Right now, cities around the world are protesting systemic racism and police brutality. Suddenly, UX writing seems extremely unimportant. Black lives matter. 

This month, we want to connect you with Black authors whose work is helping us be better citizens, managers, co-workers, and humans. As a couple of white guys, this moment is causing us to see how much more we can and should be doing. We’re learning how important it is to keep doing those things, and we’re grateful to each of these people for showing us the way. 

What we’re reading

Cui bono? by David Dylan Thomas →

We’re grateful to know David as a Confab speaker and upcoming author who has been educating people in our field about cognitive bias. His latest article is important and powerful.

There’s a scene in Blazing Saddles where two black men are sent out in a handcar to discover if there is quicksand on a railroad track up ahead. There is, and as they are sinking in it, their white bosses show up and throw them a rope. But the rope is not for them. It is for the handcart. Their bosses pull it out and are relieved saying, “Dang,that was lucky. Doggone near lost a $400 handcart”. They leave the black men to sink.

I think about this scene a lot when I see police deployed to protect property more diligently than they are to protect black lives. Which brings me to this.

The organizing principle of white supremacy is the protection of the accumulation of white wealth.

To hear more about his book and follow his writing, sign up for his newsletter.

Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is….A Lot by Shenequa Golding →

This is an important article to read because it underscores what it’s like for so many of our Black colleagues to go to work right now. We encourage managers (especially white managers) to listen and take this perspective to heart. It may make you uncomfortable. It’s important to be uncomfortable.

Your black employees are exhausted.

Your black employees are scared.

Your black employees are crying in between meetings.

Your black employees have mentally checked out.

Your black employees are putting on a performance.

Forgive us if our work isn’t up to par, we just saw a lynching. Pardon us if we’re quiet in the Zoom meetings, we’re wondering if we’ll be the next hashtag. Spare some grace if we’re not at the company happy hour, because the hour of joy that most adults look forward to has been stolen from us due to the recent string of black death.

Understanding Intent vs Impact by Fatima Dainkeh →

One of the most common mistakes white people make when talking about race is making the conversation about their feelings. We have been corrected about these topics ourselves, and it feels bad. But white feelings don’t matter when Black lives are at stake. Apologize, learn, and do better. This important article explains how you should focus on the impact of your words, not your intent when you say them.

Many times we say harmful things when we don’t know other perspectives or historical facts that show how certain groups have been treated. Try to understand why what you said or did was harmful, and don’t place that burden of teaching on the impacted person. 

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo →

We heard about this book via Vivianne Castillo, a Sr. Design Researcher in Chicago, and it’s really important. If we as an industry want to dismantle systemic racism, the starting point is being able to talk about it.

From the publisher:

Widespread reporting on aspects of white supremacy–from police brutality to the mass incarceration of Black Americans–has put a media spotlight on racism in our society. Still, it is a difficult subject to talk about. How do you tell your roommate her jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you asked to touch her hair–and how do you make it right? How do you explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend? 

In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.

White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia by Kiki Petrosino →  

If you need a little poetry in your life, pick up a copy of White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia by Kiki Petrosino, a talented Black poet. Her fourth book is a contemplation of her own genealogy, of the deep history of slavery in the Upper South, and a trip to Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson. She's also the sister-in-law of Johnny Gamber, Andy's pencil podcast co-host.

What we’re up to

This is usually where we’d talk about upcoming talks or workshops, but instead we’d like to share some of the things we’re doing to support Black lives. Join us in:

• Learning how to be anti-racist. Here’s a reading list from Ibram X. Kendi. When you buy books, find a Black-owned bookstore to buy from if there’s one in your area or purchase through an affiliate on bookshop.org if not (like Semicolon, a Black-Woman owned bookshop in Chicago).

• Supporting national and local organizations that have been fighting racism and police brutality for a long time. Setting up recurring donations is especially important because this work should not be treated as temporary. Here is a broad list of organizations. Our friend Natalie Yee makes a very good point that you should research local orgs and support those that are Black led.

• Pushing for change in our workplaces and on our teams. Most workplaces benefit from white supremacy and systemic racism. This template from Rachel Cargle is a starting point, and it will take long-term commitment and action to change these systems that are designed to oppress people.

• Following and amplifying Black voices in UX. Our friends in the Content + UX Slack group have put together a list of people you can follow and support, along with other resources.

• Making sure we keep doing and learning in a sustainable way, after the media has moved on from these protests. Tatiana Mac has written a very good Twitter thread about how to make sure efforts like this are long-term and systemic. 

Pencil of the month

No pencil of the month. We encourage you to donate to The Bail Project.