3 minute read
You Need This Box
Tamreen Arif
Kevin Drinkwater
Toni Fastlightning
Paz OrellanaFitzgerald Annand Ollivierre
The Challenge
How might we create encouraging pathways that help potential allies for racial justice overcome white fragility?
The Idea
“You Need This Box” is a subscription service that helps the Sleepy Middle work through their own fragility and create on-ramps to racial and social justice. Users receive physical items in a box delivered to them to encourage them on this transformational journey.
Tried and True
We recently launched a test to gauge the public’s interest in 1) doing anti-racism work, and 2) this kind of service. We did this by creating a landing page and promoting the site through social media posts (Instagram and Twitter) as well as local radio and television.
User feedback from the first recipients of the anti- racism subscription box
“A friend and I are going to connect weekly to discuss the activities from the box. Probably virtually but maybe social distance outside. We set a goal to start this weekend!”
“Had a racial unity park gathering with friends where we brought quotes and excerpts about racism and race to discuss as a group. This was the follow up activity”
“For the most part I do it alone but it really brings conversations out with other people”
“It has provided a platform to explore those topics with others in a non-judgmental way.”
“I am not done ‘doing the box’ yet...but I am learning that it is about ongoing and continual reflection. Going back and doing it again. Letting go of the guilt. Finding new ways to engage others.”
“Up until this point my anti-racism work has been global (for lack of a better word). Everything has happened online or in books or webinars, mostly American focussed, this is the first locally focussed learning I have done. My biggest take away is understanding impact here in my city.”
“I was already familiar with many of the issues brought up by the box, but what I appreciated was being given the tools to organize my thoughts on the issues. I often struggle to articulate my thoughts on these matters, as much as I want to be a good and effective ally. The materials in the box will help frame more compelling responses when faced with bigotry and ignorance from family/peers.”
“Thank you for putting this together! It’s a fantastic resource for everyone beginning this important work, or to revive the work. I also appreciate it is not screenbased so it allows deeper exploration.”
Prototype website
The high-fidelity stage in this prototype included the development of a website where the public could sign up to receive boxes.
Spreading the word
Social media proved to be a powerful tool in spreading awareness of the prototype. Majority of subscriptions were sparked this way.
Next Steps
Now that the first 1,000 boxes have been shipped, the next step is to gather user insights with the box, so that we can begin to formulate a clearer vision of who the Sleepy Middle is, what their needs and goals are, and what the shape of this service/experience needs to be. This feedback will inform the contents of the second box and future boxes.
