Communication Design Program presents "State of Black Design" online event

The Communication Design Program at Texas State University will host a free, online event "The State of Black Design" on Sept. 18 as part of the Common Experience.

The two-hour event will begin at 7 p.m. Although it is free to attend, advance registration is required at Eventbrite: The State of Black Design.

Omari Souza, assistant professor in the School of Art and Design, will serve as moderator. The online discussion will feature prominent Black design practitioners and academics. Open conversation will be segmented into four focused panels: Industry, Pedagogy, Black Design Organizations and Design Activism. Topics of discussion will include:

• Aunt Jemima: Is rebranding racist trademarks enough?
• Decolonizing the field of design
• Hegemony in design curriculum + workspace
• Design's roots in social commentary
• Can this momentum around race be used by designers to also champion equity for other minority and underrepresented groups?
• Opportunities and challenges in the wake of George Floyd's death
• Black Lives Matter and its impact on design
• Level of diversity in the field of design — how do we increase that level of diversity?

Panelists include Samuel Adaramola, creative director at Grassroots Law Project and former media producer for Sen. Bernie Sanders; Maurice Cherry, founder of Revision Path, a podcast highlighting African Americans designers and former senior creative strategist for Glitch; Terrence Moline, African American graphic designer; Erwin Hines, creative director at BASIC Agency; Terressa Moses, creative director at Blackbird Revolt and associate professor at the University of Minnesota; Renee Reid, UX design researcher at LinkedIn; Bekah Marcum, Black Designers of Seattle community organizer and product designer at Zillow Group; Jordon Moses, co-founder + visionary director at Blackbird Revolt; Jacinda Walker, founder and creative director of designExplorr; Larrie King, assistant professor of visual communication design at Kent State University; Antionette Carroll, president/CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, Aspen Institute and ADL Civil Society Fellow, TED Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow and co-founder of &Design; Jennifer White-Johnson, assistant professor of visual communication design and digital media art at Bowie State University; Lauren Williams, visiting instructor in communication design at College for Creative Studies; Lesley-Ann Noel, professor of practice and associate director at Design Thinking for Social Impact; and Angela Bains, assistant professor at Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD University).

For more information, contact Souzi at oas21@txstate.edu.