Since the earliest days of the United States, African Americans have been a critical part of every sector, including construction.
While their work has often gone unappreciated, our modern world would be impossible without their dedication, innovation, and ingenuity in the face of serious challenges. Today, we honor those who have built our society through their research into infrastructure and construction.
Robert R. Taylor
Those wondering how to become a general contractor in NC don’t just need the help of exam prep courses but also an inspiration of what they can achieve in the industry. Thankfully, the proud North Carolinian, Robert R. Taylor, shows exactly what is possible for those who follow in his footsteps.
Taylor was the first African-American to enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, facing extreme discrimination as he fought to become an architect. He later became a faculty member at the Tuskegee Institute and helped to design some of the most beautiful buildings at HCBUs around the South.
Fittingly enough, he passed away while attending services at the Tuskegee Chapel, the building that he considered his crowning achievement. The chapel was constructed almost entirely with student labor, using 1.2 million bricks fired from local Alabama clay.
Adrienne Bennett
Adrienne Bennett, the first female African-American master plumber in the United States, broke barriers and showed Black women everywhere that the trades are not just for men. Toiling for five years to pass the apprenticeship program in Detroit, Michigan, Bennett tackled the intricacies of this complicated home system, which requires both extreme skill and dedication. Work conditions were difficult, including freezing cold work sites during Michigan’s bitter winters and being the only woman on work sites, which opened her up to harassment and discrimination. Nevertheless, Bennett refused to back down from any fight; she once threw a wrench at a fellow laborer who physically assaulted her, cracking his hard hat. With that one throw, Bennett proved that she was a force to be reckoned with, earning the respect of all those she worked with. She still holds the title of the first and only female African-American master plumber who has been working for over 30 years in the industry.
Hattie Scott Peterson
Another Black female powerhouse is Hattie Scott Peterson, who became the first female African-American licensed civil engineer in the United States. She was involved in the monumental building of the Alaska Highway, breaking ground in this remote territory and helping to connect Alaskans to the rest of the United States. Additionally, she was the first woman to join the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), focusing her efforts on flood risk reduction.
Not only was Peterson committed to her communities and breaking barriers, but she also cared deeply about education and advocacy. Peterson founded an endowment at Howard University to support those seeking a career in engineering, ensuring that other young African Americans could continue to build a better future for themselves and others.
John P. Thomson
Contractors everywhere should be grateful to John P. Thomson, who invented an automatic brick-making machine all the way back in 1892. While slavery had been abolished at this time, Black entrepreneurs still faced serious hurdles, including high barriers to education and business capital. Thomson refused to be daunted by the lack of opportunities and created his machine after years of research, revolutionizing masonry everywhere.
Previously, brick and mortar all had to be laid by hand, which was extremely time-consuming. With Thomson’s invention, laborers could place a whole row of mortar and bricks at a time, dramatically cutting down both the effort and time required. His work laid the foundation for later inventions, including the Semiautonomous Mason or SAM, which has been used in construction since 2015.
Hiram Revels
Young Black lawyers who care deeply about politics should look to the example of Hiram Revels, the first African-American to serve in Congress. This Mississippi senator, while not part of the construction industry himself, was nevertheless essential to fighting for the rights of African-American construction workers throughout his state, ensuring they received a living wage.
The age-old adage is true: a rising tide lifts all ships. By focusing his attention on marginalized Black laborers, many of whom suffered extreme poverty and grueling working conditions, Revels reduced poverty and improved the standard of living throughout Mississippi. Revels made an indelible mark on the entire construction community by highlighting the disparities in pay and working conditions.
African-American innovators, engineers, and legislators have all played important roles in the construction community stretching back hundreds of years; it is thanks to their tenacity that we have some of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the most cutting-edge technology. All of us, no matter where we are from, owe something to these true pioneers for their hard work.
