“MUSE-ings: Planning While Black in a Pandemic” is a free virtual panel discussion with Black planners from four cities (Philly, Chicago, LA, Detroit) taking stock of this moment personally and professionally. Nina Idemudia, AICP, is bringing together these voices and the panel is comprised of three planners who will share their expertise, insights and experiences: Kristen Gordon, Economic Development Deputy for Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson in Los Angeles; Khalilah Burt Gaston, Founder & President at Guidepath Strategies in Detroit; and Dr. Matthew Miller, Provost Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design in Philadelphia. This conversation is part of a series by MUSE called Candid Covid Convos as a space for honest conversations about how planning & related fields can respond to today’s crises.
The program is free and takes place on Thursday, Jun 18, 2020, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM CDT. In lieu of a ticket cost, the registration link allows for donations for Black architecture & planning organizations which are in high stakes circumstances right now – from CDFIs to community organizing CBOs/RCOs and more – because of the COVID-driven recession. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/museings-planning-while-black-in-a-crisis-tickets-109656728226
Matthew Jordan Miller is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design Department of City and Regional Planning. His intellectual interests are economic development, placemaking and place-keeping, and visual/spatial analysis, particularly on and for Black/African diasporic communities. He is a photographer, storyteller, and geographer who approaches these topics using mixed methods for producing insights that he weaves into his essays, presentations, teachings, and research. Dr. Miller has worked through fellowships and consultancies at governmental agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Stockton, the City of Los Angeles’ Economic and Workforce Development Department, and most recently the National Endowment for the Arts as a Panelist. He is working on his first book, based on his doctoral dissertation, exploring and theorizing around the geography of Black commerce, culture, and creativity in the United States. His intellectual work has been honored by the National Academy of the Sciences and the Association for Collegiate Schools in Planning. His civic work has been recognized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the California State Legislature. His artistic and cultural work has been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the Philadelphia Tribune.
