Indifference = violence

Dear InVision Community,

This past week, I’ve been disgusted, angered, and profoundly saddened as I witness the brutality against Black people across the United States. The murders of George Floyd in Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky remind us of the systemic injustice Black communities globally have faced for centuries.

What strikes me most sharply, and frightens me most deeply, about the violent murder of George Floyd are the conditions in which it occurred. In broad daylight, at the hands of, and in full view of, multiple members of uniformed police, and through a full whole nine minutes of unthinkable cruelty. This tells the story of a much deeper and more insidious sickness of culture and human consciousness: indifference. The ultimate price paid by Mr. Floyd brings our collective focus on the need for deep soul-searching to address the essential failure of humanity that allows this, and countless heinous acts of racism and bigotry to occur.

It’s never been more clear that indifference = violence.

This week has also been a reminder that we need to go far beyond corporate measures. We cannot just be non-racist, but we must be anti-racist, and build these principles into our thinking, families, organizations, and communities. We at InVision are doing the hard work to look inside ourselves. We admit that we haven’t always gotten it right, and we are trying to do so with renewed humility, honesty, and focus. We’ve compiled a list of vetted resources to begin learning below.

We created the illustration above because we believe that design has the unique ability to transform complex ideas and emotions into succinct implements of consciousness that transcend any one moment or place. We encourage everyone in our community to make your voices heard. Our hope is that this dark period of grieving will create lasting change, and that the image and memory of George Floyd will become a legacy inspiring unity, empathy, and humanity.

—Clark Valberg, CEO at InVision

Resources

• Anti-racism resources: A collected list of books, articles, podcasts, videos, and more to deepen anti-racist work.
• Maintaining professionalism in the age of black death is… a lot: Shenequa Golding explores how the guise of “professionalism” can be a unique form of suffocation.
• It’s not enough to be non-racist: InVision’s own Sagal Muse has compiled a list of resources that will help society listen, learn, and stand up.
• 75 things white people can do for racial justice: Corinne Shutack compiles an ever growing list of how white people can be better allies in the fight for substantial racial equity.
• How to begin designing for diversity: A guide to get you started in building equitable products, services, and content, written by Project Inkblot with illustrations by Fanny Luor. 
• Just a brown hand: Slack senior product designer Diógenes Brito reflects the importance of seeing ‘flesh’ colored hands in graphics.