Isolated: Life of a Black Architect

In 2018, only 113,554 of the 327.2 million people in the United States were licensed architects. Of those, less than two percent are black. That’s less than 2,271 black architects in the United States…why so few, and how do we change it?

COMPTON, CA | Four gun shots rang out, breaking the silence of night. I instinctively rolled out of bed and hit the floor; a habit all too commonly ingrained, but required, as a survival tactic to avoid stray bullets. Tires screeched, followed by the snap and clink of a chain-link fence. Two more measured shots followed, then silence briefly settled in. The neighborhood began to pour into the streets to investigate the commotion as the sirens of police cars and rumble of helicopters above reached the scene. Against her orders, I followed my grandmother outside to see what happened — a gang member ambushed a rival in a passing car. As I approached the corner of my block, I could see that a black SUV had crashed, stopping on a neighbor’s lawn just shy of their home. The driver-side door was wide open, and the constant ding of the door ajar warning filled the air. As I scanned the scene, I could see that two houses beyond, someone was face down, motionless, on another neighbor’s lawn. This, at the age of 15, was the first murder I recall encountering. This experience is not the worst of my peers, but this was our environment.

Where Have We Come From?

In a study on the effects of chronic environmental overstimulation in poor communities, psychologist Sheldon Cohen studied the impact of traffic noise on children in urban environments. Results showed that those on lower floors had worse hearing and reading skills in response to the body adjusting to the noise. Another study showed that students who lived near the Los Angeles airport had higher blood pressure and difficulty with problem solving, and struggled with handling distractions. Many low income and urban environments have long been cast off by upper economic levels of society, leading to run down, overpopulated, polluted, and violent settings. The environmental assault experienced daily in these environments can make it difficult to focus, which can generate other issues.

"The core of the problem, I believe, is that African-American culture is one of the most unappreciated, undervalued, under resourced assets that America has…We live in a world where these African-American kids have to be fucking great…A white kid doesn’t have to be THAT great to do well.” — Jimmy Iovine

African-Americans went from initially being considered property in the United States to being considered 3/5 of a person just 232 years ago; from slavery being abolished 154 years ago to the civil rights movement just some 60 years ago. The undeniable foundation of disenfranchised black communities has prevented or significantly dampened resources for people who grow up in them. By disenfranchised, I am referring to a community that has largely been denied the ability to obtain wealth and an equal opportunity at success due to, among other reasons, the active destruction of black communities. The racially motivated burning of “Black Wall Street,” a thriving black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma; redlining, the systematic denial of housing and services to people based on race; and disproportionate imprisonment practices, are a few notable examples. As a result, individuals encounter an inadequate education system, predatory loan practices, drug and alcohol distribution for income and abuse as a coping mechanism, a lack of guidance, and financial ignorance. Aside from the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), when I applied for college, I was not aware of the extent of free money that was available through scholarships, or how to search for or apply for them. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Diversity Advancement Scholarship was not brought to my attention until well after I finished school. Moreover, while ignorance was a significant factor, pride, embarrassment and self worth also played a roll. While I was not willing to acknowledge the need for help, I also expected to be denied if I did ask anyway. Individuals react to a lack of resources differently, but one thing is for certain — this environment can create a structure of infighting for literal survival, even at the expense of the community.

Opportunity & Finance

Senseless gun violence in Los Angeles has led to the recent loss of Ermias Asghedom — a rapper known as Nipsey Hussle; a business owner who created several businesses in his community while promoting black ownership of property; and an activist who, having a history with the Rollin’ 60’s Neighborhood Crips, was actively trying to broker peace between rival gangs. I found myself angry, not only at the loss of a person who was genuinely trying to do good for his community, but at the feeling of not being able to get ahead. I was angry at the reminder of the lack of role models and visible paths to success. Entertainment and sports, particularly basketball and football, are largely the trumpeted opportunities and inspiration for black youth. Even with minimal odds for success, those industries are a constant attraction because of accessibility for participation and/or the potential of life-changing wealth. Keshawn Johnson, former NFL wide receiver and current Los Angeles sports radio host, recently touched on this issue by discussing NFL draft prospects’ mindsets after receiving their first NFL contracts:

“Sports and the lottery are two things that…all of a sudden your bank account looks different…” He continued by explaining that “[individuals outside of low-income communities] don’t come from these areas and they don’t understand…they don’t really get what it’s like growing up in poverty and they don’t understand why you go and you just buy your mom a house, or why you go and you buy your dad a truck or a car. They don’t get it.”

