by Atim Annette Oton, co- Founder, BDNN
“Architecture is Revolution. Architecture is Social Change. It is about changing the world for the better through design and action”. – The late architect, J. Max Bond [1]
Dateline: October 8, 2009 – St. Louis, Missouri
A panel discussion on African Design History at the 2009 NOMA Conference with Jack Travis, Renee Kemp-Rotan and William Stanley spurred the desire for a need for a funded “institute, place, vehicle or organization” to document the work of black architects, do research and promote the work of black architects”. At that meeting, I spoke about taking that the mantle and I committed to search for funds. I also asked for a commitment of support from the three panelists and from Dr. Curtis Sartor, Dean and Professor of Art, Design and Architecture at Judson University, and the only African American Dean of an architecture school in the US, who was in the audience.
Dateline: October 15-December 15, 2009 – Brooklyn, New York and Birmingham, Alabama
By the end of October, and back in New York, I began conducting an extensive grant search process to create the institute which I envisioned as online news agency and distribution service. By November, I had a series of grants and zeroed in on a distinct one that could potentially seed, develop and fund the project. The Knight Ridder News Challenge Grant was the perfect vehicle to create this new venture. The grant was to “seek innovations that use new or available technology to distribute content in local communities with three rules to apply: Use digital, open-source technology; distribute news in the public interest and test your project in a local community” [2].
Over the month, I reached out to Renee Kemp-Rotan, Jack Travis, Bill Stanley and also to Curtis Sartor for support. Renee Kemp-Rotan eargerly jumped on board to fully participate in the process as she saw the “astronomical potential” of the project while the others committed to supporting the project. The idea became Black Design News Network (BDNN) and over about a month, Renee Kemp-Rotan (based in Birmingham, Alabama) and I (based in Brooklyn, New York) diligently and creatively crafted and evolved BDNN. For the grant, we evolved that:
“Using an interactive open-source online platform, Black Design News Network (BDNN) will create and disseminate local stories and content about our target group – black designers (African, African American and Caribbean) and underserved designers (Hispanic) in the fields of Architecture/Interiors; Industrial/ Product Design; Visual Communications/Graphics, and Fashion/Textiles.” [3]
Since of the number of black architects was about 2000, we recognized that the community small compared to what the grant focused on and we expanded the idea to include black and underserved designers. We saw the potential of BDNN as a think-tank, a generator of projects and enterprising research institute. We envisioned it as “a creative hive, a “work-space” hub for designers to develop projects, exchange ideas and share expertise across disciplines, without regard to geographic borders” [4]. We idealized about social change and ironically, the connection to Haiti was this bold statement we wrote below:
“This collaborative work space offers new ways to produce projects that benefit the public interest. These might include creating possible design solutions for sheltering the homeless in New York City, constructive solutions for recovery in New Orleans and other areas where natural disasters occur on a regular basis (the Carribean, etc.) or a Sustainability Model for Lagos, Nigeria that could be investigated by a team of interdisciplinary designers.” [5]
On December 15, we submitted the grant proposal expected a decision either way by January 15. It was clear to Renee Kemp-Rotan and I, that we had created, innovated and pioneered a extraordinary idea that needed to be a start-up in the genre of Silicon Valley ventures. Thus, we took our cue and began to look at the business as a Silicon Valley start-up and searched for grants, and venture capital funding.
TIMELINE: Jan 12, 2010: THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE
On January 12, as I watched the Haiti Earthquake unfold on CNN like so many others, I could not stop feeling powerless but by the next day, I realized, as a trained designer, I was not helpless. And I went back to my roots and philosophy on why I studied architecture – a belief in architecture as a social change engine – and as a student of the late architect Max Bond, a belief in something he was said to me when I was deciding to attend City College: “Architeture is Revolution. It is about changing the world for the better through design and action”. I recalled September 11 when I was watched the towers fall down from infront of Parsons School of Design and how I as a product design department associate chair – lead by the chair Anthony Whitfield, reconciled to have our students act and deal with the tragedy as designers. Thus, when it came to Haiti, I had to take action and began by “pressing the button” and sending emails to black architects and design thinkers about the need to engage in Haiti.
Dateline: January 13, 2010, Brooklyn, New York
GROUND ZERO – BDNN ENGAGING AND CONNECTING THE DOTS – INITIATING NOMA
I sent the following email to Steven Lewis, president of NOMA, Renee Kemp-Rotan and 35 others, other designers and design thinkers including 10 black architecture firm owners like William Stanley, Curtis Moody, Phil Freelon and Jack Travis.
“Steven, I have 2 key suggestions:
1. I think a statement from NOMA and a press release calling black architects to consider to assist, volunteer, contribute funds to Haiti, Haitian organizations such as YELE, FOLKAI, Doctors without Borders, etc.
