In the midst of a global health pandemic, another pandemic is shaking up our country as the world watches: Systemic racism has been centuries in the making, but recent acts of police brutality have brought it to the forefront. As the voiceless act out in rage, those with a voice-including architects, creators of the built environment-are frantically seeking to end the sickness in our society, once and for all. Calls to defund the police have been met with outcries. Though such measures require time and a democratic process that includes all citizens of this country, I view reducing police funding as more like reimbursing our communities-freeing up resources for programs that may promote reconciliation, collaboration, or something that we have yet to dream of. Did we ever consider the impact of defunding state and national parks, environmental protections, or even the U.S. Postal Service? As a student of Detroit Public Schools, I watched as all art programs were defunded midway through my middle school years. Did anyone think about how that would affect the future of youth in those programs? American culture has a long history deeply rooted in the design of inequitable practices and institutional systems of oppression. Together, as individuals, let's begin to explore and dismantle the barriers set in place so long ago. Let's commit to rebuilding equitable structures at all levels. Society must invest in community, arts, and leadership education for every person, every child. We must begin to enact and navigate the monumental change that is necessary. And it starts from within.
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