[hackerspaces] Post: i3 Detroit: The Making of a Hackerspace

[Edward L Platt]

Great question Rachel.

I've discussed this both on and off list int he past. In particular:
http://lists.hackerspaces.org/pipermail/discuss/2013-January/007129.html
https://elplatt.com/hackerspaces-and-inclusion

There are a range of factors. Here is a non-exhaustive list. Note that I've
been less involved the past couple years, so some of this may have improved
recently.

Founder effect. The founders were all middle-class white men. We were the
ones who were tapped into the tech scene and had the resources to start the
space. The space has become more diverse, but slowly. I should mention that
the photo was taken in the earlier days, so the space has become a bit more
diverse in recent years.

Lack of outreach. Even if a space is doing nothing to discourage diversity,
nothing will get better. As far as I know, i3 hasn't made any coordinated
outreach efforts.

Harassement, sexism, racism. i3 has been ahead of the game on implementing
a harassment policy, but the one time a complaint was filed, the then-CEO
killed it without explanation. During the years I was at i3, I always heard
that women felt surprisingly comfortable and welcome there. In more recent
years, I've heard complaints that women are sometimes treated like either
someone's girlfriend or hit on. I've also heard complaints from black men
who believe they're being treated with suspicion. After hearing details,
it's not clear that they were, but in an environment like Detroit, if you
can't tell if someone's racist or not it has the same chilling effect as
being racist.

Segregation. Metro Detroit is one of the most segregated areas in the
country. While i3 is only a half-mile outside the city limit, the immediate
area is not very racially diverse. Although still much more divese than
some of the outer-ring suburbs.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/14ce129a10af0d4a

Cost and classism. Membership and materials are expensive. There is an
attitude among some members that "if you can't afford membership, you don't
belong here." While I was on the board I pushed very hard to pass a
need-based "makership" which created a free membership for every 10 paid
members, but it was never implemented. A large portion of the minorities in
Metro Detroit fall into the poorer, working class.

Transportation. This is really related to cost, but Detroit is *huge* and
Metro Detroit is *really huge*. Public transit is abominable, and many of
the poorer and minority residents can't afford cars. The legacy of racism
is built into the road infrastructure as well. Many through-streets
dead-end just before 8 Mile Rd (the city limit) and it's often illegal to
turn onto the ones that don't.

-Ed

On Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 9:10 AM, Rachel Uwa <info at schoolofma.org> wrote:

> hi Edward,
>
> thanks for sharing! one thing that came to mind is that the main image has
> not much diversity for being in Detroit. What does the community attribute
> this to out of curiosity? Do you also do events for the public or just have
> members pay to use the space?
>
> no judgement, I know diversity doesn't always come easy if ever, but it's
> definitely worth it to
> think about.. no doubt you all have I assume? thanks in advance for your
> reply:)
>
> kind regards,
> Rachel
>
> On Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 2:45 PM, Edward L Platt <ed at elplatt.com> wrote:
>
>> Here's a post I wrote reflecting on being a part of i3 Detroit over the
>> first several years. Thought y'all might find it interesting.
>>
>>
>> https://readfold.com/read/elplatt/i3-detroit-the-making-of-a-hackerspace-HJbifeqd
>>
>> --
>> Edward L. Platt
>> http://elplatt.com
>> http://civic.mit.edu/users/elplatt
>> http://i3detroit.com
>> @elplatt <http://twitter.com/elplatt>
>>
>> This electronic mail message was sent from my desktop personal computer.
>> Please forgive any long-winded, overly-prosaic ramblings.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
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>>
>>
>
>
> --
> ///////////////////////////////////////
>
> *Founder / School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe  |   *
> http://schoolofma.org/
>
> ///////////////////////////////////////
>
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-- 
Edward L. Platt
http://elplatt.com
http://civic.mit.edu/users/elplatt
http://i3detroit.com
@elplatt <http://twitter.com/elplatt>

This electronic mail message was sent from my desktop personal computer.
Please forgive any long-winded, overly-prosaic ramblings.
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