A planned mural for the University of Toronto Daniels Building’s north facade, by Daniels alumni Ashita Parekh and Tolu Alabi, will say, in giant letters, “Support Black Designers.”
I am an architect in Toronto, and one of the founding partners at studioDOM Architects. I am also a woman of colour who understands the courage it takes to be a minority in the architecture profession. As a woman, I have felt the inequalities on site, in pay scales, and have felt the effects of race in the workplace.
I have mostly worked in small- to mid-sized architectural firms in Ontario, and have almost always been the only person of colour in these offices. One of the main reasons for opening my own practice was because it was difficult, as a woman of colour, to move ahead in other practices?even with the same talents and experiences as my White colleagues. In June, the OAA conducted a framework analysis based on OAA member feedback. The findings around race, pay, equity and discrimination were not surprising to me as, as I have lived through it. However, the findings were shocking to my business partner, who is White and in a position of privilege. I am sure that various architectural associations within Canada have also summarized or acknowledged the inequalities in representation. Furthermore, I understand that various associations are doing their best to start a conversation and bring awareness around diversity, equality and race.
As a country, we are a diverse nation,...