The Intersection of Race and Practice

The State of Black Design Family Reunion is a three-day virtual conference hosted by Texas State University. This event aims to provide networking, development, and career opportunities for young designers, focusing on student designers of color.

UCDA works to elevate the importance of design overall as well as working toward elevating Black design voices.

We have partnered with Texas State University for this event as part of our Elevating Black Design Voices and are offering FREE registration to UCDA members and students.

PRICING FOR THIS PARTNER EVENT

VIRTUAL EVENT

FREE—UCDA Member
FREE—Student
$50—Non-member

After registering, you will receive a receipt and/or confirmation from UCDA. As the event approaches, additional information will be sent to you for both the in person event and virtual event from Texas State University.

UCDA registration for this event is now closed. If you would like to still register for this event, you can do so here: https://www.txstate.edu/blackdesign/

The conference is in its third year and attracts leading Black designers, educators, activists, recruiters, and students nationwide. Its panels and workshops will explore design diversity, best practices, and design activism. This year’s State of Black Design is a three-day, hybrid event that will be held on campus and online. This year’s theme is “Family Reunion” to mark the first time the conference will allow some in-person attendance.b

A Career Fair is also being held in conjunction with the conference. Job seekers and interested employers can register here.

Why Black Design?

Despite the growing number of minority students entering college, they are not reflected in design-related fields. This conference will link equitable design ideals with real action. Background story.

Speakers

AZEEZ ALLI, Netflix
MEKHI BALDWIN, MEKEBA
ANNE H. BERRY, Cleveland State University
KEVIN BETHUNE, dreams • design + life 
ZARIAH CAMERON, Recent Graphic Design graduate, North Carolina A&T State University
ALANA CHEEKS-LOMAX, CashApp  
JELANI COBB, The New Yorker
SEKOU COOKE, Sekou Cooke Studio  
ALEX DELOTCH DAVIS, High Museum of Art  
TORIN EDWARDS, Adobe
SCOTT EVERETT, Civilla 
GEORGE GARRASTEGUI JR., Works in Process podcast  
REGINÉ GILBERT, NYU Tandon School of Engineering  
NIKKI GIOVANNI, Poet 
PIERCE GORDON, Innovation catalyst, researcher, facilitator and evaluator
GUS GRANGER, VSA Partners
JASMINE HENDERSON, Multidisciplinary Designer
ERWIN HINES, BASIC; OpenGym
LACI JORDAN, Creative Director
DANIELLE LAKE, Elon University
KESHA LAMBERT, Photographer
JOSHUA LEONARD, Team Supreme
BEKAH MARCUM, Instagram  MITZI, Spotify
MARRYAM MOMMA, Dell
MONNA MORTON, University of the Arts  
TERRESA MOSES; Blackbird Revolt; University of Minnesota

SILAS MUNRO, Polymode
HEATHERLEE NGUYEN, Black Designers Ignite  
MIKE NICHOLLS, Umber  
LESLEY-ANN NOEL, Tulane University  
FLORENCE NOËL, Design Director
DIMEJI ONAFUWA, Google  
NAKITA M. POPE, Branding Chicks  
CHANEL B. POWER, Mentor Me Collective  
JENNIFER RITTNER, Parsons School of Design  
SONIYAH ROBINSON, Elon’s Center for Design Thinking
KALEENA SALES, Tennessee State University  
OVETTA SAMPSON, Capital One  
RAJA SCHAAR, Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design  
ALVIN SCHEXNIDER, Capital One; GraffitiVersal  
TRE SEALS, Vocal Type
ANNA SELSER, RedBull  
OMARI SOUZA, State of Black Design Conference Organizer, Texas State University  
PERRY SWEEPER, Morehouse College  
ESO TOLSON, Experience Director
KRISTEN URODA, Civilla
MAXWELL VANHOOK, Amazon  
RAVEN VEAL, Citi Ventures  
KELLY WALTERS, Parsons School of Design  
KEITA WANGARI, Google  
JENNIFER WHITE-JOHNSON, Bowie State University  
TERRENCE WILLIAMS, Salesforce  
SHELBY ZINK, Microsoft