Broken Systems and Over-Simplified Solution Propaganda
As a society, we have to move beyond incremental thinking to explore the behaviors and motivators that will drive root value shifts.
As a white woman from Wisconsin, I am privileged to the point of embarrassment. My unearned advantage illustrates the sad reality that our society hasn’t made much progress realizing Dr. King’s dream. In my opinion, the path to lasting change requires some deep thinking and intentional design. I don’t have the background to comprehend the depth of grief and rage that has bubbled up to the surface this week, but I’m listening and I’m empathizing. It’s clear that this movement demands that we pursue systemic, not incremental, change. As white woman I am speechless, but as a Design Strategist I have a lot to say about systemic change for a better future.
The pattern is obvious: black lives are valued less than white lives. This can be seen in all aspects of society, from the treatment of black mothers during childbirth, to the black-white achievement gap in schools, to black men dying at the hands of law enforcement. The pattern is as pervasive as it is disturbing, so the solution can’t be as simple as vilifying doctors, or teachers, or police officers, or any other individual profession. As a society, we have to move beyond incremental thinking to explore the behaviors and motivators that will drive root value shifts.
Consider the “Defund the Police” movement. The militarized posture of some police departments and the reality that police are being called on to confront social ills beyond crime are serious situations. While I fully appreciate the desire to move quickly, we will do more long-term good implementing a well-designed solution that’s less reactionary than slashing budgets or abolishing departments. My fear is that reactionary solutions will lead to serious unintended consequences, consequences that, without a root value shift, will continue to negatively impact black communities.
I keep seeing the Chris Rock quote about bad apple cops on my social media feeds, and I can’t help but think it makes a wonderful point about the inspiration that could be drawn from analogous professions. Our society can’t afford bad cops any more than we can afford bad pilots, but bad apples don’t weed themselves out; famously, they spoil the barrel. One path to a well-designed solution starts by considering what would happen if we required comparable education and time restrictions and offered comparable pay? Imagine if by doing this, all officers were thoughtful, well-rested on the job, and on a career path they chose for individual fulfillment? What would happen if we expand the thought exercise beyond police officers to all public servants? What if we move beyond the pilot analogy? By challenging our biases and considering blue-sky ideas we can find pathways that move the needle without risk of unintended consequences.
I don’t want to be embarrassed by privilege; I want privilege to be so wide-spread and inclusive that it ceases to exist. Let’s roll up our sleeves and create well-designed solutions that drive the root value shifts humanity demands.
