AN ANTI-RACISM COLLECTIVE (ARC)
Background:
This Collective was born out of a series of events and conversations initiated in June 2020, beginning with the collective mourning and outrage after witnessing the murder of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, at the hands of police. Across the United States, a sweep of civil unrest arose to demand justice for not only Floyd, but for the countless other Black lives lost to statesanctioned violence. This violence acts not alone, but as a symptom of the systemic racism that the United States has bred for centuries.
In acknowledgment of this long history came a refocused commitment toward equity in architecture. The Rice School of Architecture community mobilized to address how our education has been influenced by whiteness, racism, and bias. Student and alumni groups each delivered letters to the administration proposing specific action toward implementing an anti-racist culture within our walls. Following these letters, Interim Dean John Casbarian announced several initiatives which aim to deepen RSA’s commitment to anti-racist pedagogy.
PLAT & Open Letter to RSA:
In the wake of the civil unrest and calls for reform in response to the state-sanctioned violence against Black Americans, the PLAT Team created a survey asking RSA students how our education at Rice has been influenced by whiteness, racism, and bias, while looking at the ways we can harness this momentum to move forward. PLAT then took leadership to organize an open meeting where the student body discussed the results of the survey and refined the draft of the Open Letter to RSA (bit.ly/rsaopenletter), which was sent to the administration on June 19th, 2020.
After the PLAT team acted swiftly and effectively to mobilize the student body, they made the decision to transition the work they started to a new group of students. We have responded to the call for action and are now proposing a new collective to continue PLAT’s efforts. Thank you, PLAT, for the meaningful and difficult work you have done.
Actions in Motion:
The RSA administration has formed two committees led by Dawn and Reto to address the existing conditions and propose systematic changes within our institution:
We also have a few existing facets in our institution that already works with the larger Houston community:
ARC In Motion:
Led by students for students, the Anti-Racism Collective affirms the idea that a responsible architectural education must be actively antiracist. We hope to confront and reflect on our profession’s history of exclusionary practices and Eurocentric theory. By bringing to light architecture’s inherent biases, we aim to foster an environment which encourages students to come together and discuss these difficult issues openly and safely, generating ideas for moving forward.
We will actively listen to the demands of the student body and work to see them through. We will work independently and in support of other groups such as Recess, Construct, Society and the AGSA. We hope to act as a liaison between the RSA student body and outside entities/ organizations such as, but not limited to, AIA, NOMA(S), student groups at other institutions, as well as our own alumni network to provide resources for our students and work against racism and bias in architecture on a larger scale.
Finally, we understand that institutional change takes time. While our school’s leadership works toward long-term and systemic development, ARC will initiate more immediate responses to engage the student body. We plan to accomplish our mission of continuous self-reflection and intentional discussion through conversation and writing. Our current structure includes the following initiatives:
Mission Statement:
While the school’s leadership works toward long-term and systematic changes, we believe that it would be meaningful to establish a student collective centered on immediate action. This collective, led by students for students, will highlight, develop and act upon the anti-racist initiatives echoed by the student body. We hope to bring to light architecture’s inherent biases and affirm the idea that a responsible architectural education must be actively anti-racist.
As a continuation of the platform PLAT established, we hope to foster an environment which encourages students to come together and discuss these difficult issues openly and safely, generating ideas for moving forward. At the same time, we will be actively listening to the demands of the student body and seeing them through, with our own actions and by supporting initiatives through other groups such as Recess, Construct, Society and the soon-to-be-established graduate student collective.
In addition to the work within the school, we hope to act as a liaison between the RSA Student Body and outside entities/organizations such as, but not limited to, AIA, NOMAS, student groups at other institutions, as well as our own alumni network to provide resources for our students and work against racism and bias in architecture on a larger scale.
Ultimately, we seek to generate opportunities in the present for students to learn about, reflect upon, and act against the systematic racism and bias within our education and profession.
Future Items of Action:
Below are some of the ideas we hope to act on over the 2021-2022 year. It is worth noting that this list is by no means conclusive. Rather, we intend to keep updating it, and would love to receive more input as the student body works together for systemic change.
Inward
Outward
In addition to the action items mentioned above, we will also be in full support of our student groups and their anti-racism initiatives, including but not limited to:
Ways to help/areas of interest:
With all above said - we would love any kind of help and will find a way for everybody who’s interested to get involved.
We invite you to join the collective and continue the fight against systemic injustices, racism and bias in our education and profession in tangible ways. In the same spirit as PLAT’s work, we intend to be as inclusive, transparent and non-hierarchical as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Anna, Yanela or Charlotte if you are interested, and stay tuned for future updates.
