ISSUE 1: Knowlton on the Rocks
Letter and Call for Action
The act of design is inherently discriminatory. A series of conscientious decisions that yield preference. The inaugural issue of Knowlton On the Rocks must address, unlearn, and redress the racism and white supremacy that pervades design practice and education, specifically our own.
In support of the Knowlton BIPOC Coalition’s letter to administration which confronts Knowlton’s complicity and calls for immediate systemic change, our first issue will focus on racial inequality, micro and macroaggressions, and white supremacism within Knowlton and the design community at large. These are implemented in White Eurocentric history courses, willfully ignorant studio prompts, student, faculty, and professional representation, and the capitalist cycles that promote, award, and defend gentrification. Design has both actively and passively perpetuated racial injustice and inequitable spaces, and without significant change, will continue to create and guard these environments. As the next generation of planners, landscape architects, and architects we are responsible for dismantling and rebuilding these systems and practices.
We call on all members of Knowlton’s student community to submit their experiences, opinions, concerns, and thoughts on combatting racism and inequality in design. We encourage students to submit anything from short essays and editorials to graphics, photography, and more.
Contributors
Eric Schulz and Clarisse WeanKnowlton BIPOC Coalition
Clarisse Wean with Andre Banerjee
t.f Mahoney
Eric Schulz
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SEPT 18 / 2020
