Highlights: Women Leading | Civic Change
Tifinie Capehart
Moderator and Civic Design Center Board Vice President, Tifinie Capehart, led an amazing conversation between three Nashville design leaders, Jhennifer Amundson, Valarie Franklin, and founding President of the Civic Design Center, Kim Hawkins.
Jhennifer Amundson
Jhennifer is the founding Dean of Belmont University’s College of Architecture and Design, so she has a particular interesting point of view having studied architecture herself, and now getting to see how the field of architecture education is changing, especially for young women. Jhennifer tells us, “There’s a growing awareness in all disciplines associated with architecture that we need to be more comprehensive with how we teach; we need to be able to show them how many voices are in the process of design. Classes now are so much more socially-oriented and culturally rich.”
Valarie, as a Black woman in architecture, came to the field a little later than both Jhennifer and Kim. She says, “I went to college to be a lawyer. I liked art and math, and no one ever put it together. I didn’t have mentors telling me I could be an architect.” Now, at one of the most diverse, Black-owned architecture firms in the nation, Moody Nolan, as well as being the President of the Nashville chapter of NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects), Valarie is committed to giving young people the exposure and opportunity they need to get involved in architecture and design.
Valarie Franklin
Kim came to landscape architecture with a love of botany and a lovely story of guidance from her father. When she went out to not only pursue the career, but begin her own firm with her husband, Gary, she ran into barriers from the burgeoning male-dominated field. Kim says, “I was raised in a place where I thought I could do anything, so I didn’t really realize that there would be people out there telling me I couldn’t do it. People would speak to Gary or through Gary to me, which is one of the most condescending things someone could do.” Kim broke through those barriers by speaking up for herself, and because of it, she is an inspiration to all women design entrepreneurs.
Kim Hawkins
Tifinie continued to ask the panelists where they think women are taking the design field, how they are going to make an impact in the coming election, and even post-pandemic design work. The conversation gave us direction on youth voice and mentorship, and how organizations can perform socially conscious, and moreover anti-racist work in the design field.
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