Revolutionary Technology

a nail art curriculum with Bria Massey

Emily Chao: If you want to, introduce yourself and share where you are located and what brought you into the Collective Action School space.

Bria Massey: My name is Bria Massey, and I was born and raised in Durham, NC. Presently, I’m a post-baccalaureate research scholar based in Baltimore, Maryland. However, while at the Collective Action School, I was an assistant project manager at a biotech startup in New York City. My motivation for joining the Collective Action School stemmed from my desire to create more *radical* education/ organizing spaces/resources for HBCU STEM students. As a computer science student and graduate of NC A&T, an HBCU, our curriculum had few opportunities to discuss technology, race, and identity—and examine how these intersections impact our education, career trajectories, and society. Now that I’m gaining work and organizing experience, I’ve realized the importance of actively seeking or creating a community where people think through and address these topics/ problems. I wanted to connect with individuals committed to envisioning alternative worlds, interrogating the status quo, and asking complex questions—things we have yet to have space or opportunity to do in industry or academia. That’s what ultimately brought me to the Collective Action School.

Emily: Nice! …Who was the community that you had in mind when you embarked on this journey with us?

Bria: I was interested in reaching out or being in better community with HBCU STEM students. We’ll talk about my final project a little later, but that’s who I was targeting and wanted to bring to this space. I was thinking about and centering them.

Emily: This is a good segue to you to talk a little bit about your [final] project.

Bria: So, I ended up creating a digital nail art book. To provide some context, I was disheartened or underwhelmed with my computer science curriculum as an HBCU student. There needed to be more emphasis on discussing the ethical implications of the techniques and skills we were learning or developing. Furthermore, there was a notable absence of critical Black theories and feminist perspectives in the curriculum at my university as well. Because of this, I was eager to engage these types of perspectives creatively in my final project. I endeavored to create a curriculum that incorporated these specific viewpoints.

I aimed to make the curriculum enjoyable and inclusive, hence the decision to explore beauty-related topics, mainly focusing on nails— we don’t play about their nails! I found this intersection of creativity and beauty appealing and sought to express it through my work. The nail sets are inspired by influential professors and books that dive into Black critical thought and technology. Moreover, the nail book seeks to establish connections between these academic works, computer science concepts, and relevant issues within the CS and tech domains.

Emily: Yeah, for sure. Can you give an example of one connection that you featured?

Bria: Yeah, so one connection that comes to mind is Dr. Ruha Benjamin’s book, Race After Technology. I used her insights to contemplate the ethical considerations and overlooked aspects when creating technology, particularly for Black communities. Her book prompted me to consider incorporating its themes into my nail set design. I thought about various questions and took a creative approach, starting with a mood board to conceptualize the design before moving on to the actual nail art. In the nail book template, I included a picture and a summary of its significance, highlighting the most important key points. Additionally, I included topics that students would benefit from exploring further, accompanied by engaging questions to stimulate their thinking and provide space for reflection and imagination. This approach was just one example of how I integrated critical perspectives into my creative process.

Emily: Nice! Have you been able to show a sample or a prototype of this to HBCU students?

Bria: I have yet to share it. I’m still refining it, and honestly, I’m grappling with a bit of imposter syndrome. Despite not considering myself a perfectionist, I hesitate to show it until I feel it’s ready. While I’ve discussed it with some people, I have yet to reveal it to anyone. I’m continuing to work on it, creating more nail sets and adjusting the images until they meet my standards. I’ll start sharing the resources once I feel satisfied with the outcome. I hope to do so soon because I genuinely enjoy working on this project and getting into the themes of the books. However, for now, it’s still being prepared to be shared.

Emily: Are there any challenges that you’ve encountered, and what did it feel like to work through them as you’re working through these nail sets?

Bria: Some of the challenges I’ve encountered stem from my educational background, which primarily focuses on computer science with little exposure to humanities or social sciences. Reading theory books in these disciplines is challenging...there’s a lot of terminology that I’m not hip to or don’t understand. However, I’ve recognized the importance of seeking guidance from individuals in these fields. Fortunately, those I’ve reached out to have been incredibly supportive and willing to engage in discussions about the themes I’m exploring. For instance, Black PhD students in these disciplines, in particular, have been instrumental in clarifying concepts and redirecting my focus when needed. While navigating these complexities has been the most challenging aspect, reaching out and seeking input from others has helped alleviate this hurdle.

