The ongoing pandemic is changing the way we all live and work. Many professions are struggling to understand what this means for their business. Historic Preservationists are no exception, and on January 14, 2021, AYON Studio Principal Angel Ayón joined six other speakers and moderator Sloane Bullough at APTNE’s latest virtual event “How the Future of Historic Preservation will Change as a Result of COVID-19.”
Angel spoke passionately about COVID-19’s disproportionate effects on communities of color, which coupled with the inexcusable killings of unarmed black people in America, has shone a spotlight on systemic racism in our country. He urged attendees to first understand the issues, then have the critical conversations necessary to make meaningful changes in the preservation community—at the institutional level and a professional level. Ultimately, by taking responsibility and leading the way to becoming “anti-racist preservationists” he said, we can help tackle the issue of systemic racism and move toward equality.
He also pointed out the lack of protection of historic resources that are black-owned, or where the majority of inhabitants are black, indigenous, or people of color. “We need to address this legacy of mis-investment, poor planning, inappropriate zoning, neighborhood and community development and gentrification,” he said, “as well as cultural preservation…not everything that is historic is worthy of preservation.”
Angel also championed better leadership and mentorship training, and the need to better reflect the diversities of our broader communities within the preservation community itself. Lastly, he encouraged attendees to envision the challenges of climate change as issues of environmental justice, to achieve real and lasting progress.