Black History Month: Architecture and Design Books

Title

Subject

Black architects

African American architects

African American designers

Black designers

Description

A curated book list created in conjunction with the Eberhard Zeidler Library's Black History Month display. This list features publications on the contributions and influence of African American architects and designers, as well as theoretical texts on race in architecture and books that address anti-Black racism in architecture/design history and spaces.

Creator

Agata Mociani, Graduate Student Library Assistant

Publisher

Eberhard Zeidler Library, Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Date

February 01 2026 - February 28 2026

Rights

No known restrictions on access.

Language

English

Type

Collection

Coverage

Black History Month

Collection Items

The Black Experience in Design

'The Black Experience in Design', an anthology centering a range of perspectives, spotlights teaching practices, research stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens. Through the voices represented, this text exemplifies the…

Now you see me : an introduction to 100 years of black design

"You’ve seen their work—but have you seen them? Black designers have been working in every major industry but, for the past decades, have not been given the spotlight anywhere near to the extent of their white counterparts. This vibrant and…

Dark Space: Architecture, Representation, Black Identity

This collection of essays by architect Mario Gooden investigates the construction of African American identity and representation through the medium of architecture. These five texts move between history, theory, and criticism to explore a discourse…

In search of African American space : redressing racism

"If African American experience emerges from the structure of slavery, how does architecture relate to that experience? African Americans have claimed space in unexpected locations – often in opposition to architecture as a Eurocentric discipline…

HERE: Where the Black Designers Are: A Life in Advocacy

"Designer, writer, activist, and educator Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller's memoir of a life in advocacy and her journey to answer the question "Where are the Black designers?" Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller is one of the design field's most respected figures. She…

Black Built: History and Architecture in the Black Community

"While Black architects produce extraordinary works, they account for only two percent of the profession in the United States. Many of their works exist in the Black community and have helped preserve and restore history and culture. Though…

Building antebellum New Orleans : free people of color and their influence

"Building Antebellum New Orleans examines the architectural activities of New Orleans's gens de couleur libres--free people of color with a mixture of black and European, usually French or Spanish, ancestry. Architectural historian Tara Dudley…

Structural inequality : black architects in the United States

Architecture is a challenging profession. The education is rigorous and the licensing process lengthy; the industry is volatile and compensation lags behind other professions. All architects make a huge investment to be able to practice, but…

Black Futures

"Black Futures is a collection of work--art, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more--that tells the story of the radical, imaginative, bold, and beautiful world that black artists, high and low, are producing today. The…

Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America

"Reconstructions: Architecture and Blackness in America is an urgent call for architects to accept the challenge of reconceiving and reconstructing our built environment rather than continue giving shape to buildings, infrastructure and urban plans…

Collection Tree