Irina Meza

Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB)

We fight racism by design, with design thinking. Creative Reaction Lab trains Black and Latinx youth to become the next generation of civic leaders addressing racial inequities in our cities, leading to social, cultural, and economic growth for both cultures. Our Theory of Change. Foundational Belief: As are all systems within our society, systems of oppression, inequality, and inequity are by design; therefore, they can and must be redesigned. Challenge: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2050, Black and Latinx communities will make up almost 40% of the United States population, many of whom are currently youth. Yet, these communities face disproportionate racial and health inequities that limit social, economic, and cultural growth. While Black and Latinx youth want to improve well-being for themselves and their families, friends, communities, and culture, they currently feel unheard, unsupported, or excluded from opportunities to amplify their power and work toward liberation. At Creative Reaction Lab, we acknowledge that youth historically have been undervalued architects of change and culture. We believe that if we equip Black and Latinx youth with: -training and tools to build consciousness* around context, history, and power surrounding race and ethnicity in the United States - a community for cultural healing, safety, and collective mobilization - access to traditional power through institutions, funding, and resources then they will have the capacity to design interventions that will dismantle existing racial and health inequities; thus co-creating a society that embraces the humanity, rights, and power of Black and Latinx people. *We define consciousness as deep awareness of one's own thoughts + of the society in which one lives, allowing for critical analysis of the prevailing narratives one sees + experiences.