Race and the Built Environment: Architects

Harvard University's African American Design Nexus 

"The Design Nexus seeks to gather African American designers in the design professions to showcase their craft, explore different geographies of design practice, and inspire change within design institutions to participate in adopting new approaches to elevate black designers...The Design Nexus emerged from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s inaugural Black in Design Conference where Dana McKinney, the President of the GSD’s African American Student Union and other students discussed ways of connecting and representing black designers."

[From the "About" section] 

Beyond the Built Environment 

"Beyond the Built Environment uniquely address the inequitable disparities in architecture by providing a holistic platform aimed to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline. We promote agency among diverse audiences and advocate for equity in the built environment through our approach which utilizes a method...termed "the triple E, C". The triple E, C method is a strategy to: Engage, Elevate, Educate, and Collaborate. We engage diverse audiences through programming promoting intellectual discourse and exchange to better achieve a just and equitable built environment."

[From the "About" section]

BlackSpace

"Our collective brings together planners, architects, artists, and designers as Black urbanists, people who are passionate about the work of public systems and urban infrastructures. We created the BlackSpace Manifesto to practice new ways of protecting and creating Black spaces in the built environment."

[From InfoSheet linked on "About" page] 

Directory of African American Architects 

"The Directory of African American Architects is maintained as a public service to promote an awareness of who African American architects are and where they are located. The sole qualification for listing is licensure in one of the fifty US jurisdictions and their territories."

[From the "About" section of the online directory]

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)'s 2020 Report on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Architecture Licensing

"In early-2020, NCARB and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) launched a joint survey to identify how minority professionals experience obstacles on the path to licensure. Findings from the survey will highlight areas where our organizations can provide additional support, conduct deeper research, and propose measurable solutions to address disparities." 

[From the Introduction] 

National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) 

• The New York Chapter of The National Organization of Minority Architects (NYCOBA NOMA)

"N.O.M.A. is run by volunteers whose mission is building a strong national organization, strong chapters, and strong members for the purpose of minimizing the effect of racism in our profession." That mission includes; "foster communications and fellowship among minority architects," "create and maintain relationships with other professionals and technicians whose work affects the physical and social environment," and "fight Discrimination and other selection policies being used by public and private sector clients to unfairly restrict minority architects’ participation in design and construction."

[From "About NOMA"]

NC Modernist

"This series profiles the North Carolina pioneers who followed their hearts into architecture despite substantial resistance from both society and industry."

[From the Introduction] 

Pioneering Women in Architecture 

"Pioneering Women of American Architecture is a collection of profiles of fifty women who have made important contributions to American architecture. All of these women were born before 1940, at a time when women struggled both to be allowed entry into the architectural profession and to be recognized for their work." Edited by Mary McLeod (Professor of Architecture at Columbia GSAPP) and Victoria Rosner (Dean of Academic Affairs at GS)

[From the Introduction] 

Black women in architecture network: for and by Black women in architecture

"A resource clearinghouse for the over 500 US licensed Black women architects, those aspiring to be architects, and other women in design, planning, and allied professions in the US and around the world"

[From CAUSEWAY] 

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture's "Building a Better Future." 

Brief biological sketches of five 20th century African American Architects. Presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

TU White School of Architecture

"Tu White School of Architecture is a resource for understanding Whiteness in American architecture and supporting collaborative action against White supremacy in design education and practice, as a part of the broader struggle against what cultural critic bell hooks calls the systems of domination, or White supremacist capitalist imperialist cisheteropatriarchy."

[From the Introduction] 

The American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers

The purpose of AICAE is to advance the role of American Indian professional engineers, architects and design professionals in practice and to advance their professional skills; promote recognition of member’s professional excellence, service, projects and contributions; encourage American Indians to pursue careers as professional engineers, architects, and design professionals and; consolidate the expertise of members into a single focus for representation on a national level.

[From the About AICAE] 

These are suggested resources, not a complete list.