Vanessa Morrison, the Associate Director of the OU Institute for Quality Communities and co-founder of Open Design Collective, recently authored a column in The Oklahoman titled “Let’s celebrate everyday, unseen roles Black women play in Oklahoma communities.”
Vanessa discusses the vital roles that Black women often play without garnering recognition or attention. She writes, “Black women continuously work to restore and uplift our community even in the absence of the resources to do this intentional work. Collectively, Black women tirelessly serve our community to solve many of the challenges we face, and it is because of the wildly visionary capabilities of the Black women who’ve come before us, and the ones who now stand beside us, that many of us are driven to be achievers today.”
She calls on readers to celebrate the everyday roles that Black women play – ones that might go unseen but are incredibly impactful to the community. She mentions hair stylists and chosen big sisters as just some of those unseen roles that help support her and the community. Vanessa recognizes the Black women that came before her, writing, “We carry these women in our spirit and lean on them to guide us, not only in the work we do, but in the life that we live.”
Read the entire article on The Oklahoman's website.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
