Phil Freelon | Lead Architect of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (Rebroadcast)

This is Matt Slepin and welcome to Leading Voices in Real Estate. I just read the sad news that architect Phil Freelon, a guest on the show back in June 2017 (https://leadingvoicespodcast.com/phil-freelon/), just passed away. This is a rerelease of that interview.In the interview, we spoke about his life, his work, his family and his battle with ALS, which he approached as another mountain to climb. Phil is best known for designing the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/phil-freelon-architect-leading-smithsonians-african-american-museum-n435291). He was also the mastermind behind Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights and San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora.This was a particularly moving conversation. Phil did not shy away from talking about his disease and how he was using the limited time that he knew he had left to plan for his legacy, both within the architecture industry for aspiring Black architects and also with his family. Phil was a soulful man, which I think comes across in the interview.With his passing (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/phil-freelon-architect-who-helped-design-smithsonians-african-american-museum-dies-at-66/2019/07/09/00bcb822-a280-11e9-bd56-eac6bb02d01d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5025e4024932), we are re-releasing the original interview, which I hope you will enjoy.