Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

internetworkers - RE: Geeks + Diversity

internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Serena Fenton <fents AT metalab.unc.edu>
  • To: InterNetWorkers <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Geeks + Diversity
  • Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 20:31:56 -0400


Please allow me to de-lurk and throw some kerosene on the flames. I work (I
think that's
what we do) with Uzi - I haven't made it to any Internetworker events
because of the usual
kid related issues, so I apologize for not meeting you folks first.

Architects have been looking at this same issue for about the past 8 years.
The latest
report from the AIA (American Institute of Architects) is not good for
minority job growth
in architecture (the quote below is from the middle of the article):

http://www.e-architect.com/news/aiarchitect/sep99/gains.asp

"Percentage of African- Americans stays the same

It may be too early to grasp the longer-term impact of the current
economy on minorities, especially the opportunities that have
been created for recent graduates such as Taylor. Yet, the gains
for minority architects and architecture students over the past
decade have primarily been for women, Asians, and Hispanics, but
not African-Americans and American Indians. While there has
been greater immigration in the Asian and Hispanic populations,
this may not fully explain their better representation in the
profession, especially as they still account for smaller portions of
the U.S. population than African-Americans.

For example, while the percentage of Hispanic architects is higher
than that of Hispanic engineers, physicians, lawyers, and
teachers, the percentage of African-American architects is lower
than that of other professions, reports the U.S. Bureau of the
Census. Across all professional specialties, the percentage of
African-Americans is close to 8%, for engineers it is almost 4%,
whereas for architects the figure is less than 2%. Furthermore, the
percentage increase of African-American architects over 14 years,
1983-97, is very modest (1.6% to 1.7%), among the smallest
increase of all professions. For African-American teachers at
colleges and universities the percentage increase over 14 years
was greater (4.4% to 6.5%), as it was for African-American
engineers (2.7% to 3.9%).

** (there is a graph at htis point)**
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census,
Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1998


"This is worse than it was, it is stagnation, we are going
backwards," exclaims Marshall Purnell, FAIA, principal of
Devrouax & Purnell Architects Planners PC in Washington, D.C.,
and past president of the National Organization of Minority
Architects (NOMA). He adds that "supply will meet demand, and
if black architects cannot get work, there will not be many black
students who find the profession attractive."

"These numbers reflect what we are seeing and hearing, and we
are extremely concerned about that," says William J. Davis Jr.,
AIA, NOMA, principal of Davis Architects and Construction
Managers in New York City, and current president of NOMA.
Davis reports that the estimated number of African-American
architects in the country is about 1,200 (including 103 women
architects) and adds that this number has not changed
significantly over the past 10 years. NOMA, with a membership of
about 500, is trying to address this issue by training and
supporting minority students and raising the visibility of minority
architects."
-------------------------------------

In an attempt to ameliorate the situation, the AIA has introduced a number of
programs in
the last five years, tied together by the AIA diversity program <
http://www.e-architect.com/pia/diversity/dc.asp >. People who are concerned
might want to
look at thes outreach efforts. One of their conclusions is : "Acting as a
role model is
one of the best methods for widening the appeal of architecture."

For my 2 cents worth - I say, " get involved in helping a young person " -
offer to speak
at a school career day, all Chapel Hill schools need mentors for mentoring
programs,
volunteer at the community center to tuor in technology.

Have I thrown on enough kerosene yet? Serena

--
Serena Fenton
metalab linux archive maintainer - http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/
fents AT metalab.unc.edu - or - fents AT ils.unc.edu
http://ils.unc.edu/~fents






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page