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The end of the TDC: Roger Black's reaction

Roger Black's verbatim post on Facebook on June 25, 2020, the day the TDC in New York shut down:

In response to a charge two days ago by Juan Villanueva of Monotype that the Type Directors Club is a racist organization, the board is shutting it down. This cannot be what he wanted.

Instead of making sure every type person can share in its 70-year tradition of knowledge and recognition, they closed it.

I have been a member of several pathetic design association boards of directors, perhaps even this one (I forget), but never have I seen a board so completely missing its point.

First, TDC is a membership association. The board's purpose is to serve the members. How can they shut down without even asking us what we think?

Second, the board's responsibility is to insure the prosperity (never mind the survival) of the group. Did the board try to do *any* fundraising or, ahem, reach into their own pockets to make up the shortfall in finances?

Non-profit board membership is not an honor, it's a duty. And this board, sadly, has failed. Whatever the merits of Mr. Villanueva's letter of resignation (which started with the group stonewalling his proposal to give free TDC memberships to BIPOC), it was the board's duty to face the accusations, to make honest answers, and to correct inequalities going forward.

Instead they just quit.

But I will tell you one thing. The long-time executive director, Carol Wahler, is as far from being a racist as anyone I have ever known. She loves every member, encourages all of us, reaches out all over the world to people of every kind to get them to join, to come to exhibits, or to enter the competitions. Farewell, Carol.

Goodbye, TDC.

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