Coming out the gate with a whole lot of intentional moves!
First off, the Black Planner Collective (BPC) 2021 kickoff is coming on January 5th at 6:30p CST!! See below for the flyer and check ya emails for the invite if you've been on the calls before. If not, feel free to shoot me an email (desiree@blckspces.com) or catch the info on IG or Twitter.
The BPC calls were something I really enjoyed crafting and curating last year during quarantine plus I met some dope ass Black planners/people through them! I hope anyone that dropped in on any of them gained something or at least felt like it was a safe space because that's my whole intent of the calls. A safe, virtual space dedicated for US to be us without worry of anything or anyone downgrading our voices. I also hope to help grow connections amongst other Black planners, architects, engineers, public policy folks, and pretty much any other profession that impacts the way Black people move, interact, and live within the built environment. So, that's an automatic for continuation and I hope to see you there on JANUARY 5TH at 6:30p CST!!
Tell a friend to tell another friend that these calls are the place to be if you're a Black planner, Black planning student, or Black person interested in the way communities function from a Black lens. Always open to other POC for sure because those voices are just vital in curating the new wave of urban planning but obviously, I'm biased to Black planners because I'm Black lol. And open to non-BIPOC planning people as well only requirement is to respect the space, the vibe, and understand the need for allies here isn't necessary. If you come through and you're white, just listen, input when you feel comfortable, and be yourself.
Next is one that we've talked about on some calls, on IG/Twitter as well, so I just said fuck it, I'ma make it happen lol. So, here it is - the PUBLIC V. PRIVATE SECTOR PLANNING call will be JANUARY 12TH at 6:30p CST!! I'm currently a public sector planner and have been all of my career but have been tempted to switch sides a few times. I know I have love/dislike relationship with public sector planning lol but I also grew A LOT by starting out (and sticking through) in the public sector for a number of reasons. Anyways, I wanna chop it up with all the urban planners who are interested and/or care to shed light on which sector they're in, if they've been on both sides, what pushed them one over the other, and what they like/don't like - I think the conversation is long overdue and can really help put some into perspective from both viewpoints. I also think the range of people in both sectors adds to the way each sector operates - like being a public/private planner in the South versus being one on the East coast, West coast, or even international.
So be there JANUARY 12th at 6:30p CST!! The Zoom info is below and I'll also share it on my socials. Feel free to share with anyone you think would be interested or can benefit from apart of the call. Call is open to ALL urban planners! Looking forward to hearing and learning from all of y'all!
And last but not least - I'm putting together a BPC call for the hometown squad!! Texas Black Planner Collective call COMING SOON!! I thought a lot about getting one together last year but... 2020 ya know lol so I made it a point to start 2021 off strong and show love to my state! I know I struggled to identify and find other Black urban planners when I graduated even with being in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. So I can only imagine how tough that may be for other upcoming Black urban planners throughout the state. Open to other POC as well!! As well as non-BIPOC urban planners, same "rules" apply though - respect the space, recognize it's aimed to amplify Black voices, and be yourself. Still finalizing the date but it'll be dropped soon along with a flyer that'll be posted on here, my IG, Twitter, and possibly LinkedIn lol.
I got something else pretty cool coming up too but I'ma leave that one to announce and talk about in another blog lol. 2021 is the year I'm going dummy hard behind everything I want for me, blckspces, Black + brown communities, and the whole ideology behind urban planning. MAMBA MENTALITY on a million.
Album mode activated... 😤
yours truly..
🖤
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