The acclaimed Durham, NC-based architect leaves behind a remarkable roster of cultural works and a legacy of mentorship Phil Freelon, one of the most influential black architects of his generation and part of the team that designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., died earlier today of complications from ALS. He was 66.
News of Freelon?s passing was announced by the North Star Church of the Arts, an organization he founded last year with his wife, Nnenna.
Born in Philadelphia in 1953, Freelon was a celebrated architect, academic, and designer, graduating from North Carolina State University?s College of Design and later MIT, where he earned his masters and recently served as a visiting lecturer. While attending Central High School in Philadelphia, the same predominantly white, all-boys magnet school as Louis Kahn, Freelon was drawn to the arts, drafting, and design. He points to his grandfather, Allan Randall Freelon Sr., a Harlem Renaissance-era painter, as a key influence.
Alan Karchmer
The National Museum of African American History and Culture occupies what was the last open site on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

His experience as one of the two black architecture students at NC State helped fuel his lifelong passion for increasing diversity within the profession. A Harvard fellowship fund to support students of diverse backgrounds was set up in his name in 2016.
?If you have a tal...