By Aziah Siid
Originally appeared in Word in Black
When you stroll the streets of New York City and see skyscrapers higher than the human eye can see, who do you think designed them? As you scope out the beautiful architecture of Chicago, who do you think is the mastermind behind the Windy City’s project development?
Well, Tiffany Brown, Detroit native and founder of 400 Forward, aims to make Black women the first person that pops into your mind when you think of architecture.
In 2017, Brown realized that only 400 Black women were represented in architecture. And so “400 FORWARD was named in light of the 400th living African American woman becoming a licensed architect in 2017 — out of the more than 115,000 total licensed in the U.S.,” Brown explains. “The initiative aims to support the next 400 licensed women architects, focusing on African American girls through exposure, mentorship, and financial assistance.”
With a $50,000 matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, she created a program that provides mentorship, professional exposure, and resources to aspiring young female architects of color. The organization, 400 Forward, offers everything from woodworking classes to a free art-and-architecture-focused summer camp.
Change Is Happening in Architecture
Since the start of 400 Forward, nearly 200 more Black women received their architecture licenses.
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, which helps establish state guidelines for exams and licenses, reported that in 2022 there were 121,603 licensed architects working in the U.S., and only 2% — 2,492 — are Black. Of those, 566 are Black women.
Brown chalks up the increase partly to an improvement in recruitment.
“When I was in eighth grade, 12th grade, there were not a lot of scholarships for architecture. There were not a lot of camps or anything like that,” Brown says. “I think that’s improving. I think providing that type of exposure is getting better, especially after the microscope has been placed on architecture for its lack of diversity, so there are a lot of new programs now.”
Brown also built partnerships with organizations like Design Core Detroit, Lincoln Technical University, and the National Organization of Minority Architects that offer the girls first-hand experience, and she says other resources are out there to help build the pipeline of Black girls entering architecture.
Some of these resources include a guide to a career in architecture from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards; interactive initiatives for K-12 students, like lesson plans, from the American Institute of Architects; and Project Pipeline Summer Camps from the National Organization of Minority Architects.
In addition to providing young girls with direct opportunities that connect them with the world of architecture and design, Brown also raises awareness on how representation in the field shifts architecture firm culture, practice, and education.
“I do think that we need more people who look like us going into inner city schools more often. I can’t say I’ve seen that change,” Brown says.
“I see a lot of predominantly white universities going into schools of color, because they want to diversify their campus, but I want to see more people of color going into going to see schools. It’s tricky.”
Brown says it’s important to showcase successful Black professionals more often, even when kids are young.
Tashiera Shorts, a licensed architect and former mentee of 400 Forward, says her interest in the career began in high school. Something as simple as her grandfather’s handiness around the house, and her interest in HGTV, sparked her desire to head towards a career in architecture, despite not knowing much about it. She chose to further her studies at Hampton University, which she says provided her with the passion, adequate education, and proper tools to prepare her for the workforce.
“There’s not really anything else that I can picture myself doing,” Shorts says. “I finally got to a point like I got a license, I am in a good working environment, good benefits, and everything. I definitely feel happy about what I’m doing. It all goes together.”
Brown says it “makes a big difference” to be able to take mentees to a college campus or have them meet local folks working in the field. “The exposure between high school and going to college is important.”
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