2. I would like to suggest that NOMA and Black Architects consider contacting USAID to see what help and assistance can be given to Haiti – based on the earthquake.
The first priority seems to be a need for doctors but in times of crisis, and as the country goes forward, there will be a need for reconstruction, urban planning, development and architecture. Any thoughts” [6]
This trigger was the impetus for engaging in Haiti personally and professionally as the co-Founder of Black Design News Network (BDNN). The responses I received tell the story of how designers gather as a collective to develop strategies for social change even in crisis and are best read below:
Re: Black Architects, NOMA and Haiti Earthquake
From: Steven Lewis To: atim oton
Brilliant. Can you draft something for me to use as the basis for such a statement? I have inroads at USAID, so can probably get it in front of the right folks, but am time-challenged right now. Any help would be great to expedite this important mission. thanks, Steve
I agree with the two suggestions! Curt Moody
I can recommend the organization Building Goodness out of Charlottesville. They have experience in design/build community work in Haiti, and in disaster recovery after Katrina on the Gulf Coast. They do not have plans yet but will post news here: http://www.buildinggoodness.org/index.php/news/. At some point they will be looking for volunteers. Bryan Bell
Those of us who have done business with USAID and its associated agency ASHA (American Hospitals and Schools Abroad) might consider co authoring a letter to both agencies offering our assistance. While it is true that planning and development efforts logically follow some time after the rescue and retrieval efforts, the centuries of neglect of that country probably warrants a mammoth rebuilding effort akin to the Marshall Plan (or at the very least the Katrina effort). I will be in that part of the Caribbean for the next five days and will inquire of other practitioners what their plans of action might entail. Another idea is to utilize the services of our members who have specific experience with design in seismic regions.
Thanks. Bill Stanley
Atim, Following on the thought in Bryan Bell’s earlier email, Architects Without Borders and Architecture for Humanity are both groups that would have core initiatives to assist in this endeavor. We may even want to align ourselves with architect organizations in the Caribbean, e.g., Jamaica Institute of Architects, Barbados Society of Architects, etc. as well as organizations like OECS. Patrick Williams[7]
Steven Lewis’ response to my initial email set off the development of a press release by Renee and I for NOMA, the creation of the program and a committee to discuss how to engage in Haiti. What was set in motion ironically is what Renee Kemp-Rotan and I had conceived – an entity like BDDN to initiate action and involve designers. Thus, BDNN became a news bureau, online magazine, digital library and ‘workspace’ hub for designers.
The opportunity to create the press release also made us aware that Haiti was tri-lingual and we distributed in English and French – to 200 press people. We never did get it translated into Creole. We proved our thesis and the viability of BDNN as a news bureau as the press release got about 35 write-ups from Architecture Record to architecture blogs. BDNN participated and assisted NOMA in the creation of its Service in Solidarity (SIS) Committee on Haiti (of which Renee Kemp-Rotan and I were committee members as BDNN co-founders and NOMA members) and we were on board for spearheading the donation $10k for CHF International (an organization already working in Haiti) rather than the original idea of having initial members collect and send tents to Haiti (a good idea but logistically problematic when the country was in crisis).
Photo shows the damage after an earthquake measuring 7 plus on the Richter scale rocked Port au Prince Haiti just before 5 pm, January 12, 2010. Photo Credit: UN Photo/Logan Abassi, United Nations Development Programme
As a think-tank, Renee and I saw BDNN’s core focus on Haiti to get designers involved – socially, ethically and responsibly and to create new ways of thinking about disasters and crisis. We activated strategic thinking as core to seeking viable and well-thought out solutions. In this vain, the strategy was to get NOMA to the table with the decision makers in Haiti and in the US.
BDNN – The Plan and Projects: Pioneering Innovation
For BDNN to be a think tank and location for information, an online “beta site” (blog) was launched just after the Haiti Earthquake with the goal to have a fully developed comprehensive site by December 2010. The goals for BDNN this year include:
- Utillize Social media as a tool for spreading the news, BDNN is on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin
Focus on being an issue oriented site: We settled on on Disasters this year. And n this vain, BDNN developed DISASTER SOS: HAITI, a panel discussion at NECON in June 2010; produced an all-day Haiti Conference Post-Earthquake Haiti : Disaster + Design in the Diaspora at the NOMA Conference in October 2010, applied for grants entitled DA BRONX SOS and CITIES UNDER SIEGE: Disaster in the Diaspora is an online publication led by members of Black Design News Network (BDNN) and victims of disaster to collectively investigate the impact of natural and made-made disaster in chronically underserved communities, worldwide; and targeting citizens of communities of color suffering ‘disaster’: The Earthquake & Port Au Prince, Haiti; Katrina, The Flood & New Orleans; Blight & The Bronx.