“Without having the wish to ‘show them,’ I developed a fierce desire to ‘show myself’…I wanted to vindicate every ability I had. I wanted to acquire new abilities. I wanted to prove that I, AS AN INDIVIDUAL, deserved a place in the world.” — Paul Williams, FAIA

If you can survive and navigate your way to some level of success, there is tremendous external and internal pressure to garner a wage that can not only support you, but put you in a position to help the family and friends that supported you, and help improve your community. Although I have been very fortunate to pursue my passion of architecture, it is a long process to earn a lucrative salary. Even after obtaining my license, climbing the professional ladder, and working for 12 years as a professional, I have yet to be able to help others, let alone myself. It pains me every day to know that I’m running out of time to help those like my mom and grandmother. This sentiment was confirmed as it relates to architecture in a recent Entrearchitect podcast, where the host Mark LePage interviewed National Registration of Architects Board (NCARB) CEO Michael Armstrong. Armstrong shared:

“Nonwhite candidates are 25 percent more likely to fall off the licensure path…We think that, frequently, underrepresented groups also come from lower economic groups and there is more pressure in terms of salaries and occupational opportunities to quickly get to a certain level of economic status. And because that path to licensure takes so long, if other opportunities come along, they may not want to stick with licensed architecture. There are other lucrative occupations coming out of architecture school that may pay more money than architecture.”

While some may wonder why an individual wouldn’t just do something else if they needed the money, such thought processes entirely miss the point. Architecture is a profession that can uniquely benefit society. I recently interviewed several architects, asking each to identify what it is an architect does. The most common answer was that an architect is a problem solver. Architects receive extensive training in design thinking that promotes empathy, teaches them how to identify problems, trains them how to develop various potential solutions, and teaches them how to execute the solution most likely to work. The African-American population makes up over 13 percent of the United States population, and the communities where we are typically raised have complex issues that can be positively affected through environmental design and design thinking. Our representation is needed. However, to overcome the systemic obstacles that disenfranchised communities face, one needs a few opportunities to outweigh the barriers. Racism, in its hateful representation, is not the core of the issue today. It is implicit bias, and an unwillingness to acknowledge it as such. It is human nature to want to mentor and provide opportunities to someone that one sees themselves in. However, it is a problem when one group has historically been the majority of a system and, subsequently, opportunities and mentorship lack for individuals who don’t look like the historic majority. A lesson from a teacher, guidance from a mentor, or a chance from an employer can change the trajectory of a person’s life, who may in turn have much to give to society down the road.

Where Do We Go?

Armstrong and NCARB believe that speeding up the process to licensure will help disadvantaged candidates on their path and retention in architecture. To do so, NCARB made a series of changes to their processes and, in 2015, introduced Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL), where students that are in the process of earning a degree from a National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB)-accredited program can complete the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and Architect Registration Exam (ARE) concurrently. The program has accepted 26 NAAB-accredited programs at 21 schools to participate. As of the 2017–2018 school year, over 400 students have enrolled, and nearly 80 have begun taking the ARE.

I commend NCARB for its efforts and agree that expediting the process will help; however, financial constraints and guidance through the process remain significant obstacles for those coming from disadvantaged communities. Architectural programs are often expensive endeavors — books, computers, design and drafting software, and tools and materials for model making can quickly add up. When I was still in school, I recall emotionally breaking down and sitting on the floor of an aisle in Home Depot shortly after seeing negative 300 dollars in my bank account. I overdrew the account to cover material costs for a 1-inch to 1-foot scale model and presentation boards that totaled in at just over 500 dollars. In A Black Architecture Education Experience, second year graduate student Demar Matthews insightfully details his experience as an African-American architecture student — financial struggles, lack of architectural mentorship and role models that look like him, and a common disconnect from peers as the “token” in many professional situations. As Matthews describes, the experience can be isolating. College in general as a black student can be isolating. While I was considering an art major, a reviewer at a portfolio evaluation event focused in on one page of my portfolio that had a few portraits of rap artists. She praised that work above others and suggested that I “stick with what I know.” In my architecture program, I was one of three black students in a class of 200 and frequently found it difficult to relate or connect with the other students.

