Thread by @rkbtwo

{A THREAD} One of the dangers of this moment for white counterparts in placemaking is to be invigorated to “do something” instead of just picking up the best practices, voices and research of women/black ppl/white allies from the last 5+ years and put that work to work.

It is important that we amplify, fund and implement the work of people and organizations that have already spoken loudly on the intersection of place and race. With that in mind I’ve decided to interrupt your lunchtime to do some amplifying…here we go…

A study from 2008-2011 in NYC found bans on sidewalk biking to be enforced disproportionately in Black and Latino communities marijuana-arrests.com/docs/Criminal-…

Heather Smith (@strangerworks) wrote about Fort Lauderdale Police disproportionately giving 86% of their tickets for biking violations between 2010-2013 to African Americans grist.org/politics/bikin…

2011 work from @AL_Research "Do All Children Have Places to Be Active? Disparities in Access to Physical Activity Environments in Racial and Ethnic Minority and Lower-Income Communities" activelivingresearch.org/do-all-childre…

In 2013 Hamzat Sani (@Ham2dacheez) started an Equity Advisory Council to rethink our strategies for engaging w/communities of color youth & women but never got the support & resources needed to sustain. We need more co-empowered leadership spaces like this bikeleague.org/content/equity…

Here is a best practice pager @Sp3cial_Kae and I did with @SafeRoutesNow in 2014 "Using Safe Routes to School to Combat the Threat of Violence" saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/…

Dr. @urbanadonia is someone I continue to admire. In 2014 she launched a "Seeing & Believing" visual campaign as a critique of #VisionZero and amplification of racial discrimination in the streets. bikeleague.org/sites/default/…

By the way support @urbanadonia book "Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance" microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/…

I don't think @WiFi_Murray @KieraSmalls & @cfk82 get enough credit for writing the book on implementing equitable bike-share in Black/Brown communities. Follow their blueprint-they deserve all of the flowers: betterbikeshare.org/wp-content/upl…

Back in 2015, I wrote about the historical urban planning decisions that exasperated inequities through place after coming back from Baltimore serving the North Mount community where Freddie Gray was from and killed usa.streetsblog.org/2015/05/11/bal…

Here’s a 2015 Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing by @policylink which houses the Transportation Equity Caucus founded by my big sis @AnitaMHairston a voice that our work needs more of. policylink.org/sites/default/…

One of the most powerful keynotes I've heard from a public official on racial disparities and infrastructure decisions that benefited some and not all was by former USDOT Sec. @anthonyfoxx in 2016 at @amprog Watch here: americanprogress.org/events/2016/03…

I remember vividly the thickness of the air at @nacto in 2016 when my sis @TamikaButler showed this picture. If you have not seen how she used her vulnerabilities for the sake of ringing the alarm on racial injustice and place watch here: nacto.org/2016/10/25/tam…

So ?…how do we plan with an #equity lens if this is our decision making table?

2010 census:
81% of planners are white
4 in 10 are women
American whites represented 54% of master’s students
nextcity.org/daily/entry/pl…

Engineers 2007-2015
81% male
67% white
ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%2…

.@Bici_Urbana another woman who needs her flowers has already done the heavy lifting for those who "don't know where to start" "Principles For Equitable Public Outreach & Engagement During Covid-19 and Beyond" nelsonnygaard.com/principles-for…

You can also elevate, FUND and protect local organizations and leaders like @peopleforMJ who have their ears to the ground and know how to contextualize transportation for the benefit of those who are marginalized

While we’re at it make all of the room for minority/women/veteran owned firms like @VeronicaODavis @NspiregreenLLC to be the PRIME not just on public engagement tasks but on the engineering, planning, design and construction of our streets #factsonly

There is no need to create new spaces as u have forums like "The Untokening" a multiracial collective that centers the lived experiences of marginalized communities to address mobility justice & #equity Send your resources, staff & funding here untokening.org/summary @untokening

And most importantly the goal shouldn’t be to find a Black/Woman/POC superhero to save your organization, cause or objective. I wrestled with this in 2016 w/ @Sp3cial_Kae

“Confessions of a Tokenized Advocate” saferoutespartnership.org/blog/confessio…

Here’s something you can do now. My brother @ctbrown1911 yesterday asked some critical questions of our white colleagues and white led organizations in transportation, planning and placemaking- ponder on them. Check it out:

https://twitter.com/ctbrown1911/status/1267481313113767938?s=20

Here are some others questions to consider:

What is missing from your definition of for all?

Who is not in the room from your company, organization or community that needs to be a part of this conversation?

Have you institutionalized equity at your company or organization or have you just hired or partnered with it?

Who do you need to welcome in that you have been holding back because of the accountability you will then be responsible for?

Where do you see opportunities to co-empower a community leader or advocacy partner to lead?

{END OF THREAD}

An unexpectedly AMAZING response to this THREAD.

My hope is that it helps end the myth that the research voices & leaders of women/Black ppl/white allies doesn’t exist-That those who spoke up when it wasnt popular get the recognition & opportunities they deserve #factsonly