Celebrating Black History Month: The Power of Design to Influence Change

“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”

—W.E.B. Du Bois

Dear Friends and Community,

February marks a month of remembrance for the accomplishments of black men and women. We celebrate the well known figures as well as the everyday heroes; those who led the charge towards equality for their families and those who pushed for freedom for all in America. This month we consider the importance of history and how to honor its lessons. We remember how this country overcame challenges, how dark times were bravely transformed into light, and how good design and good data helped to dispel dangerous stereotypes.

Here at Dot Think Design, we’re tipping our hats to Quartz Media for beautifully highlighting the contributions of W.E.B. Du Bois and his students in the 1900 World’s Fair. See the article.

35 years after the abolishment of slavery in the US, Du Bois and his students created 60 hand-drawn infographics demonstrating the presence of African American men and women living in Georgia. As a result, these revolutionary data visualizations challenged many preconceptions of who black Americans were and how they lived their lives. This attention towards the intellectual achievements and real experiences of black Americans would begin to replace exploited myths of African American communities as uncivilized, as outsiders, as the Other.

Knowledge is power. This cold hard data and tasteful design invited discussion while disputing assumptions based on ignorance and fear. In our time of brilliant technology, we offer a warm reminder against the tides of misinformation. We encourage your voice to join the conversation whether this takes the form of infographic, poetry or song.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Dot Think Design is a woman-owned & operated agency based in Fairfield County, CT that serves nonprofit and for-profit organizations across the US with branding and marketing strategy, print and web design, social media and email campaigns, technology solutions and development.

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