A core question that must eventually be answered about every space, physical or digital, is “Who is this for?” and if your answer is “Everyone!” you are necessarily being disingenuous because every design decision communicates who belongs in the space.
EDITED TO ADD: I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that my thinking on this has been significantly shaped by working with Dr. Maggie Melo at the Equity in the Making lab.
I acknowledge that I live and work on unceded Lumbee, Skaruhreh/Tuscarora, Cheraw, Catawba, Saponi, Occaneechi, and Shakori land. I give respect and reverence to those who came before me. I thank Holisticism for the text of this land acknowledgement.
We must acknowledge that much of what we know of this country today, including its culture, economic growth, and development throughout history and across time, has been made possible by the labor of enslaved Africans and their ascendants who suffered the horror of the transatlantic trafficking of their people, chattel slavery, and Jim Crow. We are indebted to their labor and their sacrifice, and we must acknowledge the tremors of that violence throughout the generations and the resulting impact that can still be felt and witnessed today. I thank Dr. Terah ‘TJ’ Stewart for the text of this labor acknowledgement.