Carving Space

Abstract Historically, architecture has been defined as a “gentleman’s profession.” According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (2024), in 2023 there were 121,368 licensed architects in the United State and 27% were women. Black women comprise the smallest percentage of architects in the United States at 0.4%. These demographics are reflected in the academic setting where 2% of tenured faculty are Black women (Olabanji & Gibson, 2024). This chapter highlights the experiences of two tenured Black women faculty and administrators in programs of architecture to give voice to an often-invisible population. Years after graduating from the same Historically Black Colleges and Universities architecture program, they found themselves simultaneously beginning tenure-track positions at different Predominantly White Institutions. Through co-constructed autoethnography situated within Black Feminist Thought, they explore adaptive strategies to persist through the promotion and tenure process. This chapter reveals how collaboration rooted in Shine Theory provided critical mechanisms for peer support and problem-solving.