Sharing the Stories of Michigan’s Black Architectural Community: The Hidden in Plain Site Podcast

M.a
Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, and Karen A.D. Burton

By Michigan Architectural Foundation

Michigan architecture fans:  do you admire the design of Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the People Mover stations, and the MGM Grand Casino Resort? Did you know each of those building designs were led by Black architects from Michigan?  Or that a new generation of Black architects is contributing significantly to Michigan’s built environment?

How about that while there are 554 licensed Black woman architects in the U.S., only 14 of them are in Michigan?* And that the first licensed Black architect in Michigan was Donald White (1939), and the first licensed Black woman architect was Lynda Haith (1983)? Or that up until recent years, only one Black architect from Michigan was searchable on the Internet – but thanks to a special Wikipedia drive, you can now find several others in your search?

In their podcast, ‘Hidden in Plain Site,’ show hosts and Black female architect and architectural designer, respectively Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, and Karen A.D. Burton introduce the world to the significant contributions contemporary and trailblazing Black architects from Michigan have made to the profession, the community, and major cities across the U.S.