ASLA Racial Equity Plan Guides Intentional Celebrations of National Heritage Months in 2023
2/7/2023Leave a Comment
ASLA will continue its commitment to recognize and celebrate national heritage months throughout 2023.
- February is Black History Month
- March is Women’s History Month
- May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
- June is LGBTQ Pride Month
- September-October is Hispanic Heritage Month
- November is Native American Heritage Month
This year, ASLA will devote its national heritage month celebrations to the ongoing and rigorous execution of its Racial Equity - Five Point Plan of Action launched in 2021.
The Five Point Plan of Action includes:
- Diversifying the Pipeline: Equipping Our Students and Institutions to Lead in This Work
- Acknowledging Racism in the Profession and Honoring the Forgotten: Making It Clear Where We Stand and Where We Aim to Go
- Reshaping the Conversation and Transforming Frameworks: Establishing Enduring Structures for the Journey Ahead
- Leading Through Education, Conversation, and Policy: Developing and Disseminating Content on Advancing Racial Equity
- Accountability: Maintaining Meaningful, Measurable Progress
Beginning in February, Black History Month will be devoted to the reconciliation of the past and creation of pathways to secure a more equitable, just future. While celebrating the contributions of African Americans and their history, Black History Month programming will speak to the five points of action around the theme Memorializing Black Spaces.
Black History Month Webinar: Sojourner Truth Memorial Project and Park Plaza - Akron
Image of Sojourner Truth Memorial Project by GPD Engineers.
On Thursday, February 9, 12pm ET, Dion J. Harris, ASLA, Landscape Architect with Lawana Holland-Moore, Director of Fellowships and Interpretive Strategies at the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and Towanda Mullins, Chair, Sojourner Truth Project - Akron will discuss the evolution of the Sojourner Truth Memorial Project and Park Plaza, which pays homage to the Suffrage Centennial in Summit County and honors Sojourner Truth and her tireless advocacy for women’s rights.
Their groundbreaking project is situated next to the United Way of Summit & Medina Counties and will span 10,000-square-feet with the word “TRUTH” overhead to welcome visitors coming into the city of Akron from the north. At the plaza’s center will stand a sculpture of Sojourner Truth seated on an Impala lily, a petal design radiating outward from her feet, and her right hand extended in welcome.
“Truth is such a big word. It’s so bold and so concrete. What it stands for is unwavering,” said Summit County Metro Parks’ landscape architect Dion Harris, who the committee commissioned to design the plaza.
Scheduled for unveiling on the anniversary of Sojourner Truth’s celebrated “Ain’t I a Woman” speech, the project is a demonstration of how landscape architects are reshaping and transforming design frameworks that acknowledge racism, lead with education, and equip the next generation of design professionals with innovative, cultural practices.
Learn more about the Sojourner Truth Memorial Project here (video).
Start your registration now for the February 9 webinar.
Please direct questions to Lisa J. Jennings, Senior Manager, Career Discovery and Diversity, at diversity@asla.org.
Speakers
Dion J. Harris, ASLA, PLA, Landscape Architect, Planning Department, Summit Metro Parks, Akron Ohio
Dion J. Harris, ASLA, is a Registered Landscape Architect in the State of Ohio. He is the Lead Designer for the Sojourner Truth Plaza memorial project in Akron, Ohio creating the conceptual plan and seeing the project through construction. He also is currently working within the Planning Department of Summit Metro Parks in Summit County, Ohio since 2018. His current roles for SMP include park planning, project management and construction management for various projects throughout the park district. He has 17 years of experience working in diverse roles in the landscape architecture and planning fields. Dion holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University (2004) and a Master of Urban Planning and Development from Cleveland State University (2014).
Lawana Holland-Moore, Director of Fellowships and Interpretive Strategies, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
Lawana Holland-Moore is the Director of Fellowships and Interpretive Strategies for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a multiyear $70 million initiative dedicated to identifying, elevating and supporting the voices, stories and places of African American activism, achievement and community.
The National Trust's 2014 Mildred Colodny Scholar, Holland-Moore holds a BA in Journalism and History from The George Washington University and a MA in Historic Preservation from Goucher College, where she wrote her thesis on “Ethnic Minority Heritage Values and U.S. Historic Preservation Significance Policy.” Holland-Moore was a Researcher at the White House Historical Association and served on the National Trust's Diversity and Inclusion group representing Decatur House. Holland-Moore worked for the Greenbelt Museum and Historic House in Greenbelt, Maryland as their membership and social media manager. A DC native, Holland-Moore is a member of the Landmarks Committee of the DC Preservation League. She loves to talk to the public about preservation, African American history, and marginalized cultural groups.
Towanda Mullins, Chair, Sojourner Truth Project - Akron
Towanda is a passionate and fully committed leader who knows her Purpose in life. She is compelled to do all she can to ‘grow & nurture’ future leaders. She stays plugged into the community networks, collegiate scholars, youth programs, youth development, hands on mentoring and social circles to assist with her life’s passion. She serves on two local Boards Summit County Historical Society and Chair, Sojourner Truth Project-Akron.
Towanda matriculated in Akron Public Schools and earned ‘two’ degrees from the University of Akron but is most proud of serving in the United States Military Armed Forces – ARMY Strong as a Military Police.
She is the Chairperson of the Veterans BRG (Business Resource Group) and has held the largest community wide “homeless veterans donation drive” in Akron in which they blessed the Valor Home (homeless male) and Summit Liberty House (homeless women w/kids).
Towanda is the Founder of ‘Ready to Work Services’ (R2W) a Program that has trained and assisted many youth & adults to enter the workplace and encouraged them to start their own businesses. Ready To Work pre COVID offered free tutoring, post COVID is still a strong tower with scholarship assistance, ACT prep guidance, awarding scholarships to area High School and College Students and mentoring. Her goal with the Ready to Work Services Job, College, Military & Future focused readiness training is to bring the program into communities across the country. R2W training opportunities have blessed hundreds of youths within our community while ensuring a financial strain within the households is lifted.
Towanda is also the Founder and Chairperson of the United Baptist Church Community Scholarship Ministry in which they award annual gifts to local High School and College scholars.
Towanda also serves as the Vice President of BLAC - Black Leadership Alumni Council at the University of Akron, she works closely with the University of Akron scholars and multi-cultural student organizations on campus implementing volunteer opportunities and promoting positive change on the campus.
Lastly, her most recent addition to her purposeful life is the is the Sojourner Truth Project-Akron. The Summit Suffrage Centennial Committee focus is to erect a Sojourner Truth Statue and Plaza adjacent to the United Way of Summit & Medina County. This project includes various leaders within Summit County who are focused on “Honoring our Past” by “Shaping our Future”. This project will elevate our community’s culture for generations to come as we commemorate Sojourner Truth who sacrificed her life to ensure that we have voting rights, women’s equity and a better future.