STATEMENT FROM THE AIA|LA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Tuesday, June 2, 2020–We are appalled by and condemn the unjustifiable killing of George Floyd and offer condolences to his family, friends, and community. We condemn all acts of racial violence and injustice, including the recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others who have been senselessly torn from our communities. We acknowledge that this violence and injustice has targeted Black Americans more often, and more viciously, than other communities, with roots that go back centuries, to the founding of our country.

We support and offer solidarity to those who are raising their voices against the unjustifiable killing of Black Americans. As architects who believe in the power of public space and free assembly, we decry the growing militarization of the public realm in our cities. We cannot ignore that there are legacies of and present-day inequities in our own profession and related fields, including land-use and lending discrimination and the underrepresentation of Black architects in firms of all sizes. Finally, we concede that statements are easier than action and commit to doing the work of confronting barriers to racial justice and striving to dismantle them.