Reflecting on equity and moving forward

By Karen Lu, AIA, NOMA

It has been three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and almost six months since the pandemic has affected our lives nationwide. More than 1,500 properties in Minneapolis and St. Paul were heavily damaged during the civil unrest. Many of these businesses and organizations — particularly those owned by Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) — were already suffering disproportionately as a result of the pandemic. How is AIA Minnesota responding, and what does this mean to our future work as an organization?

Groundwork
AIA Minnesota has been focused on increasing equity in the profession since 2014: creating a Women in Architecture Committee, a Diversity Task Force, and a Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; supporting the founding of our local NOMA chapter and providing ongoing support; creating the 21st Century Development framework identifying ever stronger actions to develop an equitable built environment; establishing three intercultural development programs to grow our members’ ability to work effectively across differences; and, in October, two years of work on our Culture Change Initiative will culminate in clear, actionable recommendations for our members to create the equitable and inclusive culture that we want to see in our profession.



It is from this foundation and the deep relationships that have resulted from this work that we were able to take action with both humility and purpose following Floyd’s killing.
Immediate Response
In the days following the tragedy that received worldwide attention, we mourned, and we protested. We volunteered to clean up, deliver supplies, and donate funds. We recognized — and, in many cases, educated ourselves about — the hundreds of years of Black oppression and trauma in the United States that led to this moment. In the weeks after Floyd was killed, the written and spoken responses of members of our local AIA community were published nationally and internationally, highlighting the pain, frustration, questions, challenges, and calls to action of our BIPOC colleagues:

“Podcast: James Garrett Jr. Hopes George Floyd Is the Final Wake-Up Call Architects Need.”
James Garrett Jr., AIA, NOMA
“Letter to the Editor: Minneapolis’s Sam Olbekson on building a just community.”
Sam Olbekson, ACAE, AIA, NCARB
“Letters to the editor: Thoughts from the ground.”
Lyssa Washington, Associate AIA, NOMA

At AIA Minnesota, we are holding ourselves accountable for our complicity in racial injustice and the severe inequities that so many in our state face. As we make plans and take action, we are continually measuring our intentions against the outcomes that we want to see in our profession, in our communities, and in ourselves — outcomes that are shaped through conversations with local BIPOC firm leaders, members of NOMA’s Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter, and neighborhood organizations.
Near-Term Work
As our members have noted, “Architects need to accept that we don’t necessarily have all the answers” and that “there’s an element of humility that is needed” in our approach to serving communities:

“It’s Time to Listen.”
James Garrett Jr., AIA, NOMA, and Nathan Johnson, AIA

AIA Minnesota is collaborating with MSP NOMA on a program to match owners of damaged properties with BIPOC-led design teams who are paid for their work and, if necessary, supported by volunteers from our broader architecture community. Our goal is to ensure that BIPOC-owned firms are leading these efforts and that they have greater opportunities to pursue both the work and long-term relationships.

Several projects are underway, ranging from straightforward, as-built drawings to the design and documentation of new ground-up construction. Our members are eager to assist, but as much as we can, we would like to ensure that pro bono services do not take the place of fees when there may be insurance funds or grants to support the work of BIPOC architects and designers.
Long-Term Goals
As we work toward a more just and equitable profession, we are focused on change. We have begun to work on the following goals with an open mind to additional insights and suggestions to come:

Changing mindsets and assumptions about partnering with BIPOC-owned firms and recognizing the value of BIPOC professionals on a team.
Growing skills within our profession such as listening, collaborating, and following.
Developing skills in intercultural awareness and deep community engagement.
Challenging structures and processes that undercut the success of BIPOC-owned firms (e.g. lack of generational wealth, high cost of capitalization, discriminatory lending and risk assessment practices, overly burdensome procurement processes, heavy reporting requirements, inequitable supply chains, etc.).

We will continue to build and foster relationships with BIPOC firm leaders and professionals, our growing MSP NOMA community, and neighborhood organizations. And we will look to partner with our local schools of architecture and like-minded industry colleagues to increase the depth and breadth of our impact. The AIA has the agency and the community to effect change, and we have an ethical responsibility to do as much as we can. History has its eyes on us; we must meet the moment.

Author Bio:

Karen Lu, AIA, NOMA

Lu is an architect at Snow Kreilich Architects in Minneapolis. She received the AIA Young Architect Award in 2016. Lu is the 2020 AIA Minnesota president and a board adviser for MSP NOMA.