Honoring Black History Month and Women’s History Month 2021: Our Pledge to Diversity

As Black History Month comes to a close and we transition to Women’s History month, we are re-affirming our pledge to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Our mission is to be a part of this pivotal point in history and root Design Collective’s place as humanists that are working together to create a better and more equitable future for all. Recent events and a long-standing history of systemic racism, racial and gender inequality in our country has sent a ripple effect across the world to stand up against inequality globally. As architects, planners and designers of the world, we are being called to action.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce at Design Collective has come together to do our part as we take a stand against racism and inequality, in our firm and in our profession, by proactively educating each other, growing together, and moving towards positive change. Our mission is to make everyone that walks through our doors to feel like they have a place at the table; to encourage a diversity of experiences and thoughts to enrich our designs; to work with our incredibly diverse community in Baltimore and improve the quality of the built environment around us; and to inspire, mentor, and give opportunity to black, minority, and female designers, of all types and disciplines, as our fields, backgrounds and perspectives continue to grow more diverse.

We recognize that change takes time, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, but we are moving in the right direction. We are reviewing our hiring practices and office policies. We are expanding our outreach efforts to connect with HBCUs and NOMAS, as well as other organizations and industry peers that share our values. Stay tuned over the next couple months as we dive deeper into the work we've done and what’s ahead.