Centering Racially Just Research

How effective is racially just research at advancing goals of dismantling research activities that are complicit in, or actively support, white supremacy? Using the fields of architecture as well as urban planning, a team of researchers sought to understand and codify overcome simply highlighting racialized difference practices that support racially just outcomes and develop new pathways for anti-racist research.

Their findings are shared via a conference paper for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Annual Meeting, “Advancing Racial Justice Research In Architecture, Urban Planning, and Allied Fields.”

Authors of paper include: Sarah Williams, Malhaar Agrawal, devin michelle bunten, Connie Chao, Catherine D'Ignazio, Vedette Gavin, Holly Harriel, Eric Robsky Huntley, Sarah Rege, Anne Whiston Spirn, and Delia Wendel. The working group from which the paper was produced also included Mariana Arcaya and Dayna Cunningham.

“Our findings identify characteristics of anti-racist research as well as key challenges and ways to overcome those challenges for academics seeking to develop anti-racist research and pedagogy,” said Williams. “We hope these findings will act as a preliminary guideline to continue to further anti-racist research.”

Read the full paper