We hope you and your loved ones are doing well in this time of uncertainty. For those wondering, our shop is indeed still open. However, due to necessary measures we are taking in response to the COVID-19 crisis, as well as Alameda County’s “Shelter in Place” order, we are all working from our respective homes for at least the next couple weeks. We are doing our best to continue moving projects forward while we also prioritize our workers’ needs around child care, health, and sustainability.
We understand the nervousness as places of businesses are being asked to shut down, and how in a capitalist system, situations like these encourage panic and desperation. That said, as a worker-owned cooperative, Design Action is part of a solidarity economy, and we will not play into a scarcity model. We believe that #SolidarityIsSafety, and that our communities are more secure during times of crisis when there is mutual cooperation and resources are shared equitably.
Design Action also stands with those most impacted by this crisis: the elderly, the homeless/houseless, documented/undocumented immigrants, working class parents and caretakers, disabled/immune-compromised, and others. We also vehemently reject the anti-Asian racism and sinophobia that the current administration and some mainstream media have been perpetuating. Several of our political partners have put out some inspiring statements and calls to action for how we can organize and respond in this Coronavirus period, and ways to continue demanding justice for our communities.
Organizing During Coronavirus – Bay Rising
SF United in Crisis platform
Get Ready, Stay Ready – Allied Media Projects
TeamWorks Development Institute – TeamWorks Cleaning COVID-19 Solidarity Development Fund
Santa Rita Jail Solidarity – Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (Oakland)
Bay Area/California Rent Relief Sample Letter (forwarded via SELC/Sustainable Economies Law Center)
Digital Resilience in the Time of Coronavirus – Equality Labs
Preparing your business for COVID-19 – US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
We also wanted to give a huge shout out to our folks from the disability justice movement who have modeled what it looks like for our organizing spaces to be accessible and accountable to one another. We especially are inspired by this quote from The Body Is Not an Apology which feels extra relevant to this COVID-19 time: “Disability justice challenges the idea that our worth as individuals has to do with our ability to perform as productive members of society. It insists that our worth is inherent and tied to the liberation of all beings.”
Disability Justice Resources:
10 Principles of Disability Justice
This is Disability Justice
Design Action is proud to stand in solidarity and be of service to you during these uncertain times. We look forward to moving past this crisis with you, and continuing to create graphic design and visual communication for social change.