These American Landmarks Were Built on The Backs of African Americans

Its felt this year as if a target has been placed on the back of the Black middle class. Thousands of Black Americans have been pushed out of their federal positions, and Black women have had an especially difficult time in the workforce, with over 200,000 being laid off or having to leave their jobs. But, if it weren’t for the forced labor of Black Americans who built universities, churches, public landmarks, and even the original map of Washington, D.C., we would not have the America we know today. This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we are reminded that the European colonial framework, which led to the genocide of Indigenous peoples, also established and perpetuated the system of chattel slavery for African Americans. Therefore, it is crucial to reflect upon and highlight the significant contributions created by the labor of Black America.

The White House

The White House is the most iconic landmark in America, and African American slaves took part in every step of constructing it. The National Records has a list of 122 names of people whom they called “Negro hire.” During the construction of the White House, the slaves lived in shacks on the construction site and were responsible for carpentry tasks, including stonecutting and bricklaying. If they were lucky, they could get a small incentive pay, but only after the slave masters had been paid.

Tuskegee University

Twenty-five buildings on campus, including the home of the founder of Tuskegee University, Booker T. Washington, were built by Robert Robinson Taylor, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Taylor was the first accredited Black architect in America; he was also the first Black student to attend MIT, and he went to work at Tuskegee University after graduating from the esteemed academy.

U.S. Capitol Building

African American slaves from the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia were “hired out” from their masters to help with the construction of the U.S. Capitol, according to the White House Historical Association. However, while the slaves were supposed to earn a wage between eight dollars and ten dollars, it was the slave masters who took their pay, which helped enslavers earn an extra $55 to $65 per year.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is largely due to the building’s lead designer, Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye. He was recognized for his work by the Design Museum in London, where he won Design of the Year in 2017, according to the architecture magazine, Dezeen.

The Beverly Hills Hotel

The iconic pink and green walls of the Beverly Hills Hotel would not exist if it were not for Paul R. Williams, the first Black architect to be inducted into the American Institute of Architects in 1923, according to NPR. Even though Williams was told his dreams of becoming an architect were impractical, that didn’t stop him from becoming an icon in L.A. by designing The Beverly Hills Hotel and the homes of celebrity clients, such as Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra, per NPR.

St. Judes Children’s Hospital

As well as designing iconic structures in L.A., Paul R. Williams is also credited with the blueprints of the original St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, which opened in 1962 to care for children with cancer.

Washington D.C.

While African American slaves are responsible for building the landmarks in Washington, D.C., a Black self-taught mathematician, Benjamin Banneker, worked on the creation of the original map of Washington, D.C., as an official assistant surveyor helping Prince Charles L’Enfant design the original plans for the map of the district.

Monticello

Thomas Jefferson may have said he believed that all men are equal, but he used slave labor to build his Monticello home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Now, tours at Monticello point out the work done by slaves on the building and on Jefferson’s plantation, according to Reuters.

Railroads

African American slaves played a great part in building the railroads, including the building of the transcontinental railroads, which aided in the transport of goods across the country, according to the Golden Spike National Historic Park of Utah.

16th Street Baptist Church

In 1963, a heinous racist attack by the Ku Klux Klan at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, brutally stole the lives of four innocent Black girls. This church, a crucial hub for Birmingham’s Black community and the city’s first Black church, founded in 1873, was designed by the esteemed Black architect Wallace Rayfield. His work on this building not only provided a sacred space for worship and community but also powerfully declared Black achievement and resilience in a savagely segregated era.

St. Paul Minnesota

Clarence Wiginton became the lead architect for over ninety projects in St. Paul, Minnesota, after making history as the first African American municipal architect. Though Wiginton did not have a degree in architecture, his skill and talent were undeniable, and he was hired straight out of high school by Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimbell after winning first place in three drawing competitions at the Omaha World Fair in 1899, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.

Wall Street

The wall that Wall Street was named after was built in 1653 in Lower Manhattan by African American slaves to protect Dutch settlers from British invasion, and it remained until 1699 when the British took over the area and created New York.

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Though African American slaves are to be credited for the first campus buildings of the country’s oldest public university in 1793 and for keeping them maintained until 1865, the university didn’t have any Black graduates until 1955. Back in 2o18, the university’s Chancellor Carol L. Folt apologized for the school’s involvement in slavery, according to The New York Times.

Duke University Chapel

Understanding the contributions of Black Americans such Julian Abele, the first Black architect to graduate from Pennsylvania University, offers a more complete and accurate historical narrative, acknowledging the often-overlooked labor and ingenuity that built the nation. He was one of the lead designers for the Duke University Chapel. Abele was also involved in other projects, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Philadelphia’s Central Library, according to the architecture magazine, House Beautiful.

Harvard University

Harvard Law School was first established after a donation was made by Isaac Royall Jr in 1781. However, Royall earned most of his income through slave labor and owned nearly 65 slaves with his father, which was more than any slaveowner in Massachusetts, according to the Harvard Library. After acknowledging its past, Harvard gave recommendations for reparations for the descendants of slaves in a report on its ties to slavery.