IALD – News – International Association of Lighting Designers

2020, Diversity, Equality, IALD, Racism

July 30, 2020

This is a historic time when society is facing the legacy of racism and its deadly consequences on Black people. while International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) membership is global and from a very culturally diverse point of view, Black designers have been systematically left out of the equation. What can we do as individuals in the lighting industry? How can business owners better attract minorities and create welcoming work environments? How can the larger industry better represent Black people and minorities in leadership positions? How can the lighting profession promote a more diverse and inclusive profession?

Edward Bartholomew, IALD, director of Bartholomew Lighting, Nelson Jenkins, founder of River Architecture, and Lisa Reed, IALD Associate, the founding director of Forecast Lighting Design, share their perspectives and thoughts on racism and its impact on the lighting industry and the lighting design profession.

Q: How do we start the conversation about racism in the lighting profession?

After the brutal death of George Floyd, I was really amazed by the lack of feedback in the lighting industry and how the business went on as usual. I was looking at my LinkedIn source and even on Facebook, people were moving just like nothing had happened. And it was disturbing to me. This is not a new conversation for me or Nelson [Jenkins]This is something I have lived with, not just my whole career, but my whole life. This is an important and vulnerable conversation and I am glad that people are listening.

Q. What has changed (and not changed) about racism now?

Jenkins: This is an issue that has affected us all. My father, who named me after Nelson Mandela, recognized the injustices that were happening all over the world. Mandela, at the time of my birth and naming, had seven years in prison and continued to be in prison for another 20 years fighting for the rights of South Africans. Back in the 1960s, my father was a co-founder and leading lobbyist for the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinordin Convention), working to remove discriminatory laws and promote the education and enrollment of Black voters. Fifty years later this is still an issue, but on a different front. The tone has changed a bit, but the fight continues.

We are excited about the opportunity – despite the circumstances that led to this – to harness the energy of lighting stylists, IALD, and other design organizations to make substantial changes both domestically and worldwide. For this conversation to be truly meaningful and to go countries, it requires having white allies who are part of this global conversation.

Q. Why is this issue of racism especially important to you?

Reed: Kur Edward [Bartholomew] asked me to join in this conversation on racism, I was honored. However, I am still learning and growing how to be an ally. I agreed to join because I care about people, justice and equality. The epiphany of my whole life came to college, and I decided to spend my life searching for and seeking the truth, and I come into this conversation humbly.

To bring this to light, I have a story about a decade ago at a lighting conference when an emerging professional came to me at a conference and barely asked me “is there any other black in the industry?” And I had to be honest with him and say, “not much.” This fact is just one reason to have this conversation.

Q: How do you describe racism?

Bartholomew: We must first define the terminology what we mean when we say racism. There are four types of racism.

I will start talking personal racism which focuses on private beliefs, prejudices and internal racism. This form of racism is very personal in the way it manifests itself.

Many times we know each other better interpersonal racism: “Karen” referring to the incident in New York Central Park [where a white woman used her power and knowledge of a racist system and called the police claiming she was threatened by an innocent black man]. This is also what happened to George Floyd, an example of the interpersonal expression of racism between individuals or groups – the police against an individual for example – and those meetings can be secret or secret.

Q: How does racism affect the lighting industry?

Jenkins: The most obvious story of racism manifests itself in the visual lack of diversity within the lighting community. This violates other areas such as the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industries, in addition to the recruitment, employment and maintenance of minorities in the industry. Also understanding that hiring trained lighting stylists is a difficult task when there are very few schools and tremendous demand for anyone with experience in the lighting design profession. One of the things we see over and over again is events in the industry, where there is a real lack of diversity between attendees and presenters.

Q: How did you experience racism in your career and life?

Bartholomew: As I was finishing school and moving into the lighting industry, I remember being told that the firm I was looking for was looking for someone, it was “the right chemistry”. I did not know what he meant. I did not know how to get the “right chemistry”? I did not know if it was me, my qualifications – or if I was not translating the interviewer. I was not selected to work in that office, nor was it considered a practice. I still don’t know if it was racism or me, and that’s his stupidity – not knowing how to get in.

There are ways to prevent people – who may not look like you, who may not come from the same schools, who may not run in the same social circles as you – from joining a practice. Embrace them in your practice and make them feel welcome. Ben Hecht wrote this excellent article on Harvard Business Review that people need the ability to work with the dignity of accepting their stories; their life experiences are valued. Companies need to be able to recruit and retain a thriving, diverse workforce that leaders and clients want and need.

Q. Why is it so important for white people to become anti-racists?

Reed: It’s not just about you saying “Oh, I’m not a racist”. It is about you becoming an anti-racist who wants us to be vulnerable to where we are. There are three areas: Fear zone, Learning area, and Growth Zone. Where do you see yourself?

Are you in Fear zone to deny that racism is a problem? Or just staying with people who look like you? Hopefully we have all started learning and moving on in it Learning area of recognizing that racism is a current problem. It’s to start listening, learning, asking questions and understanding where each of us has the privilege. And we all do! If you have ignored racism, then you have definitely experienced some kind of privilege because you cannot ignore it when you are experiencing it. I use that word, “privilege” carefully because it has become so political. We want people to see past the words we use in the sense behind the words.

The goal of becoming more anti-racist requires switching to Growth Zone. In this area, we can begin to define how we have benefited from racism as white people. In the Growth Zone, we sit with that concern. This is where we talk when we see racism in action – this is where the really important things will happen – when you know you are rising up for the people you need as an ally.

Anti-racism graph by Andrew M. Ibrahim, MD, MSc

Q: At IALD, we often talk about reaching out to students and young people to educate them about our profession. How do we reach minorities earlier in the pipeline to encourage interest in becoming a lighting designer?

Jenkins: The sooner you can get someone on the right track, who wants to be a lighting designer, architect or engineer, the better. I know other associations have made some efforts to bring architecture to high schools so that they can get involved in construction and design, but I think we can also do the same in lighting design. We can allow students to understand the tools at their disposal and how they affect the world and the environment in which we live. Everyone is looking at how to make a significant contribution to the world, and the sooner you can have that opportunity to talk to young people and ignite that passion, the more prepared they will be to enter the industry, to support industry and feel part of the industry. It takes time to reach out to young people; but this is something I would love to see doing more as a profession.