As we researched Black designers for Black History Month, we were bombarded with the unfair treatment and conditions that Black designers had to endure back in the day. So we are all left with many mental pictures of the trauma that pioneers of black designers such as Ann Cole Lowe (1889-1981) and Zelda Wynn Valdes (1908-2001) had to put up with.
Of course, we are all in awe of how their strength of character has given them the ability to pave the way for future generations of Black designers. Many industries benefited because these design pioneers never gave up when things got tough.
Resilience comes from loving what you do. A human being will put up with all sorts of injustices as long as they can continue to do what they love. So not only did these Black designers have major talent, but they truly loved what they did and had the purest intentions; that’s how they cultivated their resilience.
They knew that quitting was not an option and that the only thing they would lose was their art. What did make us sad is that some of the greatest Black designers won’t ever be known because there was very little written about them; they got very little recognition because others took the credit for their creations.
So, we are honoring every Black artist, designer, and architect with our own Spirit of Resilience Award for never giving up and persevering on the talents that brought so many people joy and made this world more beautiful.
We’ll start by thanking several notable Black architects:
Architect Paul R. Williams (1894-1980)
Architect Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926-2012)
Architect Julian Abele (1881-1950)
Architect Beverly Loraine Greene (1915-1957)
The list goes on…
According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, only 2% of licensed architects in the United States are Black or African-American.
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From the ADG Jobsite
by Gerald Olesker, CEO, ADG Lighting