ADMISSION: 
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Tuesday, December 1, at 10 a.m. 

Participants must use the provided transportation. Check-in will begin at 10 a.m. at the USC Fisher Museum of Art. Buses will depart at 10:30 a.m. and return at 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided on the tour. 

DESCRIPTION: 
Paul R. Williams (1894–1980) is a pivotal figure in twentieth century architecture and civil rights advocacy. Discover how Williams helped shape the visual identity of Los Angeles and build an institutional presence for the city’s African American community.  

Led by USC architecture students, a guided tour of three community spaces designed by Williams will offer insight into the architect’s creative process and feature sites that fostered access and dignity for the African American community. 

Tour Stops: 
28th Street YMCA (1926) 
Including affordable housing, meeting rooms, a gymnasium, and a large swimming pool, the 28th Street YMCA was one of few spaces that provided recreational and educational opportunities for Black men. 

Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building (1949) 
When Williams was hired to design its new headquarters in the 1940s, Golden State Mutual was the largest Black-owned insurance company west of the Mississippi and one of the first to offer insurance to African Americans in Los Angeles. 

The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (1968) 
An active member of the First AME community, Williams was commissioned to design its new sanctuary in the 1960s, creating one of the city’s most influential and respected spaces in the Black community. 

Following the tour, attendees will return to the USC Fisher Museum of Art to visit Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered, a major exhibition that pairs Williams’s original architectural drawings with newly commissioned works by contemporary artists and architects. 

About the exhibition Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered: 
Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered explores the life, work, and enduring influence of one of America's most important architects. Presented by the USC School of Architecture and USC Fisher Museum of Art, the exhibition brings together original drawings, archival materials, and newly commissioned works by contemporary artists and architects to examine Williams's contributions to housing, community building, and modern design. By highlighting both his celebrated landmarks and his innovative work in affordable multifamily housing, the exhibition invites visitors to reconsider Williams's legacy and its relevance to conversations about equity, access, and the future of the built environment. 

About Paul R. Williams: 
A pivotal figure in 20th-century architecture and civil rights advocacy who studied architectural engineering at USC, Williams was the first Black architect licensed west of the Mississippi. He was also the first known Black member of the American Institute of Architects nationwide (1923), its first Black Fellow (1957), and the first and only Black architect to receive its highest honor, the Gold Medal (posthumously, 2017). Over a career spanning nearly six decades, he is estimated to have designed more than 3,000 structures, making him one of the most prolific and influential architects of his time.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by the USC Fisher Museum of Art and USC School of Architecture. Co-sponsored by the USC Price School of Public Policy, the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD), First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, and Community Impact Development (Owner) Friends of SCLARC (South Central Los Angeles Regional Center). 

Photo (top): "851 28th Street Y.M.C.A. Building" by The City Project is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Photo (bottom): "Golden State Mutual Life Building, Los Angeles" by Downtowngal is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Photo (right): "First AME Church Los Angeles" by Laurie Avocado is licensed under CC BY 2.0.