Hello guys and welcome back to another Sunday blogging. As you guys know it is February which is also Black history month. To celebrate the African American heritage I want to take a trip down memory lane and talk about two African American figures that have influenced architecture in big ways..

First, I want to talk about Paul Revere Williams, who was the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects(AIA). Paul Revere Williams was born on February 18, 1894 in Los Angeles, California. Williams experienced little prejudice since California was pretty well integrated although he was the only black student in his Elementary school. Even though he had little prejudice he still had his struggles when becoming an architect. Williams never gave up on his big dream and became a licensed architect in 1921. Williams has designed homes for so many big names such as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Frank Sinatra.

The next person I want to talk about is Norma Sklarek who was the first African American woman licensed as an architect in the United States. Sklarek was born on April 15, 1926 in Harlem, New York. Sklarek attended an all-girls magnet school where she gained a love for the arts, science, and math. She made sure to reach her goal by attending Columbia University’s school of Architecture. Sklarek breezed through her classes and shocked everyone when she passed her final licensing exam on the first try.  Sklarek moved to L.A to make her dreams become reality and in 1980 Sklarek became the first African American to receive a fellowship by the American Institute of Architects.

Hope you guys enjoyed this information today. Remember to always make history for yourself and keep being the architects I know you are.