives, and the Plurality of Knowledge
• Nonhierarchical Engagement with Communities—Anti-Racist Design Community Pop-Up

This is a critique of design and a practical handbook that will teach designers and educators how a restorative justice approach can transform their design practice to counteract and fight racism.

Omari Souza is a first-generation American of Jamaican descent who was raised in the Bronx, NY. He is an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at the University of North Texas and organizer of the of Black Design conference. He received his BFA in Digital Media from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his MFA in Design from Kent State University.