- Develop initiatives with designers and organizations via a Partnership Strategy and model.
As of today, we have worked with Rodney Leon supporting the Haiti Softhouse, NOMA, Lesley-ann Noel and Trinidad designers on their Big Give for Haiti, The Archive Institute on its competition, “Kay e Sante nan Ayiti”, Housing and Health in Haiti; Brooklyn Fashion Gallery on Haiti discussions. We have also partnered with Focus on Design, Designers 421, and Project Osmosis on Disaster SOS: Haiti, the Bronx Council on the Arts on several grants and their partnership with the AIA Diversity and Inclusion on sponsoring Post-Earthquake Haiti : Disaster + Design in the Diaspora in Boston.
- BDNN has worked on a series of grant applications to help us develop the site and develop its content and perspective. We have applied for a Knight News Challenge Grant, Graham Foundation, MacArthur J-Voices, NYC Seed Start, and other grants for BDNN with projects that would expand the reach and scope of what we currently cover.
- Support Design Research. The Haiti Culture Code is one such initiative, authored by Renee Kemp-Rotan, co-Founder of BDNN. She launched a call for papers in July.
As early as February, BDNN lead the charge in black design to identify the key players and decision makers in Haiti and its Reconstruction. We outlined who black designers should look to: Haitian Government; Haitian people – in Haiti and across the Diaspora; United Nations (UN); World Bank; Clinton Foundation/Clinton Bush Foundation; Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Congress- in particular Yvette Clarke and Ed Towns in Brooklyn and US Government. They also included: France, Canada, South American and Caribbean Countries; UNA-HAITI – Haitian American/Haitian Diaspora Organization.
To do this work, Renee Kemp-Rotan and I attended meetings over February 2010 until July 2010 on Haiti – and represented NOMA at some and BDNN at some. These meetings include events held by the UNA-HAITI at the UN; Haitian Cultural Exchange at the Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn International Development Trade Center (BIDTC) at Brooklyn Borough Hall; Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and USAID event in Brooklyn; Haiti Invitational Summit organized by the American Institute of Architects/Puerto Rico (AIA/PR), and Organization of American States (OAS) Meeting of Haitian Diaspora in Preparation for International Donor Conference in DC.
In October, BDNN unveiled its Post-Earthquake Haiti: Disaster + Design in the Diaspora, a one-day conference to update NOMA, Boston design comnmunity, the Haitian Diaspora and others about Haiti. We presented four panels:
- PANEL 1- Post-Earthquake Haiti as a Physical System: Rebuilding the Country: The Full Monty Update
- PANEL 2: Post-Earthquake Haiti as a Social System: Rebuilding the Family: Women and Children at Risk
- PANEL 3 Post-Earthquake Haiti as a Cultural System: Rebuilding Identity: The Haiti Culture Code- Architecture, Disaster + Cultural Identity
- PANEL 4 – Post-Earthquake Haiti as an Economic System: Rebuilding the Economy: Getting Work in Haiti
More details on this one-day conference will be online soon.
On Haiti and at our website, www.blackdesignnews.com, BDNN has and is continually gathering information, seeking articles and content on Haiti, Design and Reconstruction. Our goal was also to become the culture experts on Haiti and the place to go to for information on Haiti. In that end, we created an online newsletter to reach our audience – black designers and to begin to create a database of subscribers.
As we evolve, BDDN will identify black designers who ‘infuse unique identity into creative culture’ and transform ‘the aesthetics of dominant culture’, via 4 web-based components: 1.) a digital news bureau to broadcast; 2.) an online magazine to document the work; 3.) a digital design studio/workspace to collaborate; and 4.) a digital library to archive exemplary design, education, practice projects that serves to promote the worldwide contributions of designers from the African Diaspora.
We consider BDNN as a clearing house, and have coined the slogan: BDNN is the 411 of the black design diaspora, as envision a global reach.
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[1] This is an excerpt from my discussion and meeting with the Dean Max Bond in 1987 at City College when I was trying to decide to attend City College.
[2] Retrieved from Knights News Challenge Website: http://www.newschallenge.org/
[3] Oton, Atim Annette and Renee Kemp-Rotan (2009), Black Design News Network (BDNN), a proposal for the Knights News Challenge Grant, Submitted December 15, 2009.
[4] Oton, Atim Annette and Renee Kemp-Rotan (2009), Black Design News Network (BDNN), a proposal for the Knights News Challenge Grant, Submitted December 15, 2009.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Oton, Atim Annette, Personal Haiti Email Archive, Discussions, January 13, 2010 – July 2, 2010.
[7] Oton, Atim Annette, Personal and part of BDNN’s Haiti Email Archive, Discussions, January 13, 2010 – July 2, 2010.
