Jan. 20, 2000
Contact: Mary Bridget Reilly
513-556-1824
mary-bridget.reilly@uc.edu

Cincinnati -- A University of Cincinnati-developed tool to enhance the professional prospects of African American architects has just gone "high tech."

The Directory of African American Architects, developed by UC professor of architecture Dennis Alan Mann and by former UC colleague and current Hampton University professor of architecture Bradford Grant, was most recently published in hard- copy form in 1996. A recently updated listing of licensed African American architects practicing in the United States totaling 1302 names has just been placed on the Web at http://blackarch.uc.edu.

"The Web listing serves as an accurate means for professionals in the field to gauge the progress of African Americans within architecture until a revised hard copy of the directory can be published. For instance, it's a valuable tool for first-generation African American firms where the founders are nearing retirement age. Many of these firm founders are looking for young African American architects to bring in as partners, to eventually take over," explained Mann.

The new website currently contains an alphabetical listing of licensed African American architects and the city and state where they reside. A state-by-state listing is also available. More detailed contact information, such as business addresses and phone numbers, is not available on this site but can be obtained through the hard-copy directory or other sources. "Most states have contact information for licensed architects on the Web or available via phone," Mann added.

In the near future, this site will also contain summaries of the surveys of African American architects that Mann and Grant have completed. It will contain an "in memoriam" section listing licensed African American architects who have passed away since publication of the last directory. It will also link to related sites.

Through ongoing research connected to African Americans in architecture, Mann has noted some encouraging trends. For instance, the number of African American woman practicing architecture has more than doubled in the last decade. When the first Directory of African American Architects was published in 1991, 49 African American women were listed as licensed practitioners. Today, that number stands at 111. As a whole, however, African Americans represent just slightly more than 1 percent of the country's licensed architects.