‘The Future of Leadership: The Role of Power, Equity and Design’

The death of Michael Brown and the subsequent Ferguson uprising birthed the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Since then, Americans have been asking hard questions about racial inequality across the nation and seeking innovative solutions.  

One such example is Antionette Carroll, a St. Louis native who experienced firsthand the violence and racial inequality in Ferguson. As a professional graphic designer, her training helped her to see how institutions seemed designed to perpetuate the oppression of people of color. In response, Carroll began thinking about how to design communities to create equality, equity and diversity. 

Carroll will give a free public presentation on “The Future of Leadership: The Role of Power, Equity and Design” in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater (Room 206) from 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 28. Her talk and workshops she and her organization, the Creative Reaction Lab, are giving are hosted by the BGSU’s Institute for the Study of Culture and Society and the School of Art.

Her presentation is designed to inspire the next generation of Americans to collaborate to build more just, equitable and diverse communities. She will introduce her audience to her Equity-Centered Community Design framework and show the tangible impact the model has begun to have had on communities in America.  

Carroll will also introduce the Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB), which she founded as a nonprofit, youth-led, community-centered social impact design collaborative. Their mission is built on the idea that by educating youth about designing for justice, they will go on to build systems that reflect those values. CRXLAB uses a multifaceted, interdisciplinary and diverse approach to design, which allows people from all backgrounds to contribute toward improving society. 

Carroll and the CRXLAB will also be putting on two workshops, one for the BGSU community and one for the general public, where attendees will receive a more extensive, intensive and hands-on approach to the Equity-Centered Community Design framework. These workshops will train participants to design systems that produce inclusive and equitable outcomes in their own communities and organizations. To learn more about the workshops, visit bgsu.edu/ics.

The Institute for the Study of Culture and Society is an interdisciplinary, public humanities center at Bowling Green State University founded in 1996. ICS helps faculty to develop, communicate and disseminate their scholarly and creative work to constituencies across campus and throughout the region. With its public events and outreach efforts, ICS brings issues of vital national and global importance to northwest Ohio and, in turn, brings community knowledge back into the university. For more information, visit the ICS website.