Monday, February 14, 2022

As we celebrate Black History Month, we pause to recall and honor the history of Black Americans, and their contributions in the United States. The department’s Diversity Committee encourages the LARP community to dedicate this month to learning and action.

 
The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was organized by Bayard Rustin.

 

Why this photograph to celebrate Black History Month:

 

Bayard Rustin was a close advisor to Martin Luther King and one of the most influential and effective organizers of the civil rights movement, Bayard Rustin was affectionately referred to as “Mr. March-on-Washington” by A. Philip Randolph (D’Emilio, 347). Rustin organized and led a number of protests in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, including the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. While Rustin’s homosexuality and former affiliation with the Communist Party led some to question King’s relationship with him, King recognized the importance of Rustin’s skills and dedication to the movement.

In a 1960 letter, King told a colleague: “We are thoroughly committed to the method of nonviolence in our struggle and we are convinced that Bayard’s expertness and commitment in this area will be of inestimable value” (Papers 5:390). For information on the Lincoln Memorial design and construction, please see https://www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm

 

Here are some recommendations for learning and reflection from members of the LARP Diversity Committee:

 

From Elizabeth Brabec:

Browse the Library of Congress digital histories, including many collections on Black and African American history: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/category/african-american/

Introducing the Black, Indigenous and Minority Americans Digital Futures Program: https://blogs.loc.gov/ofthepeople/2021/01/introducing-the-black-indigenous-and-minority-americans-digital-futures-program

From Jake Bulter

Brené’ Brown's 'Dare to Lead' Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oEPsPKDhPVoNNL7pH5db6

  • Brené with Aiko Bethea Pt 1 & 2
  • Brené with Chad Sanders
  • Brené with Sarah Lewis Pt 1 & 2

Brené Brown's 'Unlocking Us' Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4P86ZzHf7EOlRG7do9LkKZ

  • Brené with Emmanual Acho
  • Brené with Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Brené with Austin Channing Brown
  • Brené with Ibram X Kendi

From Carey Clouse:

“Black Landscapes Matter”
Link to interview about this book: https://dirt.asla.org/2020/06/24/interview-with-walter-hood-black-landscapes-matter/

From Alicia Coleman

"The Code of the Streets", an article from the Atlantic Magazine: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1994/05/the-code-of-the-streets/306601/

From Michael DiPasquale:

"Begin Again, James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons For Our Own", a book by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.

"Being an Anitracist", a video/TED Talk, by Ibram X. Kendi: https://www.ted.com/talks/ibram_x_kendi_the_difference_between_being_not_racist_and_antiracist

From Sagar Hiware: 

Click Here to view a resource document containing links to events and pages commemerating Black History Month. 

From Emily Menard:

ASLA has paired with the BlackLAN this Black History Month! BlackLAN is an organization meant to
support and connect Black landscape architects: https://www.blacklanetwork.org/about

From Darrel Ramsey-Musolf:

For Black History month, I recommend two items: a book, a documentary.
The book is The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. The documentary is “LA-92” by directors T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay.
Click on the following link for my personal commentary: https://umassonline.voicethread.com/share/16895565/

From Alexandra (Ola) Smialek:

Resources from the American Planning Association & Planning Magazine

Title: How the Nonprofit BlackSpace Centers and Celebrates Blackness in Design
Link: https://www.planning.org/planning/2022/winter/how-the-nonprofit-blackspace-centers-and-celebrates-blackness-in-design/
Author: Tatiana Walk-Morris, Date: January 20, 2022
Description: BlackSpace, founded in 2015, aims to center Black experience in planning and identifying gaps in planning’s history where Black people played a role and had an impact, (Walk-Morris, 2022).

Title: A Community-Powered Plan for Cultural Preservation
Link: https://www.planning.org/planning/2021/fall/a-community-powered-plan-for-cultural-preservation/
Author: Philip Walker, FAICP, Date: October 14, 2021
Description: This article looks to Hilton Head Island’s Gullah Geeche residents as they work with local planners to preserve the culture of their community after centuries of displacement and lack of acknowledgement, (Walker, 2021).

Title: Celebrating Black Communities On-Screen and Off
Link: https://www.planning.org/planning/2021/winter/celebrating-black-communities-on-screen-and-off/
Author: Ezra Haber Glenn, Date: February 1, 2021
Description: This article lists the six movies all planners should watch in order to celebrate the stories of Black lives and their experiences, (Haber Glenn, 2021).

Title: A Forum to Address Issues of Significance to the Black Community
Link: https://blackcommunity.planning.org/
Description: Several resources are available on this page and include a newsletter, webinar archive, social justice resources, a variety of links and resources, initiative information, conference opportunities, and membership.

From Samantha Solano:

The Black Landscape Architecture Symposium (series of lectures on a lecture series featuring the work of Black landscape architects: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capturing-landscape-legacy-tickets-260765656097