Justice, Equity : Diversity and Inclusivity
JE:DI Collective
The mission of AIA Houston’s Justice, Equity: Diversity, Inclusivity Collective (JE:DI) is to dismantle the barriers that have inhibited the growth of our profession and our community. The JE:DI Collective seeks justice, builds equity, promotes diversity, and fosters a culture of inclusivity.
JE:DI Collective Meetings
The JE:DI Collective meets the first Wednesday of every month from 12-1pm.
Co-Chair
Javier Guerrero, Assoc. AIA
Staff Liaison
Rusty Bienvenue
Rusty@aiahouston.org
Stated Priorities/Progress Update (May 2023)
Initiate candid conversations to begin to heal the deeply afflicted wounds compounded over generations.
- Held an organizational committee meeting in 2020 to discuss committee structure and initiatives that lasted more than 3 hours.
- Held a second organizational committee meeting moderated by former AIA national president, Bill Bates and national EQFA Committee chair, Emily Grandstaff Rice.
- Held a town hall with NOMA Presidents Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC and Jason Pugh, AIA, AICP, NOMA.
- Posted provocative content to the AIAH Facebook and Instagram pages during JE:DI weekly takeovers.
- Joined Beyond the Built Environment’s (Pascal Sablan’s) Say it With Media Commitment pledging that 15% of our publication and social media featuring diverse designer. We easily reach this goal. AIAH is the only AIA component to join this campaign.
- Fieldnotes resource list – https://aiahouston.org/v/site-page/Justice-Equity-Diversity-and-Inclusivity/Field-Notes/ce/ This was discontinued and the page removed after the subcommittee working on it stopped contributing to it.
- The committee began work on a JE:DI Firm Challenge based on a program of SoCaL NOMA and AIA Los Angeles.
- The committee is working on an exhibition for ArCH based on the book The Color of Law to be installed at ArCH in Fall 2024.
- The committee initially agreed to participate in a “Say it Loud – Texas” exhibition to bring awareness to the work of BIPOC architects and designers across Texas and ArCH agreed to host a run of the exhibit. When the exhibit was changed to a women in architecture exhibition without regard to race or ethnicity the committee and ArCH backed out. But, there have been conversations on the ArCH exhibitions committee about doing a “Say it Loud – Houston” exhibit of the work of BIPOC architects and designers sometime in the future.
- The COTE Committee adopted environmental justice as the theme for Gulf Coast Green 2021, a 2 day symposium of keynotes speeches, panel discussions, speakers and project tours related to the theme of Environmental Justice.
Integrate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity training and education for AIAH and ArCH leaders.
- Leaders were given 2 opportunities to participate in training organized by TxA as a partnership with the local chapters in Texas.
- Leadership is encouraged to participate in the training programs organized by the AIAH WiA Committee including the Equity Series and Worskhop. In 2021 the theme for the Equity Series and the accompanying workshop was Work/Life Balance by Design. This was followed by a separate workshop later in the year called Knowing and Setting Healthy Boundaries at Work. The 2022 Equity Series topic was Hustle Up: Curating Entrepreneurial Paths in Architecture. The 2023 Equity Series was Re:Define
- AIA leadership was encouraged to attend COTE Committee trainings on Environmental Justice during Gulf Coast Green and on the JUST Program during a COTE lunch and learn.
- AIAH is working with TxA to hire a bias training facilitator for programs in all large local chapters under one contract.
Re-evaluate, build and support a pipeline of diverse leadership in AIAH and ArCH for the advancement of the profession and city.
- AIAH passed a bylaws amendment incorporating a commitment to diversity.
- The AIAH board passed a written board selection policy that changed the typical nominations process and board election process in an effort to cast a wider net and affirmatively seek out BIPOC architects to participate on the board.
- MGMC continues to bring diverse individuals into the pipeline with their scholarship competition and greatly increased their fundraising for scholarships with the first annual Clays for College in January 2022. 2023 scholarship awards topped $45,000 for the first time.
- LiA began a mentoring program and a scholarship program for which they have gained approval and raised nearly $25,000 each year in 2021 and 2022.
- JE:DI Collective held a roundtable discussion titled What’s Next? Transitioning from school to work. The discussion brought together students from UH, UTSA, LSU, Rice, TAMU and PVAMU and industry professionals. The discussion was to lay the groundwork for a mentorship program.
- AIAH and HNOMA have discussed partnering on a JE:DI Firm Challenge.
- EP, LiA and WiA have all held programs for new grads.
- WiA holds at least one speed networking event annually.
- LiA will hold a speed networking event in 2023.
- LiA has instituted a new program, TurtuLiAs, visits with Latino firm owners.