“If I allow the fact that I am a Negro to checkmate my will to do, now, I will inevitably form the habit of being defeated.” — Paul Williams, FAIA

A representation of less than two percent is a disservice to society for a profession that aims to solve problems. All groups — the profession, education and the black community — must do better. NCARB and AIA must not only support and promote outreach efforts of organizations like the National Organization of Minority Architects and Equity by Design; they too must spearhead their own outreach efforts in underrepresented communities as representatives of the collective architecture profession. The education system must acknowledge and accommodate the financial constraints of students. Scholarships are beneficial, but they are not available to everyone or may not be enough to cover costs. In addition to scholarships, basic materials and equipment should be made available for students, with 24-hour access for working students. In the black community, many barriers are imposed, but we must not accept self-inflicted mental prison bars. We cannot be too hardened to ask for help. Simultaneously, we cannot wait around for handouts; we must take control and create our own paths to success. We must self-educate, especially on fiscal responsibility, and share that knowledge with peers. We must manage our physical and mental health and we must seek out stories of success to promote and support individuals beyond sports and entertainment, such as the following:

· Paul Williams, FAIA, architect to the stars. Williams was the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the first black member to be inducted into the AIA’s College of Fellows. The majority of his work was destroyed during the 1992 Los Angeles riot; however, his most prominent work, the LAX Theme Building, remains standing;

· Roberta Washington, architect and Commissioner on the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission. In 1983, Washington opened one of the first African-American, woman-owned architectural firms in the country;

· David Adjaye, architect of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Adjave’s museum design was named 2017 Design of the year;

· Michael Ford, “The Hip Hop Architect.” Ford established Hip Hop Architecture and the Hip Hop Architecture Camp to explore the intersection of Hip Hop culture and the built environment through media, professional practice, and academia. The goal of Hip Hop Architecture is to increase the number of underrepresented populations in the practice of architecture while simultaneously creating a new approach to architecture and design; and

· William Bates, FAIA, 2019 AIA President. Bates has served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2011, along with stints as a vice president and the chair of the Board Community Committee from 2015–2016. In 1991, and again in 2010, he served as president of AIA Pennsylvania; he was also president of AIA Pittsburgh in 1987.

According to the 2018 NCARB by the Numbers report, race diversity in the profession has continued to improve along early career stages. 45 percent of new AXP participants and 33 percent of new exam candidates identified as non-white, a three percent increase for both groups. However, along early career stages, African-American candidates have been stagnant at around five percent for years. Despite this fact, I am surprisingly optimistic about the future. One reason is the advancement of technology, which provides somewhat equitable access and has the potential to reshape the profession to be more lucrative. The other reasons are awareness and attention, which were courageously laid out at the 1968 AIA Annual Convention by Whitney M. Young Jr. in his keynote speech (I recommend reading the full speech) on equity and diversity issues in the architecture profession:

“Now, in this situation there are two or three, I think, positive aspects and possibilities that are present today that were not present in the past. One is that we are all today aware of the problem…The Negro has been largely the victim, not of active hate or active concern, but active indifference and callousness… Less than 10 percent of white Americans wanted to lynch Negroes, or 10 percent wanted to free them. Our problem has been the big 80 percent, that big blob of Americans who have been so busy “making it,” getting ahead in their companies, getting a little house in the suburbs, lowering their golf scores, vying for admittance to the country club, lying about their kids’ I.Q. that they really haven’t had time to be concerned… And today, for the first time, we have the full attention and concern of the establishment in America, the decision makers, the top people…Nothing in this country [is achieved] really until the so-called decisionmakers and the power structure in the country decide that they had better get busy, and that’s a very powerful ally.”

The profession is aware of the problem. Now, as problem solvers, we must strive to solve the issues at our door step. Only then, through equitable representation can the profession began to fully empathize, understand, and address the issues we face in society.

If you enjoyed this piece, please comment, ?? and share to help others find it, and read my other work listed below. To hear more about architecture and the building industry, you can also subscribe to my podcast, Spaces Podcast.

How the Birth of Suburbia Killed the Millennial Home Buyer

Future of Housing: “American Dream” or Nightmare?

Earthquake Proof: “The Big One” is a Concern of the Past

Landlocked: When Homeowners Don’t Move Up or Down

Disrupted: The Architecture Profession

The Strange Case of an Architect

992 Billion Reasons Big Tech is Entering the Building Industry…and the Art of the Impending War

Thank you!