RethinkRacism

Where history and change intersect.

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Inspiration

Our inspiration for this project stems from the pressing and deeply rooted issues of systemic racism that persist in our society. Systemic racism continues to inflict harm across various facets of life, from education and healthcare to employment and beyond. Our motivation to develop this project is driven by the urgency of addressing these enduring challenges head-on.

One of the most critical issues we aim to tackle is the lack of widespread understanding about the far-reaching and insidious nature of systemic racism. This knowledge gap hinders progress in dismantling racial inequalities. Additionally, there exists an empathy deficit, where many struggle to fully grasp the experiences of those affected by racism. To combat this, we've designed an immersive experience that fosters empathy by allowing users to step into the shoes of individuals facing racism.

The primary reason for this enduring problem lies in the fact that, while there has been a reduction in major anti-racism events since the 1900s, the presence of racism-related incidents remains significant. If we were to examine the historical record, we could count around 100 significant events related to racism, including the civil rights movement, prior to the year 2000. However, in the years following 2000, the prevalence of racism-related events, both those that capture public attention and those that go unnoticed, appears to have persisted or even increased.

For instance, In contemporary India, insidious racism endures, as dark-skinned individuals, particularly women, encounter rejection in arranged marriages, and society maintains a preference for lighter skin, associating it with beauty, wealth, and cleanliness. These ingrained biases, often challenging to quantify with precise statistics, quietly contribute to disparities in education, employment, and social interactions. To combat these prejudices and advance equality, raising awareness, conducting qualitative research, and advocating for change are crucial, acknowledging that progress is a complex journey that goes beyond mere numbers to challenge deeply entrenched societal beliefs and perception. A study by the Indian Journal of Public Health found that dark-skinned women were more likely to be rejected by potential employers than light-skinned women. A study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research found that dark-skinned students were more likely to repeat a grade than light-skinned students. A study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences found that dark-skinned patients were more likely to be misdiagnosed than light-skinned patients.

What it does

Our innovative platform offers a transformative journey through the historical and present-day impacts of systemic racism. The website comprises two distinct sections: "Share an Experience" and "Get an Experience."

In the "Share an Experience" section, individuals are cordially invited to share their personal encounters with racism. They have the opportunity to recount their stories and, if they wish, provide their contact information. These narratives undergo careful categorization and thoughtful review for approval. What sets this platform apart is that these stories are not merely shared; they become integral use cases within our interactive game, "Get an Experience."

Within the "Get an Experience" section, users embark on an immersive and interactive journey. They commence by selecting an avatar that represents someone facing racism in various life domains, including healthcare, education, culture, or work life. Subsequently, users are presented with an animated video that portrays a real-life scenario illustrating systemic racism in action. After viewing the scenario, users are tasked with answering five multiple-choice questions, which significantly influence the direction of the narrative.

This is where the platform's unique quality comes to the forefront: based on users' responses, our system dynamically generates a customized animated video. Users can witness firsthand the direct impact of their choices on the character's experience. This immersive process grants users an open-ended and insightful understanding of the complexities and repercussions of systemic racism.

In essence, our platform fosters deep reflection and facilitates the exchange of thoughts and insights. Our overarching goal is to nurture empathy, heighten awareness, and kindle collective action against systemic racism. Through participation in "Get an Experience," users gain profound insights that challenge preconceived notions and inspire meaningful conversations. Concurrently, "Share an Experience" amplifies individual voices, contributing to a broader dialogue about systemic racism in our society. Together, we endeavor to drive change and progress toward a more equitable world.

How we built it

Our innovative platform was meticulously crafted using Figma. Our working solution will be built using Reactjs, Nodejs, MongoDB, FFmpeg like technologies and Firebase for authentications.

Challenges we ran into

The most significant challenge during the development of this application was the creation of two real-time views for users. The first real-time view is designed to explain the problem based on the user's experiences, as well as significant historical events. The second challenge involved crafting a real-time solution that is contingent upon the user's response choices, thereby modifying the situation accordingly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We take pride in three key accomplishments:

  1. In-Depth Understanding of Systemic Racism: Our profound comprehension of systemic racism and its enduring presence fuels our commitment to addressing this critical issue.

  2. Seamless Fusion of User-Generated Narratives and Interactive Scenarios: We have successfully integrated user-generated narratives into an interactive scenario-based platform, providing a multifaceted engagement experience for our users.

  3. Unique Blend of Storytelling, User-Generated Content, and Interactivity: Our distinctive combination of storytelling, user-generated content, and interactive elements sets our platform apart, serving as a powerful tool for fostering empathy, raising awareness, and inspiring collective action against systemic racism.

What we learned

We as Developers :

Enhanced UX/UI Design Proficiency: As developers, we had the opportunity to enhance our skills in user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design while developing this application in Figma. We learned how to create user-friendly interfaces that effectively engaged and guided users.

Enhanced UX/UI Design Proficiency:Building interactive scenarios and user-generated content within Figma allowed us to master the art of prototyping. We gained experience in crafting clickable prototypes that simulated real user interactions.

Strengthened Collaboration and Teamwork: Figma, being a collaborative tool, enabled us to strengthen our collaboration skills throughout this project. We learned how to work closely with designers, content creators, and other team members, ensuring a cohesive final product.

Strengthened Collaboration and Teamwork: Developing an application aimed at fostering empathy and understanding of systemic racism reinforced the importance of user-centric development. We prioritized user needs and experiences.

We as humans:

Empathy Development: Engaging with the application's stories and scenarios deepened our empathy for those experiencing racism.

Systemic Racism Awareness: Interactive scenarios heightened our understanding of how systemic racism affects various aspects of life.

Educational Insights: The app provided educational insights into the historical and multifaceted nature of racism.

Motivation for Action: Understanding systemic racism inspired us to take action, whether through self-reflection, advocacy, or supporting anti-racist initiatives.

What's next for RethinkRacism

When considering the next steps for this application, our intention is to shift from the current design prototype stage to actual coding and development. We plan to utilize state-of-the-art Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to offer users an exceptionally immersive experience. This immersive experience will enable users to forge a profound connection with the content, develop empathy for the challenges people from diverse racial backgrounds face, and actively participate in building a more inclusive world.

In simple terms, we're taking the project to the next level by making it real and using the latest tech to create a super engaging experience. It's all about helping people understand, care about, and make a positive impact on racial equality together.

Apart from these modifications for the making it a worldwide application:

1.Localized Experiences : We aim to create customized experiences on the platform, addressing systemic racism issues specific to different regions and cultures, making it highly relevant and relatable to diverse audiences worldwide. 2.Community Building : We aim to create forums or discussion boards within the platform to facilitate meaningful conversations among users, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. 3.Advanced Analytics: We aim to create advanced analytics capabilities to gain deeper insights into user behavior and the platform's impact on awareness and empathy, enabling data-driven improvements. 4.Educational Partnerships : We aim to create collaborations with educational institutions to integrate the platform into school curricula or diversity and inclusion programs, potentially having a significant and lasting impact on raising awareness and empathy among students. 5.Interactive Workshops and Webinars: We aim to create and host online workshops and webinars related to systemic racism, empathy-building, and awareness-raising, providing real-time engagement and complementing the platform's mission without requiring a dedicated mobile application.

"We aim to incorporate this platform as a crucial step in the verification and passport creation processes in all countries. Additionally, we intend to use it for issuing working visas and facilitating the tourist visa application process in all countries, with the goal of fostering positive behavior among a nation's citizens and upholding its pride."

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