Black History Month: Trailblazers within the A|E|C Industry

Taking a look at the data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, in 2021, Black Americans made up 12.3% of the overall US workforce. However, only 4.6% of Mechanical Engineers, 4.4% of Electrical Engineers, and 4.6% of Architects identified as Black, demonstrating how workforce disparities around race remain persistent in the A|E|C space. Although there has been a historical lack of representation of people of color within the A|E|C industry, black architects and engineers have made significant contributions to the built environment through the pages of history. This month’s newsletter is dedicated to sharing the accomplishments of these individuals who helped shape the Architecture, Engineering, and General Construction industry.

Engineering

Archie Alexander (1888 – 1958)

Archie was the first Black Civil Engineering graduate from the University of Iowa’s engineering program in 1912. Out of school, he formed Alexander & Repass. He worked on notable construction projects in the DC area, including the Whitehurst Freeway, Tidal Basin Bridge, and an extension to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Furthering his impact, Archie entered the political arena, serving as the assistant chairman of the Iowa Republican State Committee and being appointed to the special committee investigating conditions in Haiti in 1934. Archie’s financial and professional success led to several racial improvement efforts, and he held trustee seats at Tuskegee Institute and Howard University.

David Nelson Croshwait Jr. (1898 – 1976) 

David was a master of HVAC technology. Graduating top of his class from Purdue University in 1913 at only 15 years old, David started his career with Dunham Company. He would work for the rest of his career in diagnosing HVAC system issues, eventually getting promoted to supervisor. During Croshwait’s career, he designed the heating system for Rockefeller Center and New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. While these two projects were his most notable, Croshwait patented thirty-nine domestic and eighty international patents on heating systems, refrigeration, vacuum pumps, and temperature control devices.

Architecture

Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926 – 2012)

Norma was best known for her trailblazing leadership and first-of-their-kind achievements. Though her career was met with discrimination, Norma accepted a junior draftsperson position for the City of New York’s Department of Public Work. Feeling her talents were underutilized in this role, Norma took the architecture licensing exam, passing the test on her first try, becoming the first African American women architect in the state of New York. Later in her career, Norma was offered a position at SOM, where she was given increased responsibility and the opportunity to work on increasingly complex projects. In 1959, Norma became the first African American women member of the American Institute of Architects. After SOM, Sklarek relocated to California and became the first Black women Architect to receive licensure in this state.

Beverly Loraine Greene (1915-1957)

Beverly Loraine Greene was the first African American woman to be licensed as an architect in the United States, but, her dedication to advocating for Black women in architecture started much earlier than this achievement. With her master’s degree in planning and housing, Lorraine started working with other Black drafters at Chicago’s Housing Project. During her tenure at CHA, she worked on the Ida B. Wells housing project, designed to house Black families in the South Side of Chicago. In 1944, Beverly started as an architect for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York City. As the company planned to ban Black residents in their new development, Beverly’s tenure lasted less than three days before leaving to pursue continued education in architecture. Throughout her career, Beverly acted as a trailblazer for women in the industry, becoming a member of the Council for the Advancement of the Negro in Architecture and showcasing her work at the first exhibit to feature Black female architects.

Construction

Alexander Miles (1838-1918)

Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007, Alexander Miles is best known for his innovative design which improved the automation of opening and closing elevator doors. His spark for creating new ideas started when he worked as a barber. Upon moving to Minnesota, he began operating his own shop, later becoming the first Black member of the local Chamber of Commerce. His innovation for the automatic elevator doors came while riding with his young daughter, becoming aware of the various dangers. Alexander’s influence can still be seen in today’s design of elevators systems, as automatic doors are now a standard feature. Upon his success, Alexander started a life insurance agency designed to sell insurance to Black Americans, who were frequently denied coverage from white-owned companies. At Alexander’s death in 1918, he was known as the wealthiest Black American in the Pacific Northwest.

Miquel “Mick” Penn 

One of the many Black leaders in the construction industry today, Miquel “Mick” Penn works to advance inclusion in his daily work at Swinerton, a commercial construction company, and in his major involvement in industry groups, such as Associated General Contractors’ DEI Steering Committee. Mick notes that while organizations like these help advance the necessary changes, there is still much work to be done, citing the rarity of Black individuals in senior positions on construction sites, seldom seeing a Black foreman or superintendent. While a lot of the narrative in the general contracting space revolves around “hard work” and “getting yourself there,” Mick observes the lack of active inclusion and recruitment and retention measures specifically aimed at people of color. To combat this, Swinterton created a Black Community Business Resource Group, which presents information on Black history, provides a platform for Black leaders, and creates a space for Black members of the workforce to have their voices heard. While these measures are a step in the right direction, constantly focused efforts must be made to bolster inclusion in the industry.

While Black History Month serves as a dedicated time to highlight the achievements of Black individuals in our society, there are several groups and associations whose missions revolve around driving equity in the A|E|C industry on a year-round basis. A few such groups are:

• National Society of Black Engineers

• National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering

• AIA New York’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee 

• Black in Design

• Equity by Design (EQxD)

• National Organization of Minority Architects

We recommend following these organizations on social media, subscribing to their newsletter, and finding ways for you to get involved. Additionally, we recommend continuous education and learning; many learning materials are available online, in libraries, and in your network. If you are interested in holding a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshop for your organization, please contact our team at al@designforce.me or (202) 220-8881.