Warmly,
Yanela Diaz, Anna Brancaccio, Charlotte Cohen
This page was updated on 08.25.21
Read the initial ARC “About” page here
This Collective was born out of a series of events and conversations initiated in June 2020, beginning with the collective mourning and outrage after witnessing the murder of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, at the hands of police. Across the United States, a sweep of civil unrest arose to demand justice for not only Floyd, but for the countless other Black lives lost to statesanctioned violence. This violence acts not alone, but as a symptom of the systemic racism that the United States has bred for centuries.
In acknowledgment of this long history came a refocused commitment toward equity in architecture. The Rice School of Architecture community mobilized to address how our education has been influenced by whiteness, racism, and bias. Student and alumni groups each delivered letters to the administration proposing specific action toward implementing an anti-racist culture within our walls. Following these letters, Interim Dean John Casbarian announced several initiatives which aim to deepen RSA’s commitment to anti-racist pedagogy.
PLAT & Open Letter to RSA:
In the wake of the civil unrest and calls for reform in response to the state-sanctioned violence against Black Americans, the PLAT Team created a survey asking RSA students how our education at Rice has been influenced by whiteness, racism, and bias, while looking at the ways we can harness this momentum to move forward. PLAT then took leadership to organize an open meeting where the student body discussed the results of the survey and refined the draft of the Open Letter to RSA (bit.ly/rsaopenletter), which was sent to the administration on June 19th, 2020.
After the PLAT team acted swiftly and effectively to mobilize the student body, they made the decision to transition the work they started to a new group of students. We have responded to the call for action and are now proposing a new collective to continue PLAT’s efforts. Thank you, PLAT, for the meaningful and difficult work you have done.
Actions in Motion:
The RSA administration has formed two committees led by Dawn and Reto to address the existing conditions and propose systematic changes within our institution:
- Mentorship/Community Outreach Initiative led by Reto: Addresses existing community outreach initiatives while creating new resources in our engagement efforts, particularly the mentorship of diverse students at the early stages of their education.
- Racial Equality Plan of Action Committee led by Dawn: Address curricular changes, courses and studios, and strategies for recruiting.
- New Student Representatives in Committees on Wortham Fellowship search, curriculum change, lecture series, shop/technology and graduate admissions
- The school established The Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund for Architecture, which will be used to help recruit students and faculty of diverse backgrounds and implement curricular changes.
- Funded by theThe Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund for Architecture, The Rice Architecture Summer Immersion Program offered free portfolio-level training for high school students from Houston who have an interest in applying to architecture school.
We also have a few existing facets in our institution that already works with the larger Houston community:
- Mentorship - A platform that generates opportunities for students to explore and be involved in the architecture profession, through office and site visits, mentor pairings and externships.
- RECESS - An educational outreach group working with the local Houston public schools to teach the concepts of architecture.
- Construct - A design-build program in the form of both a seminar and a studio, engaging community partners and non-profit organizations.
- Rice Design Alliance - An outreach initiative involved in creating the school’s public programs and building relationships with the design community of Houston
ARC In Motion:
Led by students for students, the Anti-Racism Collective affirms the idea that a responsible architectural education must be actively antiracist. We hope to confront and reflect on our profession’s history of exclusionary practices and Eurocentric theory. By bringing to light architecture’s inherent biases, we aim to foster an environment which encourages students to come together and discuss these difficult issues openly and safely, generating ideas for moving forward.
We will actively listen to the demands of the student body and work to see them through. We will work independently and in support of other groups such as Recess, Construct, Society and the AGSA. We hope to act as a liaison between the RSA student body and outside entities/ organizations such as, but not limited to, AIA, NOMA(S), student groups at other institutions, as well as our own alumni network to provide resources for our students and work against racism and bias in architecture on a larger scale.
Finally, we understand that institutional change takes time. While our school’s leadership works toward long-term and systemic development, ARC will initiate more immediate responses to engage the student body. We plan to accomplish our mission of continuous self-reflection and intentional discussion through conversation and writing. Our current structure includes the following initiatives:
- Newsletter: Designed to be easily digestible, each letter will revolve around a theme decided the month prior by RSA students in ARC meetings. We will work to connect the monthly theme to other events and initiatives happening throughout the school. All articles reflect undergraduate and graduate student voices, and serve to inspire discourse rather than pose solutions.
- Town Halls: Inspired by the PLAT Zoom call, these informal town halls respond to the prior published newsletter. Town Halls serve as a safe space for students to reflect how their own education/ environment is shaped by racism and how it could be improved. There are no experts or authorities here, but through provocations and conversations we can deepen our communal knowledge.
- Coffee Talks: Coffee Talks are casual opportunities to engage with folks outside of the RSA student body on perspectives and experiences of racism and social justice within the field of design. This program aims to connect with non-architecture Rice students, alumni, as well as members of the Houston community. The talks will connect to the Newsletter theme and might vary in structure in order to accommodate the shifting needs of our community.
Mission Statement:
While the school’s leadership works toward long-term and systematic changes, we believe that it would be meaningful to establish a student collective centered on immediate action. This collective, led by students for students, will highlight, develop and act upon the anti-racist initiatives echoed by the student body. We hope to bring to light architecture’s inherent biases and affirm the idea that a responsible architectural education must be actively anti-racist.
