African-American architects facts for kids

African-American architects are people from the United States who are part of the African diaspora and work in architecture.

For a long time, the amazing work of these architects was often ignored. Sometimes, their contributions were even removed from history. This happened because of racism in the country. However, over time, the important work of black architects has started to get more recognition.

History of African-American Architects

The first African-American architects appeared in the mid-1800s. Becoming an architect was very hard for African Americans back then. The architecture field was mostly made up of white people.

In the 1800s and 1900s, racism was widespread. Laws called Jim Crow laws made things even worse. These laws forced black and white people to be separate, which encouraged direct racism. Many African-American architects during this time faced huge challenges. They had to deal with unfair treatment because of their race.

Early Architects: 19th and 20th Centuries

Important Men in Architecture

Some architects like Julian Francis Abele and Paul Revere Williams were able to achieve great things. They earned architecture degrees from top universities. They also got their licenses and worked at leading architecture firms.

However, many clients did not want an African-American architect to lead their projects. This meant that black architects often designed buildings but did not get credit for their work. Both African-American men and women faced these problems. Women also had to deal with unfair treatment because of their gender.

Julian Francis Abele

Julian Francis Abele (1881–1950) was a pioneer. He was the first African American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture in 1902. After studying in Europe, Abele joined a firm in 1906. He became the chief designer there from 1909 to 1938.

Abele helped design the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art. He also played a key role in designing Duke University's west campus. He even helped design the Widener Memorial Library at Harvard. Abele only started signing his drawings after his boss passed away.

Paul Revere Williams

Paul Revere Williams grew up in Los Angeles. He studied at the Los Angeles School of Art and later at USC. He worked for well-known architecture firms.

In 1921, Williams became the first African-American architect west of the Mississippi River. He was also the first black person to join the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1923. Later, in 1957, he became the first black person to be a fellow of the AIA. Williams designed many types of buildings. These included homes, churches, schools, and other business buildings.

Important Women in Architecture

The first African-American women architects faced many difficulties. Women like Norma Merrick Sklarek and Beverly Loraine Greene worked hard to become architects. For many years, the architecture world was mostly white men.

In the 1900s, it was hard for African-American men to get fair chances. For women, it was even harder. They had to overcome challenges because of their race and their gender. Sometimes, they were not allowed into the field. Other times, they did not get credit for their work. African-American women had to work extremely hard just to get an education in architecture.

Norma Merrick Sklarek

Norma Merrick Sklarek was the first black woman architect in California. She graduated from Columbia University. Sklarek worked for major architecture firms like SOM. She was also the first black woman to join the AIA.

Sklarek worked with famous architect Cesar Pelli. They collaborated on big projects. These included the Pacific Design Center and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Beverly Loraine Greene

Beverly Loraine Greene was the first black woman to become a licensed architect in the United States. She started her own practice in Chicago. It was hard for her to get noticed because of her race.

Greene later worked on international projects. She helped design the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. She also designed buildings for NYU.

African-American Architects in the 21st Century

Life in the United States has improved a lot since the 19th and 20th centuries. However, African-American architects still face challenges. There is still not enough diversity in the field of architecture.

Only about 2% of licensed architects in the U.S. are Black or African American. Also, less than 1 in 5 new architects are from a racial or ethnic minority group. These numbers come from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

There are many groups working to change this. The Directory of African American Architects keeps a list of licensed black architects. In 2019, there were 2,300 people on this list, including 467 women. Organizations like the National Organization of Minority Architects are helping to increase representation.

More African-American Architects

Women Architects

• Georgia Louise Harris Brown is thought to be the second African-American woman to become a licensed architect in the U.S. She worked in Chicago and Brazil.
• Alma Carlisle was a preservationist in Los Angeles in the mid-20th century.
• Alberta Jeannette Cassell was one of the first two African-American women to graduate from Cornell University in 1948. She later became a naval architect.
• Ivenue Love-Stanley is a co-leader of an architecture firm in Atlanta. She runs it with her husband.
• Helen Eugenia Parker designed Trinity Hospital in Detroit.
• Martha Cassell Thompson was also one of the first two African-American women to graduate from Cornell University in 1948. She was the main restoration architect for the National Cathedral.
• Roberta Washington founded her own architecture firm in New York City.

Men Architects

• Walter T. Bailey was the first African-American to graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1904. He helped plan schools and supervised building construction at Tuskegee Institute.
• Louis Arnett Stuart Bellinger (1891–1946) designed important buildings in and near Pittsburgh.
• J. Max Bond Jr. (1935–2009) became a partner in a major architecture firm in 1990.
• Calvin Brent (1854–1899) is believed to be the first African-American architect to work in Washington, D.C..
• John S. Chase was the first African American to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture in 1952. He was also the first black male licensed architect in Texas. He helped start the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).
• Henry Beard Delany (1858–1928) taught at St. Augustine College and designed several buildings there.
• George Washington Foster (1866–1923) was among the first African-American architects licensed in New Jersey (1908) and New York (1916).
• Robert P. Madison was the first African American to graduate from Western Reserve University. He is believed to be Ohio's first licensed African-American architect in 1950.
• William Sidney Pittman (1875–1958) started an early architecture firm in Washington, D.C.
• Marshall E. Purnell was elected president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2008. He has been very involved in the AIA and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).
• Wallace Rayfield (1874–1941) was the second formally trained African-American architect in the USA.
• Hilyard Robinson (1899–1986) is known for designing the Langston Terrace Dwellings. He also designed the Army training base for the famous Tuskegee Airmen.
• Vertner Woodson Tandy (1885–1949) was the first African-American architect licensed in New York.
• Robert R. Taylor was the first African American admitted to the MIT School of Architecture. In 1892, he was the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from MIT.