- LiA held a very successful Colores scholarship fundraising event focused on Latin culture and art in 2021 and 2022. The third festival will be in September 2023.
- LiA produced a program on Texas licensure for those licensed and or educated in other countries. The program ran twice – once in English, then in Spanish.
- Small Firm Roundtable held a virtual workshop on how to participate in MWBE public projects.
- The MGMC Committee instituted a mentor program in 2023 to offer help for students participating in the scholarship program who may be at schools that don’t offer a class or curriculum in Architecture or design.
- MGMC Committee has made a conscious effort to select underserved neighborhoods for their site and program. In 2023, they selected Magnolia Park, one of the older Latino neighborhoods in Houston.
- Kids in Architecture held a sketching class in Emancipation Park in 2023. Students from Jack Yates HS and Kipp Intrepid in the third ward were specifically invited to attend and the event was sponsor by Smith & Co. Architects.
Conduct an internal audit of the gender and racial diversity of the past ten years of AIAH and ArCH board of directors, executive committees, committee chairs, juries and panels.
A ten year audit was completed in 2020 and continues to be updated each year and included annually in AIAH and ArCH board of directors on-boarding materials. The audit covers:
- AIAH board service
- AIAH executive committee service
- ArCH board service
- ArCH executive committee service
- AIAH & ArCH committee chairs
- Honor award winners
- Design award jurors
* This audit has been updated each year to include new information.
Create an environment that encourages and fosters diverse award submissions, programming, and engagement in an effort to more accurately reflect our community and membership.
- AIAH and ArCH have made a commitment to have diversity on all panels and juries.
- Joined Beyond the Built Environment’s (Pascal Sablan’s) Say it With Media Commitment pledging that 15% of our publication and social media featuring diverse designer. We easily reach this goal.
- AIAH has amended the bylaws to include a commitment to EDI.
- AIAH has formed a board level task force to examine how honor award recipients have been chosen and proposed a new policy that was adopted by the Board of Directors in 2021.
- The COTE Committee produced Gulf Coast Green 2021 with a focus on Environment Justice.
- The COTE Committee produced a lunch and learn on the JUST Program.
- LiA produced a program on Texas licensure for those licensed and or educated in other countries. The program ran twice – once in English, then in Spanish.
Form and develop an AIAH Justice Equity: Diversity Inclusivity (JE:DI) committee.
- The committee was formed in 2020. Like all committees, development continues from year to year.
Adopt a JE:DI statement for AIAH and incorporate the goals into the strategic plan.
- AIAH and ArCH adopted a JE:DI Statement and the current strategic plans explicitly incorporates EDI as a priority.
- AIAH is currently working on a joint strategic plan with ArCH.
Create an alliance between HNOMA, AIAH and ArCH to collaborate on programming, broaden our reach and deepen our community ties.
- AIAH, ArCH partnered with HNOMA and the City of Houston on “Designing for Impact” – a program of panel discussions, workshops, charrettes and presentations in conjunction with leaders in complete communities that brought design ideas to underserved communities.
- HNOMA held their 2021 and 2022 Holiday Party at ArCH at no charge.
- ArCH has offered to donate the space for HNOMA’s Project Pipeline
- 2022 AIAH president AJ Sustaita has asked all AIAH board members to join NOMA.
- AIAH and HNOMA are working on a JE:DI Firm Challenge
- AIAH received the 2022 HNOMA Partner Award
- ArCH began inviting the HNOMA President to be recognized at the annual Celebrate Architecture Gala in 2022 and will continue this annually.
- In partnership with HNOMA, ArCH invited UT Professor and author Tara Dudley to speak on her new book Building Antebellum New Orleans – Free People of Color and Their Influence to discuss the forgotten and overlooked history of 19th-century Black craftsmen and real estate developers who transformed the architectural legacy of New Orleans.
Strengthen architecture education programs through outreach to and mentorship of Black/African-American students, maintaining measurable connections with students as they progress through school and into their careers.
- JE:DI Collective held a roundtable discussion titled What’s Next? Transitioning from school to work in April 2021. The discussion brought together students from UH, UTSA, LSU, Rice, TAMU and PVAMU and industry professionals. The discussion was to lay the groundwork for a mentorship program.
- AIAH has helped publicize NOMA’s internship program for students at HBCUs
- In 2022, the AIA national president and NOMA national president visited with students and faculty in person at PVAMU.
- AIAH includes funds in the budget for the AIAS group (or equivalent) at the three local schools for their use. It is typically used by them to send students to conferences.
- AIAH maintains a board seat for a student from each of the three local architecture schools. Currently, only UofH participates.
