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Ellen McGirt

@chalkitup

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Editor-in-chief @designobserver. I represent the village that raises me daily.

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On July 25th the IPA hosted ‘Futures of Democracy : A Participatory Fishbowl Conversation’ led by IPA Fellow Amanda Ramos. ⁠
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Set in the historic Admiral’s House on Governors Island, Amanda Ramos opened the house for a timely conversation about the futures of democracy, inviting design leaders and community members that are actively shaping movements from their respective ecosystems. The experience was choreographed as an extension to the historic Governors Island Summit that took place in 1988 in which President Gorbachev discussed his vision to end nuclear arms and the Cold War. In 2026, as both a radical re-staging and remixing, the conversation was framed as a “fishbowl” — a liberating structure that uses a circle in a circle seating configuration as a way to hold space for an open discussion that is free of judgement.⁠
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The conversation was kicked off by Amanda and invited panelists, after which audience members were invited to become active participants. ⁠
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The conversation concluded with a speculation: “WHAT IF democracy was …”, cultivating a collective experience of imagination, leading to action.⁠
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Many thanks to our exciting panelists:⁠
Emma Osore, Executive Director of Gracie Mansion Conservancy @graciemansionconservancy
Mark Gardner, President of American Institute of Architects NY (AIANY) @gigajellyroll
Ellen McGirt, Editor-in-Chief of Design Observer @chalkitup
Amanda Ramos, Summer Fellow, Institute for Public Architecture @amandaramosnyc
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📸Photos by Cortney Van Jahnke @cortneyvanjahnke
✏️Last slide features a sketch drawn during the fishbowl conversation by Magnus Westergren @summusen @notyourmarvelcomics
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Special thanks to The Oberon Group @the_oberon_group for their generous hospitality and landmark tour of the Admiral’s House!⁠
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See more photos from the event at the link in bio.⁠

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The Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais gutted the Voting Rights Act and rewrote the rules of American democracy. Draw the Line spends ten episodes telling the inside story on Louisiana’s fight over maps, power, and who gets left off them. As goes Louisiana, so goes the rest of the country. Who is fighting for your vote?

First episode drops July 4 - link in bio for the extended trailer, out now. Hosted by Ellen McGirt.

Draw the Line is produced with the support of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (@powercoej). Learn more about their work at powercoalition.org.

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Juneteenth was supposed to mark the end of slavery. But the right to vote was a separate fight — and it took another hundred years. Today, that right is at risk, and the fight is back.

Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU Louisiana, explains why on our upcoming podcast, Draw the Line.

Subscribe to the podcast, first episode dropping July 4. Link in our bio.

Draw the Line is produced with the support of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. Learn more about their work at powercoalition.org.

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Lines on a map determine who holds power. Who gets heard. Who gets erased.

Draw the Line is a new 10-part podcast from Design Observer, hosted by Ellen McGirt. It begins in Louisiana, where a battle over redrawn congressional district maps made its way to the Supreme Court — part of a broader unraveling of the Voting Rights Act that has fundamentally redesigned the architecture of American voting rights.

At Design Observer, we've spent over two decades examining how design decisions shape the world around us: the built environment, visual culture, and the systems we move through every day.

This series turns that same lens on American democracy, where the act of drawing a line on a map carries consequences that reach into every community in this country.

Coming soon, wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, link in bio.

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Traditional dance and acrobatic #international #fedeshop💗nonsifermamai✌🏻️ #dancer

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Stories shape what we see—and what we do next 📖The Storytellers of the 2026 Curious 100 shift narratives, spark conversations, and amplify voices that need to be heard.

See the full 2026 list at the link in bio.

@editedbychaz
@dillonstbernard
@chalkitup
@sacstatephoto
@gary_hustwit
@iolovesyou
@jacobjonasthecompany
@Zentronix
@mattsharkeyphoto
@sammicohentalks

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Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. 🔥

“Succeeding Against The Odds”

#courage #perserverance #faith #hardwork #gratitude

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48 hours. Two cities: Charleston & NYC. One shared belief. We have all the capital we need to make the world better and faster.

Grateful for time with the LEBEC team, our client @ibumovement , and an extraordinary group of investors and board members backing the next chapter of our journey.

We’re building LEBEC to mainstream innovative finance—the creative space between philanthropy and traditional finance—because the world doesn’t lack money.

It lacks intention.

Who steers capital—and how—changes everything.

Special thank you to @susanmcp1 , @chalkitup , @mayamorphosis1 , @cindy_jones_nyland , @sqsinha , and Gannon Gillespie for always supporting us.

#LEBEC
#InnovativeFinance
#CapitalForGood
#RedesigningCapital
#CatalyticCapital
#systemschange
#creativelifehappylife
#founderjourney

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Epic Moment ❤️

Grand Opening of FIT’s Joyce F. Brown Academic Building 👏🏿🥂❤️🥂 👏🏿

Congratulations Dr. Joyce F. Brown your hard work will continue to inspire generations to come.

“Become the living proof that nothing is impossible.” - B Michael

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When bad design is the point.

The new “America by Design” initiative isn’t just an ugly website. It’s an attempt to redefine design itself, away from usability, clarity, and accessibility, and toward exclusion, erasure, and control.

Because good design opens doors.
And bad design? It tells you who doesn’t belong.

🔗 Read @chalkitup's latest essay on DesignObserver.com at the link in bio.

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What does it mean to be a Radical Collaborator?

For us, it’s about breaking silos, bringing unlikely voices together, and designing solutions that reflect many strengths and many perspectives.

That’s the spirit behind this year’s Design Observer 20, honoring people, projects, and ideas redesigning the world through collaboration.

Swipe through to learn more, then nominate yourself or someone you admire by Sept 5, 2025.

🔗 Link in bio

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