As a continuation of the platform PLAT established, we hope to foster an environment which encourages students to come together and discuss these difficult issues openly and safely, generating ideas for moving forward. At the same time, we will be actively listening to the demands of the student body and seeing them through, with our own actions and by supporting initiatives through other groups such as Recess, Construct, Society and the soon-to-be-established graduate student collective.
In addition to the work within the school, we hope to act as a liaison between the RSA Student Body and outside entities/organizations such as, but not limited to, AIA, NOMAS, student groups at other institutions, as well as our own alumni network to provide resources for our students and work against racism and bias in architecture on a larger scale.
Ultimately, we seek to generate opportunities in the present for students to learn about, reflect upon, and act against the systematic racism and bias within our education and profession.
Future Items of Action:
Below are some of the ideas we hope to act on over the 2021-2022 year. It is worth noting that this list is by no means conclusive. Rather, we intend to keep updating it, and would love to receive more input as the student body works together for systemic change.
Inward
- Inclusion+Bias Survey, modeled by the Sam Fox School of Architecture
- “Pillars of an Anti-Racist Architectural Education” Poster
- The items of this list would be derived from PLAT’s 2020 Letter to the Administration. The publication would serve as a reminder to the student body our westernized architectural education calls for taking matters into our own hands.
- Weekly Articles/tidbit on Non-Western architects/creators and their works
- Anti-racism book club/movie screenings
- Anonymous survey/reporting mechanism of existing bias and exclusion
- Becoming a point of discussion and place to move forward
Outward
- Reaching out to external resources and RSA Alumni
- Continue the collaboration with our Alumni network on anti-racism initiatives and student development
- NOMAS (National Organization of Minority Architecture Students)
- Sending students to NOMAS conference and possibly starting active chapter
- AIA
- Student groups at other institutions and HBCUs
- Coffee Talks with BIPOC artists, designers and creators hosted at RSA
- Social Media
- Summaries and resources regarding anti-racism in the architectural field as well as our own school.
In addition to the action items mentioned above, we will also be in full support of our student groups and their anti-racism initiatives, including but not limited to:
- Society
- Mentorship
- Recess
- Rice Architecture Graduate Student Association (AGSA)
- Construct
Ways to help/areas of interest:
- Attending events and participating actively
- Work with ARC members to define the structures and “theme” of the newsletters, contribute or edit
-
Graphic design publications and social media
- Organizes agenda/preparation for Town Hall discussions/surveys
- Help organize/recruit Coffee Talk contributors
- Generate ideas for reading and movie screenings
- Communicate with alumni and organizations/individuals in the greater community
With all above said - we would love any kind of help and will find a way for everybody who’s interested to get involved.
We invite you to join the collective and continue the fight against systemic injustices, racism and bias in our education and profession in tangible ways. In the same spirit as PLAT’s work, we intend to be as inclusive, transparent and non-hierarchical as possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Anna, Yanela or Charlotte if you are interested, and stay tuned for future updates.
Warmly,
Yanela Diaz, Anna Brancaccio, Charlotte Cohen
This page was updated on 08.25.21
Read the initial ARC “About” page here
peaceful protests at City Hall, Houston, Texas
ANTI-RACISM COLLECTIVE IS A STUDENT COLLECTIVE AT RICE ARCHITECTURE ESTABLISHED IN JUNE 2020. OUR PEOPLE ARE EMMA FOSTER, BAY FUJIMOTO, NATHANEL LEAZER, JIMMY BULLIS, ANNA BRANCACCIO, CAROLYN FRANCIS, REBECCA WEEKS, MAI OKIMOTO, GABRIELLA FEUILLET, RAE ATKINSON, LINDSEY CHAMBERS, EZABEL ZHOU, RYLIE DAVIS, JUHI PARIKH, CAITLIN SIMCOX, WENYI ZHENG, XUEYUAN WANG, JESSICA LABARBERA, ADAM BERMAN, CLAIRE WAGNER, TAKUDZWA TAPFUMA, CARRIE LI, NATHAN BERGRIN, LENE SOLLIE, JARED WIDNER, XINGYUE WEN, HARISH KRISHNAMOORTHY, PAUL DeFAZIO, ESTHER TANG, KATHERINE HUI, ESTEFANIA BARAJAS, YI LUO, JANE VAN VELDEN, AND JADON JIANG
COORDINATED BY CHARLOTTE COHEN, ANNA BRANCACCIO, YANELA DIAZ (2021-2022)
CHARLOTTE COHEN, WILL SUN, MARGARET TUDOR (2020-2021)
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Important links:
Open Letter to RSA
Open Letter to RSA: survey results
RSA Call to Action
Statement from Interim Dean John J. Casbarian on the Murder of George Floyd
additional readings