Emily: For sure. So where are you now? I know you’re still working on it. Like what kinds of topics have you been engaging with lately for this project, and where are you at?

Bria: Currently, I’m in the process of deciding how to structure the release of the nail art book. I’m considering how many books or pages I want to reveal simultaneously; as this is an ongoing project rather than a one-time release. I believe in the importance of continuous learning and evolving perspectives. My current focus is on organizing the books based on their release dates and determining the number of pamphlets to focus on per release.

Emily: That makes sense. Have there been any theory books that have really captured you lately?

Bria: I’ve been exploring Frank Wilderson’s Afropessimism book (I think it’s technically a memoir...but it also feels like theory to me, lol). I acknowledge that Afropessimism (AP) isn’t a widely discussed or a well-liked subject. I also understand that AP isn’t something people can technically organize with. However, it offers a valuable and often overlooked perspective that can enrich our understanding of the world and “being.” There’s also an opportunity to use insights from AP in our analysis...which can be helpful when considering how technology is wielded/created against [Black] people.

Another book I’m currently reading is Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines, which is another memoir. This book has been incredibly insightful, drawing from Dr. Buolamwini’s experiences and shedding light on critical considerations regarding AI and ethics. I’m finding inspiration in their work and endeavoring to connect their insights with broader discussions on technology and ethics. These two books have been transformative for me, shaping my thinking and informing my approach to this project.

Emily: The AI one is especially pertinent right now with generative AI kind of taking over too.

Bria: I believe crucial considerations often get overlooked when implementing new technology. This is where I feel universities sometimes fall short—they don’t adequately address these issues. I imagine a class, curriculum, or *freedom* school focused on diving deeper into these issues (free from the overarching theme of “Black excellence,” which often serves as another term for “Black capitalism”). Some universities have these types of resources, but others don’t. And I found that was one thing I wish my university would invest more in. This is me trying to, in a small way, do that.

Emily: Absolutely. So, what’s your wildest dream for your project? What would you envision as its ideal state?

Bria: Ooh, an ideal state. It would be great if the curriculum could be implemented, right? I’ve been discussing creating a curriculum, so seeing it come to fruition would be amazing. Imagine having an entire class dedicated to these topics—although, even if it’s just integrated into an existing class, that would be a step forward. I’d love to witness that. Additionally, from a creative standpoint, I’m not a professional nail technician and am still learning this skill. It would be awesome to collaborate with actual nail techs. Imagine the potential collaboration between the arts, technology, and computer science— that would be ideal.

I’m also open to implementing this project outside of academic institutions. Universities can sometimes be spaces where radical ideas and projects die, as the university itself often operates as a site of extraction (s/o to Dr. Joy James!). If there were a freedom school or similar alternative space, I could also envision this project thriving there.

Emily: That would be so cool. Like, if you had an aesthetician work with you or something?

Bria: Yeah! Or like a nail tech and maybe the HBCU students and the nail techs could work together to create their own nail sets and their own little parts or pages within the nail book. That would be really cool. I think that would be a cool elective, honestly.

Emily: I would take that.

Bria: Okay. I need to get to work.

Emily: No pressure. I mean, people could brush off their hand modeling skills, you know for photos or something.

Bria: Exactly!

Emily: That’s amazing! Thank you so much. Anything else you want to add for our conversation today?

Bria: I just wanted to give you guys a shout out. I really love what you guys are doing. I call it CAS. Collective Action School, CAS. When I first learned about this, when I first saw it online, I was like, “oh, this is a great opportunity because we don’t have a lot of spaces to do these types of projects” and even being in the cohort and hearing everyone else’s project, it was just very inspiring, And it was like, “Wow, there is a chance for us to build a different world if we had the proper resources.” So I’m glad people are still thinking critically. I’m glad people are thinking creatively, and I just really appreciated this space. And really wanted to thank you guys and give y’all your tens! Thank you!