As MITArchA stands in solidarity with the Department and our MIT community against racism and systemic injustice, this timely opportunity to work together with our colleagues in the profession to build a better world resonates with our goals. For many of us who were here in the Department with Jan, we are reminded of those ideals and the pressing need to convert them into action. See his full letter below and contribute by October 16th.
Dear all,
Included in this email are the graphics for the New York Times page and the text that both AIA and NOMA have approved for both the top and the bottom of the page.
We hope to have this published in an October issue. However, to do so we need a total of 500 names and now have about 300. If we have 500 names, then the cost per name would be $100. We have two $1,000 donations so far, and more donations of this amount or more from large firms and organizations would be of great help in funding the NYT page.
Please send donations of $100 or more to: https://architectsfoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/110109-architects-for-black-livelihood-fundraising
If you are a student, please donate what you can afford.
In the event that we exceed our fundraising goals for the page or have insufficient funds for it, the raised funds will go directly to the Diversity Advancement Scholarship of the AIA.
Also please pass this message on to others you may know and ask them to CC wampler@mit.edu on their return emails.
Finally, please indicate to me the correct way you would like your name to appear on the NYT page.
It has been a long time organizing this page, and finally we have all the parts ready to go as soon as we can raise the money for it.
Thanks to all for your patience and willingness to have your names listed on this page.
What we are doing is a giant step forward toward racial and social justice.
Please see below:
Paragraph at top of page
“We the undersigned architects and design professionals, in solidarity with NOMA, the National Organization of Minority Architects, hereby express our complete commitment to and support for the protection of Black lives and the advancement of Black livelihood. We firmly believe that Black Lives Matter. We are particularly concerned that at the present time, of the 116,000+ licensed architects in America, barely two percent are Black, and less than a quarter of Black architects are women. Our nation can only thrive when there is complete equality under the law and the justice system, and equal opportunity for all—in education, health care, housing accommodation, and all occupations, including our own.”
Paragraph at bottom of page
“The Architects Foundation's Diversity Advancement Scholarship supports minority students with a multi-year award towards their architectural education. This scholarship fund needs your support to increase diversity in the architecture profession at any NAAB-accredited school, especially at the seven accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Please consider making a generous donation (architectsfoundation.org/donation) to help design a better future for all of us."
Below is a graphic of the NYT page:
