Often, I think, folks of color and first generation folks or, frankly, just folks who feel civically minded and social justice engaged don’t think about planning or transportation. We’re told to become lawyers and doctors or work on criminal justice reform and educational equity. It felt like planning was the best kept secret, that we were keeping social justice warriors out to maintain the status quo. It is clear to me that in the way we build our environments, our cities, our towns, our transportation, we’re keeping certain people in and we’re keeping certain people out. We’re giving certain people access to mobility—transportation or economic mobility. All of this is intentional.
Emiko: There is a big movement in the transportation world to talk about equity and I believe that it’s because people think it’s the right thing, but it also seems like equity is just the thing that’s hot right now. What would you tell people who are interested and/or work in transportation about why equity should really matter to them?
We can’t do our best work if we continue to narrowly focus on what we view as the most common user, as the most important or “normal user.”
Tamika: When I went to my first National Bike Summit, there was a panel on women in the bike movement and it was focused on why and how certain brands market specifically towards women. There was social media as well as men in the room saying it was sexist and asking why we were talking about this. It really struck me, coming from a law background, because lawyers definitely hadn’t figured it out, but at least law firms were putting tabs on their website that said “women in the firm” or “people of color in the firm.” People in the planning and transportation field were starting to use the word “equity” but there were still louder voices asking why it was even important.
There are some firms, organizations, and agencies who still don’t get it. They are still saying “that’s just not who we are, we just do good work no matter what. We don’t need to focus on equity.” We can’t do our best work if we continue to narrowly focus on what we view as the most common user, as the most important or “normal user.” People are coming to understand that we have to talk about what authentic community engagement is if we want a project to be successful. We have to look for organizations and people to work with who understand equity and we have to think about gender nonconforming people and older folks and kids and people with disabilities and people of color—the full spectrum.
Sure there are still clients and cities where this isn’t taking hold. But overall, you have to understand equity and you have to know how the work you are doing is equitable and inequitable. If just doing the right thing isn’t enough, in a purely practical business sense, if you can’t pivot to do that work, then you will be left behind.
Emiko: To what extent do you think it has become the burden of marginalized people to catch others up on equity in this field that is predominantly white and male?
The second we step into a space to do good work—even if we want to focus on traffic lights or parking—because there are so few of us, there is this expectation that we are going to teach other people [about equity].
Tamika: While I don’t necessarily always want to be in the spotlight, there is always this pressure: If I don’t speak up, whose gonna do it? There are so few of us in this space, so we all know each other. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what I want to do, it’s about being a person who speaks up and will not let injustice stand.
People of color, women, queer folks, and especially people who inhabit multiple identities—there is a trap. We are passionate and want to do good work. But the second we step into a space to do good work—even if we want to focus on traffic lights or parking—because there are so few of us, there is this expectation that we are going to teach other people [about equity]. It’s annoying when no matter how many times you say “I want to do the work” there is this expectation that you do the [equity] work as well. Then, when you do it, and you do it well, you’re penalized for doing it well.
Now you’ve made people uncomfortable. Why can’t you just focus on the work? Why does it always have to be about equity? Why are you making this about community engagement when we just need to get this project on the ground?