Season 2, Episode 7: Dana McKinney on Activism, Practice, and Education
Dana McKinney describes her time at the GSD as a balancing act of being a student and an activist. She shares the journey that started the African American Design Nexus , the Black in Design conference, and other initiatives she was essential to founding at the GSD. We learn how she has continued her work as an activist in her architectural practice.
Dana is an architect and urban planner, who is an outspoken advocate for social justice and equity through design. During Dana’s time at the Harvard GSD, she helped to establish the inaugural Black in Design Conference , Map the Gap , and the African American Design Nexus . She subsequently worked at Gehry Partners where she focused on the LA River Master Plan , Southeast Los Angeles Cultural Center , and other river-related projects.
Dana is currently the Development Manager at Adre , an equity-centered development company in Portland, Oregon that seeks to develop buildings that create social and economic benefits for Black, Indigenous, and people of color through the creation of affordable homes, mixed-used developments, and facilities for mission-driven organizations. Dana also established Studio KINN where she consults on social justice and equity design problems.
In 2021, Dana co-founded enFOLD Collective with Megan Echols, a fellow GSD alumna.
Show Credits
The Nexus Season 2 is hosted by Tara Oluwafemi and Darien Carr, students in the Master of Architecture program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. The show is recorded and edited by Maggie Janik, and the theme music is produced by DJ Eway .