Below is a message from QUT Design Lab’s Director, Prof Evonne Miller
Dear QUT Design Lab colleagues,
I write to express QUT Design Lab’s solidarity with the Anti-Racism and Black lives Matter campaigns.
QUT Design Lab believe that taking responsible action is powerful. As designers, we are thought-leaders and change-makers – and it is our responsibility – no matter our race or background – to think about and face these issues, speak up and take action. If you or someone you know, is experiencing racism or discrimination, please reach out – you can access immediate support from QUT Equity Services link.
Aboriginal people don’t just need allies: they need accomplices to stand beside them and to challenge the system with them, until they are no longer in the position of risking their lives and livelihoods to say they have a voice and they matter.
We at the QUT Design Lab are committed to:
- Taking ownership of our own learning – we are cognisant that it is not the responsibility of Indigenous Australians to educate us (for a list of starting resources, please see the end of this email*);
- Making a real effort to privilege a diversity of Black voices, both male and female, in our work, when talking about issues relating to Indigenous Australian topics. We will do this through choosing Black authors, designers and scholars over non-Indigenous ones;
- Facilitating a choir of Black voices – including those who are not yet well known, to safeguard the future voices and young voices of Indigenous Australian culture;
- Looking outside of our prevailing disciplines to ensure Indigenous Australian peoples’ stories are presented in a way that truly represents their voices, experiences and vision;
- Openly advocating for and supporting First Nations students and staff, through extending regular invitations to Indigenous Australian communities to share their perspectives and visions in QUT Design Lab conversations and decisions.
Finally, and more broadly, we will consider how we can more acutely embrace and celebrate the narrative around First Nationals People of Australia being the “hosts” of our physical spaces including Z4, The Hut, QUT Campuses and the Country as a whole.
We are committed to doing better, together.
Evonne
Professor Evonne Miller
Director, QUT Design Lab – qut.design
Queensland University of Technology
E: e.miller@qut.edu.au
* Taking responsible for your own learning starts here.
If you are looking for resources on how to understand and discuss issues related to racism, inequality, history, black lives, and more — then a good starting base is:
- The Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP) website here;
- You may also like to engage with QUT’s Carumba Institute, a hub of Indigenous research and education; or
- QUT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student support centre, the Oodgeroo Unit;
- Amy Thunig’s Blacademia podcast link is also an excellent reference for educating ourselves about Indigenous Australian experiences in academia;
- Another valuable resource for designers is Supply National, one of Australia’s leading databases of verified Indigenous businesses.
