Michelle Joan Wilkinson (left) moderates a panel discussion with Kimberly Dowdell, and William Bates. Photo by Deane Madsen

It’s no secret that the architectural profession has a diversity problem. Of the AIA’s 94,000 members, just 2,270 are African American, and of those, 452 are women, according to data from the Directory of African American Architects. And, for now at least, the future doesn't seem to be looking much brighter: Only five percent of students enrolled in architecture programs are African American, according to demographic data compiled by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

Last night, a group of architects, advocates, and curators assembled at the Washington, D.C., chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to unpack and address some of these concerns. At an evening event titled "Embracing Our Differences, Changing the World," AIA President William Bates and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) President Kimberly Dowdell discussed equity, diversity, and inclusion with Michelle Joan Wilkinson, a curator of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, before a packed house. “It’s not a secret that architecture as a profession has fallen behind,” Bates conceded, adding that the percentage of black students in architecture programs is “not that different from what it was 50 years ago.”

Seizing upon guidelines for diversity and inclusion that the AIA released earlier this year, the speakers reflected upon the urgent need for more equitable representation in the profession.

You’ve Got to See It to Be It

NOMA and the AIA have dedicated resources toward boosting those numbers, to more accurately reflect the diversity in the country. Both organizations hope to increase the visibility of people of color in the profession. “When my kids were in school, their classmates had come to the conclusion by fourth grade that African Americans couldn’t be architects,” said Bates. “It’s biases that are passed on from parents, and we need to change that dynamic.”

Put another way, many members of underserved communities don’t recognize architecture as a viable career opportunity simply because they don’t know it’s a pathway open to them. In addressing the visibility problem of minorities in architecture, Dowdell referenced a quote from Michelle Obama (who, in turn, was quoting Marian Wright Edelman)—“You can’t be what you can’t see.”

Design Education Should Begin in K-12 Schools

NOMA was founded in 1971 by a group of a dozen African American architects who banded together at the AIA national convention in Detroit to advance minority representation in architecture. Now, the organization recognizes the need to start potential architects on the pathway early, and its Project Pipeline initiative focuses on K-12 students with architectural summer camps, workshops, and field trips mentored by practicing architects. AIA and NOMA leadership acknowledged that the road to becoming an architect is a lengthy one—as well as a costly one—so the introduction of architecture has to come early enough that a student can make the right educational choices to enter the profession. “By virtue of people having access to architects of color in these Project Pipeline camps, they actually see a potential future in this field,” Dowdell said. “That’s been important in showing students that they could become architects.”