CSI celebrates Black History Month, honoring the achievements of African Americans and their central role in U.S. history.
As an association, CSI welcomes the opportunity to acknowledge the countless contributions Black Professionals have made to the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Owner) industry.
Here are two notable pioneers in the field, and one who is still making history:
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Robert Robinson Taylor is considered the first academically trained and credentialed Black architect in America. Educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his final project for a bachelor's degree in Architecture was “Design for a Soldiers' Home”—it examined housing to accommodate aging Civil War veterans. Booker T. Washington recruited him to help establish Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a campus now forever associated with Taylor's work. In 2015, he was honored by being featured on a stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service. Read more about Taylor at ThoughtCo.com. |
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Norma Merrick Sklarek was the first African American woman to pass her license exam to become an architect in both New York and California. Two of her signature designs include the United States Embassy in Tokyo, and the Terminal One station at the Los Angeles International Airport. She was nicknamed “The Rosa Parks of Architecture” by Author Anna M Lewis for her major accomplishments as a black woman in a male dominated field and continued to be a voice for women who were likely to face discrimination in certain careers. Read more about Sklarek here. |
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Curtis Moody, the 2021 CSI National Conference Keynote Speaker, is the founder of Moody Nolan, the largest African American-owned architecture firm in the U.S. Driven by a passion to break into a field with little minority representation, he took a considerable risk and opened the doors of Moody and Associates in 1982. From early projects such as branch libraries and religious facilities, the firm has been able to add projects with public works at universities, housing authorities, and hospitals throughout the country. In this interview with CSI, Moody discusses his unique journey, and what he sees as our industry's challenges and opportunities. |