Our Impact
Herman Miller (NASDAQ: MLHR) and “The Hip Hop Architect,” Michael Ford, are collaborating to provide a platform for honest conversations about racial inequity, social justice, and hope. In 2020, the tragedy of George Floyd’s death sparked a global movement for equality where the world was forced to recognize a history of systemic racism and racial inequities faced by Black and Brown people. In the wake of protests came the need for greater education and purposeful action, as well as an intentional place for refuge.
The collaboration is centered around a remixed Eames Lounge Chair (ELO) as a symbol of refuge: a setting for open and honest conversation with the goal of leading to real and lasting change.
When Charles and Ray Eames conceptualized the Eames Lounge Chair, they defined it as a "special refuge from the strains of modern living". In continuing this mission, Michael Ford remixed the iconic chair with handwritten names of victims of racism in the US as a stark reminder that these Black men, women, and children were not afforded the privilege of refuge.
The ELO will travel across the US from January 18, 2021, through February 2021 and people of influence; activists, actors, artists and design professionals will sit in the remixed ELO as they speak with Ford over Instagram Live via @HermanMiller and @thehiphoparchitect, about the racial disparities in their industries and the injustice that they’ve faced. Michael and each guest will look to the future and discuss what steps can be taken to encourage positive change.
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