George Floyd wasn't the first or last Black person to be killed by the hands of police or vigilantes, but his documented murder helped spark a rise in discourse on systemic racism. In this 15-part series, members of the design community share how their conversations and view of and place in the profession have changed in a year that also saw an increase in attacks—many fatal—against people of color as well as the lives of millions more gone due to COVID-19.

Here, Michael Ford, AIA, the Madison, Wis.–based founder of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp and the director of design at the Universal Hip Hop Museum, in the Bronx, N.Y., discusses his work as a full-time activist and why, in 2021, he still drives with his license and registration atop his dashboard.