Activism Meets Home in This Series From Architect Michael Ford & Furniture Brand Herman Miller

Hip-hop architect and designer Michael Ford has partnered with luxury furniture company Herman Miller for a new series that infuses activism and home. Called Conversations for Change, the series provides a platform to have honest conversations about racial inequity, social justice, and hope in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black and brown folks. The poignant collaboration centers on a remixed version of the famed Eames Lounge Chair with a theme of refuge.

When designers Charles and Ray Eames first conceptualized the Eames Lounge Chair for Herman Miller, the duo defined it as a “special refuge from the strains of modern living.” To that end, Ford continued this ethos and remixed the chair to include the handwritten names of Black and brown men, women, and children who have fallen peril to police brutality in the U.S., offering a resolute reminder that these individuals were not afforded the privilege of refuge, per Conversations for Change.

Within this interactive series, the Eames Lounge Chair will travel across the nation through February; and activists, artists, actors, and other influential figures will sit on the chair as they speak to Ford over Instagram Live (via @thehiphoparchitect and @HermanMiller) about the racial disparities within their respective industries. The speakers will reflect and mobilize on a better future for the marginalized.

The mission of the Conversations for Change series, according to its press release, is to “listen, learn, engage, reflect, and take a stand against injustice.” Additionally, funds will be raised alongside the series for charitable organizations that work to disrupt these inequitable systems, such as the Boys & Girls Club and Ford’s very own Hip Hop Architecture Camp, an organization that introduces underrepresented youth to architecture, urban planning, and design. Donations are also welcome at www.designxmikeford.com.