Equity Pause Questions
I am always excited to hear designers ask “How can I bring equity to my practice?” It is a recognition that existing systems need to change towards equity, or just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper and reach their full potential*. However, I’ve learned that equity takes a long time, and is not a one-off webinar or training that checks a box. Over decades, our built environment systems have been designed towards racial inequity**, and changing those processes requires that we challenge ourselves and think beyond the norms of standard practice. We have a tendency to want to fix things, and unless we question our process and biases, we risk replicating and reinforcing the inequities that exist in our current systems.
To disrupt our way of thinking, we have to slow down, take a breath and pause. An Equity Pause*** is a time to pause the [design/planning] process to reflect and share our learning, remind ourselves of our shared goals/practices, and name what we might do better in the support of racial equity and inclusion. It’s a first step to notice, see and name the obstacles that get in the way of equity.
To begin this process, here are some Equity Pause Questions that I ask before, during and after a design/planning process:
Awareness: What would we like to say that hasn't been said?
Inclusion: Who are we not hearing from? Why?
Relationships: Is this conversation/action/project moving towards relationship?
Acknowledgments: Are we acknowledging the history? What and who would you like to acknowledge and celebrate?
Process & Practice: Are we on the right track? Do we need to update our practices and processes?
Goals: Are we moving towards more and/or improved equity and inclusion practices?
Implicit Biases: Where are our blindspots and biases?
Never Would I Ever: What social issues do I feel I must recuse myself from, that I would risk publicly refusing my work to support?
I use this pause to brainstorm questions, not answers. I will include it on an agenda, and might devote an entire meeting to ask questions that we aren’t asking ourselves. When we hold brave spaces to challenge the status quo, we can begin to imagine a different approach, one that moves towards just practices. Reminding ourselves to pause allows us to center the voices, needs and lived experiences of those we are working with, which are different for each one of us. It prioritizes listening, a restorative healing practice, to create a space of inclusion.
*Source: Policylink
**Source: R. Rothstein, Segregated by Design
***Source: equityXdesign, “Racism and inequity are products of design. They can be redesigned.”