Introduction by series curators, Dr. Roland L. Leak, associate professor of marketing at North Carolina A&T, and Rebekah Modrak, professor of art at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
In the wake of massive racial protests over the past year, some companies began the work of re-evaluating how their brand messaging…
Introduction by series curator Dr. Lata Murti, associate professor of sociology at Brandman University
“Educational institutions are the ONE thing that we all do for 13 years,” writes Dr. Trinity Davis in her contribution to this series. But our experiences of these institutions differ widely according to race, class, and…
by Sophia Ellis, Larissa Nez, Rai Mckinley Terry
In the late 18th century, Wedgwood porcelain became a desired luxury commodity among the British bourgeoisie. Today Wedgwood porcelain is featured on the pedestals of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and galleries across the world. Its notoriety is entangled with porcelain’s fraught…
Written by Dr. Janet Borgerson and Dr. Jonathan Schroeder
A long-running promotional campaign, ‘Imagine having nothing to hide,’ from global cosmetic company Estée Lauder reveals a standard trope for ‘beauty’ marketing imagery — showing models of varying skin tones to demonstrate the brand’s appropriateness for ‘all’ consumers. One example states…
by Dr. Arthur Scarritt
Universities raising money by advertising diversity actually increase racism among white students. Universities across the US, like mine, make official statements that they are “actively committed to diversity and inclusivity, a stance in alignment with our Statement of Shared Values.” …
By Dr. Jennifer McClearen and Lily Kunda
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021, Nike released a short film titled We Play Real honoring Black women. …
by Bilal Saeed
Growing up as a Pakistani-American Muslim in a white community, I was no stranger to people asking me where I was really from, what gods I believed in, or if I had to marry the only other Brown girl in school.
Existing as one of only a…
by Dr. Tami Lincoln
“One of my favorite books from elementary school is ‘Abuela’ by Arthur Dorros. It’s a magical book about a girl and her grandma that fly over New York City. It’s full of adventure and interactions with the locals. I think it helped me identify myself when…
by Dinorah Hudson, Dr. Irena Nayfeld, and Dr. Yana Kuchirko
A Black teacher teaching a class of Black and Brown students affirms his students’ experiences by gesturing to his own history. A white teacher leading a class largely composed of students of color lets her racial difference become a (sometimes…
by Dr. Robert Simmons
I am from a place where being home before the streetlights came on meant just that. I am from a neighborhood in Detroit where drugs and guns were more common than schoolbooks. I am from a place where milkcrate basketball hoops brought out the best in…
