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.

Statement from AIA Oregon 2020 President Amy Vohs, AIA

“As architects, we are community builders. As leaders of AIA Oregon, it is important for us to speak out in support of our communities of color. We must find and maintain empathy for our friends and neighbors in pain. We must look for more ways to support and strengthen our most vulnerable communities.

Our society – including our profession – is slow to show progress in addressing systemic racial inequalities in our communities. And while George Floyd is the most recent person of color added to the long list of victims of unwarranted police brutality in the United States, it is emblematic of a pattern that threatens to unravel the fabric of our communities. It is a pattern that deepens wounds, and we must break this pattern for the community healing process to begin.”