ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to err’body, A. Mason, A.W., Andre Wilson II, C.M. Craig, Dale Greene, Dayquan Mason, Dora, E. Harris, Elysia Greene, Holly Alford, Latoya Gray-Sparks, Paulette H., Quintez M., R. Mason, R.W., Sharon, Theodore, & Tiwian Mason. Your contributions are absolutely crucial and I deeply appreciate them. Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you for making such a significant impact. Shout out to all of the friends, faculty, and peers, for being a great sounding board. In the role as my primary advisor, Andrea R. Roberts, PhD., founder of The Texas Freedom Colonies Project, thank you for being an amazing mentor and for providing me with such valuable advice during this semester.

I would also like to acknowledge all of my ancestors—the ones I’ve heard stories about to the unacknowledged. It’s because of your creativity and determination to make miracles from seemingly very little that rooted my interest in the field of design. To current and future generations let this archive be the foundation for taking steps to challenge idealized Western designs of the built environment.

As I know that architecture is not a “fix-all” for the centuries of systemic racism ingrained into American culture. I truly believe that Architecture designs the future and documents the past. It is up to you as Architects, designers, educators, neighbors, family, and friends—simply put humankind—to recognize where you can make a difference in your life to have the courage to challenge the status quo and increase your agency to correct these issues.