In the shadow of the unnecessary killing of George Floyd and the history of violence against the black community in America, the Black Landscape Architects Network (BLackLAN) stands in solidarity with the protests against such killings. As designers of public and community spaces at all scales, we are keenly aware of the need for our professional presence as stewards of public space and community equity, where these acts continue to occur.
It has been 100 years since the ‘1919 Red when black people were attacked and murdered across the United States. Two years later, the prosperous Tulsa, Oklahoma black neighborhood, Greenwood (Black Wall Street), was decimated, destroying lives and property. Within this narrow bracket of time, there are countless other occasions of hate and violence against black people and their communities. These events all speak to a need for our nation to truthfully reconcile the legacy of systemic racism and violence rooted in the landscape of the institution of slavery.
The BLackLAN is committed to fighting these transgressions through cultural, historical, and social practices. We embrace cultural research that reveals the history of black people living in and building the American landscape, we work to highlight the accomplishments of black landscape architects, and we value working as a collective to bring voice to the importance of black landscape architects in American society.
Finally, the Black Landscape Architects Network will continue to promote opportunities, highlight accomplishments, and mentor students of African ancestry and through our mission make landscape architecture a more critical part of an equitable
America.
Image and Text supplied by Black Landscape Architects Network