The Ethnic Study is a brick-and-mortar co-working space and cultural hub for education, collaboration and, community.
Steph and Simbrit from ‘413 Stay Woke Stay Active’ knew they needed a rebrand when they decided to elevate their organization from an online group to a physical space and resource for the Western Mass community.
I had seen the 413 Stay Woke Stay Active (SWSA) team in action at local Black Lives Matter rallies earlier in the year, but I first met Steph and Simbrit when they brought me in to document the renovation of their new space in 2020. The sense of community was immediately apparent as volunteers arrived to paint and family members delivered food.
The launch of a physical space meant rebranding while leveraging their existing following. While I began mocking up logo concepts, Steph and Simbrit were reaching out to local activists and organizers that they had worked with as 413 SWSA for interviews.
With a new name, logo, and address, Steph and Simbrit transformed an online coalition into a real space for organizing, learning, and resources. In the fall of 2020 The Ethnic Study opened its doors at 222 Worthington St. in Springfield, MA. To wrap up the launch of this branding project I covered the opening night party.
