Reimagining Blackness and Architecture

Architecture is a physical manifestation of power, identity, and history. This course offers a transformative framework for understanding the built environment through the lens of Blackness as both an identity and a lived experience. In an era where urban equity and social justice are at the forefront of global discourse, this course provides the critical fluency needed to deconstruct spatial inequalities and imagine more inclusive futures. The Museum of Modern Art will take you beyond traditional blueprints to hear directly from a global collective of Black architects, scholars, and artists who are reclaiming stories erased by systemic racism. By exploring how creators use diverse mediums—from hip-hop and fiction to textiles and technology—you will analyze how Black makers have historically shaped, and continue to transform, the world around us. Whether you are a student of architecture or urban studies or a professional in design, policy, or the arts, this course will shift your perspective from observing the built environment to actively reimagining it as a space for collective liberation. Career Application: This course transforms the study of the built environment into a professional competency in spatial justice and equitable urban strategy. By gaining fluency in how race, power, and identity are physically designed into our cities, you develop the critical tools necessary to lead inclusive architectural practices, shape equitable public policy, and actively design spaces for community empowerment.