Roberta Washington

While I was in college, Roberta Washington was one of the first Black female architects I met.

She lectured on the history of Black women in architecture, and it was eye-opening for me to realize that the representation of Black women in my class at Cornell University (approximately 8%) was far larger than in the profession as a whole in the United States. During the two decades since then, the percentage of Black women licensed to practice architecture in the U.S. has ranged from 0.02 to 0.05%. The number is so small that the women in this exclusive group often know their license number in sequence. 

Roberta became the 11th Black woman licensed to practice architecture in the U.S. in New York in 1975. In comparison, I am #295, from 2013. Today, there are still fewer than 700 Black women who are licensed U.S. architects. 

Roberta inspired me when she visited my college campus and remains a role model to this day. I followed in her footsteps as president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) in 2019 and 2020; Roberta held the role in 1987 and was only the second woman to lead the organization. Without the example she set, I am not certain that the progress made by Black women in this profession would have been possible. She has been the keeper of Black women’s history {in architecture}, providing invaluable perspective and insight. 

Roberta is from Greensboro, South Carolina, but spent time studying and working in Washington, D.C., Detroit, New York, and Mozambique, where she designed schools and health facilities. In 1983, she started her own firm in New York: Roberta Washington Architects PC is responsible for many transformative projects, including the African Burial Ground Interpretive Center in Lower Manhattan and new and renovated housing, educational, health-related and other projects in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Roberta also served on Central Harlem’s Community Board 10, leading the housing and land use committees. In 2007, she was appointed to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. 

Roberta is a legend in the field of architecture: She was named to the NOMA Council and AIA College of Fellows, and has won a host of design and advocacy awards. She is among the great Washingtons in this nation.