6/5 Listening Session Overview

AIA Oregon held a Social Justice Listening session on 6/5 in response to the tragic murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd and the need for our profession to get off the sidelines and actively promote the just society for all we desire.  More than 125 people participated in the Zoom session to share their concerns and ideas.  We apologize to those that tried to enter the session but were blocked due to temporary capacity limitations.  We believe we fixed that problem for subsequent sessions. 

Participants were encouraged to contribute to the conversation with spoken comments, comments in the chat box, and/or in the Mural board (virtual whiteboard). The Mural Board remains open and live for a few more weeks and we encourage you to contribute HERE. AIA Oregon & firm leadership is encouraged to see the active participation in the 6/5 session and the ongoing additions to the Mural board.

We support and are committed to efforts to ensure that our profession is part of the solution that finally dismantles systemic racial injustice and violence.  That’s an ambitious statement and we need a commitment, plan, and structure to make it happen.

Commitment.  The AIA Board of Directors issued a statement on 6/5 that is powerful and bold and reflects our commitment.   

Plan.  We are developing an Action Plan that is organized around the group (AIA Oregon) and our roles as professionals and as members of our communities.   The Action Plan categories include:

  • Access to the Profession

  • Relationship Building

  • Continuing Education Training

  • Advocacy

  • Celebration of Architecture and Architects

We will roll out new programs and services as available.  This includes a new Social Justice Resources page on the AIA Oregon website.  There you will find the resources shared in the licensing session Mural board, and a list of trainers specializing in equity training.

This is a big undertaking and will require the involvement of many people to make an impact. It is important to stress the need to embed our culture and all we do with social justice strategies to dismantle structural racism, and not simply add more tasks. 

Structure.  In the spirit of systemic change, we want to utilize the strength of our existing structure to enable change.  This means that all committees will be assigned tasks of the Action Plan and to incorporate an EDI lens to all activities and events.  

How can you get involved? 

  • Go to the Mural board to contribute your comments, suggestions, and ideas.

  • Attend an upcoming meeting of one or more of our committees and volunteer to work on a task of the Action Plan.

  • Go to the Social Justice Resources page and expand your understanding of the experiences of others.

We will schedule Zoom sessions monthly to update you on the Action Plan.  The next meeting is June 30 at 5:00pm.