Change Over Time Dialogues

This event will be hybrid.
To attend in person, please RSVP.
To attend virtually, please register via Zoom. 

This COT Dialogue on Civil Rights Work as a Global Strategy of Resistance and Resilience is occurring at a time when the world is at a crossroads between a backwards slide into oppression or a forward surge towards liberty. Recent actions taken by the new presidential administration remind us that the fabric that holds our communities together is fragile and culture can be sacrificed in the wake of political firestorms. We will challenge participants to see Civil Rights through the lens of resilience that continues to thrive in underserved communities domestically and globally. We are bringing community foot soldiers together with built environment professionals to discuss the power of the human spirit and to uncover processes that transform the destructive energy of oppression into a constructive force of resilience and excellence.

Panelists: 

Dr. Kwesi Daniels is the Head of the Architecture Department at Tuskegee University. He developed the historic preservation program at Tuskegee University, within the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. The goal of the program is to train students to handle the nuances of historic properties using technology like laser scanning, photogrammetry, 3D printing, drones, virtual reality and augmented reality. He earned a BArch and MArch in architecture from Tuskegee University and the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MS in sustainability management from Columbia University. In 2020 he earned a Ph.D. in urban geography from Temple University. 

Chrislyn Laurore 

Ian Smith is the founding principal of Ian Smith Design Group, an award-winning design architecture firm in Philadelphia, PA. Ian’s combined accomplishments include architect, author, and educator. Ian continues to serve the civic discourse through teaching currently at the Department of Architecture at the Weitzman School of Design in addition to his current appointments at President of the PhilaNOMA Executive Board, and Co-Vice Chair of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia Exec. Board. Ian seeks to identify and interlace the invisible emotional narratives within which the built environment is perceived.

Khayla Saunders is a historic preservationist and community development advocate committed to making preservation accessible to the Black community. A West Philadelphia native, she earned her master’s in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and her undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University, where she considers her second home. At Tuskegee, Khayla studied under Dr. Jontyle Robinson and Dr. Kwesi Daniels, immersing herself in the legacy of Black artists and architects and developing her passion for preserving Black cultural landmarks. At Penn, she worked as a research assistant at the Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites for the Tanner House project under Dr. Amber Wiley, focusing on data analysis for fundraising and preservation efforts. Her thesis explored the impact of climate change on historic properties and policies to protect Black cultural sites. Khayla is also a Black Women Graduate Alumni Association member and remains dedicated to advancing sustainability and social justice in historic preservation.

Jacqueline J. Wiggins is a former long-term resident of North Central Philadelphia and now of Germantown.  She is a retired educator who has over 40 years of experience as a classroom teacher of English/language arts and social studies in public, parochial, and charter schools. Also, she is a retired adjunct instructor of English for Community College of Philadelphia. She has been an administrator at two HBCUs-Historically Black Colleges and Universities, namely, Florida A& M University and Bennett College in institutional advancement/resource development/fundraising. At the University of Massachusetts and Mt. Holyoke College, she worked in residential housing and education. Jacqueline has resource development/fundraising experience working with many non-profit organizations. In 2014 and 2018, Jacqueline became an elected committee person for the 32nd Ward-11th Division in North Central Philadelphia. She is active with a group called Stadium Stompers focused on preventing a 35,000 seat football stadium from being built in a residential neighborhood by Temple University.  As a docent/tour guide, she gives tours of the Johnson House Historic Site (An Underground Railroad National Historic Landmark).  She is the founder of her enrichment program called Underground Railroad Camps for Children, Youth, and Families and her history tourism business, Wiggins Tours N More, LLC.

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu. Please note, we require at least five (5) business days’ notice.