This D.C. Symposium Will Honor Black Architects’ Contributions
Panelists will examine progress made since Whitney Young Jr.’s 1968 call for social justice through architecture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture, designed by David Adjaye. Photos by Alan Karchmer
More than 30 scholars, architects and experts will take part in conversations during Shifting the Landscape: Black Architects and Planners, 1968 to Now. They will examine topics including the rise of social justice-minded architecture, the evolving experiences of black architects and planners in that time and innovative practices that will affect the future of the profession.
More than 30 scholars, architects and experts will take part in conversations during Shifting the Landscape: Black Architects and Planners, 1968 to Now. They will examine topics including the rise of social justice-minded architecture, the evolving experiences of black architects and planners in that time and innovative practices that will affect the future of the profession.
The Contemplative Court fountain inside the museum
“The architects and city planners that emerged to rebuild American cities in the wake of the tumultuous 1960s had a vision for what could come after and were leading the way for their contemporaries of that era,” the museum’s deputy director, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, said in a release. “With the symposium, we are able to shed light on their contributions and expose new generations to a field of study that has the ability to empower and revitalize communities.”
The event aims to not only reflect on Young’s and others’ legacies in the design world but also to serve as a networking opportunity for young architects and planners of color — who have remained grossly underrepresented in the industry even 50 years after Young called out the diversity problem.
“The architects and city planners that emerged to rebuild American cities in the wake of the tumultuous 1960s had a vision for what could come after and were leading the way for their contemporaries of that era,” the museum’s deputy director, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, said in a release. “With the symposium, we are able to shed light on their contributions and expose new generations to a field of study that has the ability to empower and revitalize communities.”
The event aims to not only reflect on Young’s and others’ legacies in the design world but also to serve as a networking opportunity for young architects and planners of color — who have remained grossly underrepresented in the industry even 50 years after Young called out the diversity problem.
Architect David Adjaye wrapped the museum in bronze latticework to honor ironwork created by enslaved people.
Young’s industry-changing speech turning 50 is getting buzz in other corners of the architecture community too. Earlier this month, for instance, New York’s Center for Architecture, which shares a space with the AIA’s New York chapter, featured an exhibition called A Call to Activism: Echoing Whitney Young, 50 Years Later.
At D.C.’s Octagon Museum, 50 Years After Whitney Young Jr., an exhibition from the AIA’s Architects Foundation, also looks back at Young’s impact. It runs through the fall. At the National Museum of African American History and Culture itself, a new display on the museum’s second floor showcases important black architects’ archives, drafting tools and records.
With the conversations that symposium speakers like Young’s daughter Marcia Young Cantarella, architect and author Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton, incoming AIA President William J. Bates, current National Urban League Vice President Cy Richardson and other thought leaders will surely spark, Young’s still-relevant message may inspire yet another new chapter in architecture and community planning.
Young’s industry-changing speech turning 50 is getting buzz in other corners of the architecture community too. Earlier this month, for instance, New York’s Center for Architecture, which shares a space with the AIA’s New York chapter, featured an exhibition called A Call to Activism: Echoing Whitney Young, 50 Years Later.
At D.C.’s Octagon Museum, 50 Years After Whitney Young Jr., an exhibition from the AIA’s Architects Foundation, also looks back at Young’s impact. It runs through the fall. At the National Museum of African American History and Culture itself, a new display on the museum’s second floor showcases important black architects’ archives, drafting tools and records.
With the conversations that symposium speakers like Young’s daughter Marcia Young Cantarella, architect and author Dr. Sharon Egretta Sutton, incoming AIA President William J. Bates, current National Urban League Vice President Cy Richardson and other thought leaders will surely spark, Young’s still-relevant message may inspire yet another new chapter in architecture and community planning.
Shifting the Landscape: Black Architects and Planners, 1968 to Now runs Thursday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Sept. 29 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
Thursday and Friday’s sessions will be livestreamed here. For a complete schedule of events, check here.
Tell us: Will you be following along with the Shifting Landscapes symposium? Tell us what you think in the Comments.
More
The Manns-Simons House: A Home for History
Madam C.J. Walker’s Villa Lewaro: A Beacon for Women
Thursday and Friday’s sessions will be livestreamed here. For a complete schedule of events, check here.
Tell us: Will you be following along with the Shifting Landscapes symposium? Tell us what you think in the Comments.
More
The Manns-Simons House: A Home for History
Madam C.J. Walker’s Villa Lewaro: A Beacon for Women
Fifty years ago, Whitney M. Young Jr. stood before the American Institute of Architects and urged those gathered to add more diversity to their ranks and put their expertise to good use addressing issues in urban communities.
Young, the executive director of the National Urban League at the time, gave his famous address in June 1968. This year, starting Sept. 27, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., will honor that anniversary by hosting a three-day symposium covering the contributions of and conditions for black architects and planners in the decades since.