In light of the racial injustices the nation witnessed earlier in the year, the eyes of many began to open to the horrors many people face on a regular basis. Organizations such as the AIA and NOMA issued statements of their own and educational institutions began to follow suit. Juneteenth received much attention this year and we told the story of the role of architecture on that historic day.

↑ Juneteenth and the Villa that Became a Legend

For years, the Black community in the United States has celebrated Juneteenth. But, few release that the events leading to that historical day, centered around an intriguing and significant building — the Ashton Villa in Galveston, Texas.

↑ AIA, NOMA, and other organizations issue statements of solidarity with Black community

As courthouses, monuments, business districts, and public spaces around the country became backdrops to fierce protests seeking justice for the killings of Minneapolis resident George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police, a collection of architecture, design, and built environment groups issued memos commenting on the volatile situation. 

↑ "Discovering a Black Aesthetic in Architecture" — An Investigation by Woodbury Grad Demar Matthews

As part of Archinect's 2020 Thesis Spotlight series, Demar Matthews, a recent graduate of Woodbury School of Architecture in Burbank, CA, shares his investigative work in "discovering a Black aesthetic in architecture."

↑ Black Columbia GSAPP faculty and students push school for comprehensive reforms

Black students and faculty at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) published separate statements arguing for fundamental change, as well, pushing back against a pair of statements published in early and mid-June by GSAPP Dean Amale Andraos. 

↑ Archinect adds diversity identification options to firms and jobs

As part of a wider effort to increase the prominence and visibility of architecture firms owned and operated by diverse practitioners, including the work of BIPOC firms, Archinect implemented new options for firms to identify as diverse. Firms will now be able to indicate if their owner(s) are Black, Female, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, Indigenous, disabled, or veteran.