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RE: Systemic and Organized Racial Exploitation of Minority Architects<\/h2>\n
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Leland E. Edgecombe<\/div>\n
June 24, 2020<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
I\'m a registered architect, registered landscape architect and certified planner. I also teach at a number of universities in the Washington, D.C. region. You have presented a great article that seems to have hit the mark on what minorities have been facing for years which involves financial exploitation and limited opportunities based on race. Given that the \"Majority\" businesses have now experience the COVID-19 pandemic, we now want to give attention to the loss of business by issuing grants and loans. We have now found religion given the deaths of our fellow man and the destruction of businesses, however, we have missed the point as a result of the intentional positioning of denial; and moreover, becoming dismissive of the root problems of racism that continues to benefit the \"Majority\" businesses. I will be requesting a hearing from the State Board of Architects in Maryland to reveal this structural problem involving exploitation of minority architects in the State.<\/div>\n
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Structural Racism<\/h2>\n
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Don Mahoney<\/div>\n
June 25, 2020<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Miriam Sitz has addressed an issue of our time with an appalling lack of actual statistics simply asking us to believe every general statement that she makes. In my (40) year career there has been tremendous gains for minority and female individuals within this profession yet we are asked to believe by the tone of this piece that it has never been worse. Perhaps anecdotal stories can be brought forward but to label matters as \"systemic\" (yes, I realize that is the trigger word used to bring instant credibility) requires one to actually back that up. There are a surprising number of people in the general population and within our profession that find these broad generalizations simply too much to assume. \nHer opening paragraph illicits strong emotion as she conjures up a lynching statement from 80-90 years ago. Her comparison of a lynching to the matter pertaining to George Floyd is premature. The officer guilty of this injustice seems like he had systemic cruelty across the board and very well may have had a root problem with people of color; that has yet to be brought forward in a court of law - I trust it will be. Until then to jump on the bandwagon that this proves the argument of systemic racism and then to leap from that to the \"injustices\" in our profession is opportunism at it\'s worst, politically correct opportunism, but opportunism nonetheless..<\/div>\n
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Inclusion Lip Service<\/h2>\n
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Paula<\/div>\n
June 25, 2020<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Without a doubt, there is an awareness of racism in this current climate; but like the collective mindset towards corona virus, everyone is just waiting this thing out so that they can get back to normalcy. \n The issue: NORMALCY for the profession of architecture is built on the exclusion of black architects and planners in the planning and design of the built environment. And if they are included it is on the condition that they not bring \"radical\" ideas to the table.\n Yes, we have made progress because at least there is an acknowledgement of these events in your magazine and featuring Ms Brown\'s efforts. But I am reminded of the vast majority of black architects who have left the profession or are on the periphery because of the lack of interest in keeping them employed in tough times and allowing them to grow professionally. I am reminded of anecdotes from firms I have worked with of tagging black architects for positions as \"good black candidates\" and anomalies and thus not as good as their white counterparts. And then there are the \"invisibility blues\" \n The reality is that the the profession is still far from acknowledging that black communities matter, black architects matter and black contributions matter.\n<\/div>\n
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