Our previous post highlighted several important Black architects with work and careers in Chicago. This week, we add Black architects who have worked across the country and internationally.
The resources start with three pioneers in the field, listed chronologically, starting with the country’s first accredited, African-American architect.
Robert Robinson Taylor (1868-1942)
As the MIT Black History Project reports, Taylor was “MIT’s first black graduate, nation’s first accredited African-American architect, designer of Tuskegee Institute campus buildings prior to 1932, great-grandfather of Valerie Jarrett, and more . . . .” The Project has a wealth of information on Taylor, including historic photographs and a video excerpt of Valerie Jarrett on Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s “Finding Your Roots” learning about Taylor’s history.
https://www.blackhistory.mit.edu/story/robert-r-taylor
Paul Revere Williams (1894-1980)
Based in Los Angeles, Williams was the first African-American member of AIA. He designed more than 2,000 private homes, many for celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Lucille Ball, Julie London, Barbara Stanwyck, and Danny Thomas.
The Paul Williams Project offers comprehensive materials about his storied career.
https://www.paulrwilliamsproject.org/
PBS has also produced a documentary on his life and work, available here:
https://www.pbssocal.org/programs/hollywoods-architect/
Beverly Loraine Greene (1915-1957)
Greene is thought to be the first African-American female licensed as an architect in the U.S. Although she was born in Chicago, studied at the University of Illinois and worked at the Chicago Housing Authority, she spent most of her career in New York. The Architect Marketing Institute offers a synopsis of her background, career and advocacy.
https://archmarketing.org/beverly-loraine-greene-profile-of-a-famous-female-architect/
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For a broader overview, Town and Country has compiled a “top ten” list of African-American architects over the last century:
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Finally, in 2017, online news source Curbed published an article talking with a variety of contemporary architects (not only African-American) discussing the race-related challenges they have faced in their careers.