Barriers to Abolition Democracy is an extension game board to Urban Cipher. It serves primarily as a teaching tool to dive deeper into the spatial elements of urban areas.
This game is nearing the completion of its beta phase and final design. We are currently developing instructions for how to use the materials in the box.
Redlining cards
It comes with a set of 15 redlining cards which break down step-by-step how two federal agencies built a policy wall dividing blue and green communities from yellow and red communities.
Teachers and facilitators place the redlining cards in small stands so that they are positioned vertically providing a powerful visualization of the policy wall that divides neighborhoods and limit mobility.
Maroon colony cards
In addition, the box contains a set of 28 flash cards produced by EmancipatED. These cards highlight the hidden history of maroon colonies formed in the Americas. They help provoke thinking about the kinds of freedom spaces that can be built in response to oppression.
Environmental justice cards
The game also comes with a set of 6 South Baltimore Environmental Justice cards that walk participants through examining the legacy of toxic inequality in the southern part of the city.
Afrofuturism cards
Future editions will also feature a set of 13 Afrofuturism cards with quotes and questions for players to consider when working to build vibrant Black neighborhoods and making a city more fair and just.
