Simply Creating Space
Both my life and career have taken me all over; easily, I can count more than a dozen moves. In September of 2016, I moved to Boston to start a new job serving as a chief diversity officer. Quickly, I established myself by speaking to the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion with students, staff, and faculty. Alongside my new work, I was hoping to build a new life, and did so by purchasing a home in Dorchester. My new home was adjacent to a park. There, the kids’ playground, tennis court, and grassy open area offered a wonderful site and respite from the cityscape. At this park, there was a green hardtop multi-use court area; it was ideal for many sports or activities. One could fashion anything from a dance party to a game of tag on it.
As I settled, I noticed there were a group of boys of color who come to the park to play soccer on the green hard top court. With them, they brought made-up goal posts, accents, and multiple languages. I knew these boys were not my neighbors; most of my neighbors were White. Yet, they came to the park, to have fun, play a sport, and enjoy each other’s company. Also, I noticed a smaller group of White boys using the same green hard top court. They fashioned the space for roller hockey. Possibly, those boys were my neighbors. And, they also came to the park to have fun, play a sport, and enjoy each other’s company.
Source: photo taken from living room in Dorchester home looking out onto the park.
In observing and thinking about these two different groups of boys using the same space, I am drawn to a reflect on how space without structure or undefined space, at times, can be the most inclusive. Often, when we consider how to create environments that are inclusive we think about all the things we need to do for different groups of people. We consider access, signage, artwork, aesthetic, and other markers. We test our environments to see whether they meet the needs of a plethora of intersections of identities. This is important and necessary work.
And, the green hardtop court offers a different lesson in designing inclusive space. That is, remove barriers, simplify space, and allow access for those to make and create of the space exactly what they need. Truthfully, this is hard to do, so many of our spaces are adorned, and normed. People have a deep understanding of who the space is for, before entering it. Yet, when a space can exist as a blank slate, people can play soccer, roller hockey, or some other sport.
As you begin a new school year, I urge educators to think about how school, college, and classroom spaces can be open and uninhibited spaces that communicate: “all are welcome, make this space exactly what you need it to be to learn.” I also urge educators to actively demonstrate multiple and different ways that spaces can be used as to invite new uses of space. Showcase for students with different social identities that learning can happen in even the most unsuspecting space. Finally, I invite educators to track how spaces are used across social identities as a way to advance equitable use of the spaces and buildings where education is to happen. We know that all who enter do not get the same when they exit. Interrogating educational space may prove to have to a meaningful benefit
Domonic Rollins
Author’s note: This piece has been adapted and updated from its original format published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. [https://medium.com/@harvardeducation/simply-creating-space-d17066094cbd]