African American women are hugely underrepresented in architecture–just 0.3 percent, fewer than 500 black women, are licensed architects in the US. Architects Foundation are fundraising to create a scholarship specifically for black women in architecture in honor of Desiree V. Cooper, AIA, a DC-area architect who tragically passed in 2015.

Mobilizing the architecture industry to provide opportunities for women, specifically for Black and minority women, has been an ongoing effort in recent years. Not only that, but the discussions over the state of racial and social injustice in field, the continued mistreatment of Black communities taking place in the larger world, and the growing and disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have together sparked greater efforts to re-evaluate racial biases inherent to many industries.

For more information: Architects Foundation