Racial Diversity in the US Combined with the State Membership Counts of the AIA.
The map displays 308,745,538 dots, one for each person residing in the United States at the location they were counted during the 2010 Census. Each dot is color-coded by the individual’s race and ethnicity and is based on the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Data Map at the University of Virginia. The AIA Membership numbers were provided by the AIA.
How do we tackle diversity, gender equity and social justice?
These are big issues. According to NCARB are about 116,000 licensed architects in the country of which 85,000 belong to the AIA in all member categories and there are about 2000 licensed architects of color. This obviously does not reflect the percentage in the general population.
We can definitely mitigate diversity, social justice and gender equality. We can be inclusive by hiring and partnering with our more diverse colleagues. We can invite them to share their culture and expertise with us. But, in reality this will need a societal change. It is a tall order to accomplish that quickly. When they are young, they need to be inspired to become architects, welcomed into the schools, and nurtured into the profession. We need to think about how we do that so that we attract the most talented, best and brightest to join us. Our profession should not only mirror our society but it should also set the standard for what we can be since we are designing the places and spaces of the future.
Could the integration of Women into the Architecture profession be a model?
In 1970 the architecture schools began admitting the ‘Ms’ generation. The schools had trouble finding Women Architecture Professors. Upon graduation they were lucky to get jobs. They were paid less and pigeonholed into ‘girl roles’ such as interiors. Work life balance was not part of the equation. It goes without saying that they all wanted to be seen as Architects not Women Architects.
50 years later Women architects have won the Pritzker Prize and Denise Scott Brown has her Gold Medal.
Can we speed up the process?
Some of the Attendees at the AIA New York’s June 2013 lunch to outline their proposal which would allow collaborators like Scott Brown and Venturi to be awarded joint recognition for the AIA Gold Medal from L to R: Cynthia Kracauer AIA, Jennifer Sage FAIA, Jill Lerner FAIA, Beverly Willis FAIA, Arielle Assouline Lichten, Catherine McGuigan, Denise Scott Brown RIBA Int FRIBA, Sylvia Sidney FAIA, Susan Chin FAIA, Rosalie Genevro, Abby Suckle FAIA, Jane Smith FAIA, Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, Jessica Sheridan AIA