Pathways to Progress
The voices and movements that changed Chicago’s construction industry
Pam Brown speaking at the Lakeside Alliance Resource Center ribbon cutting.
Despite being one of America’s most diverse cities, the barriers that people of color, women and other marginalized communities have encountered accessing opportunities in Chicago’s construction industry have been widely recorded for decades.
Government policies intended to level the playing field by stipulating participation based on DBE, WBE or other diverse business certifications instead forced minority contractors to compete against each other for the small percentage of business designated for them.
The formation of Lakeside Alliance — where four Black-owned contractors joined forces with one another first before selecting a prime contractor to partner with on a bid for the Obama Presidential Center — flipped the script. Now, three years into the Center’s construction, Lakeside has shown that this model can be replicated on other large projects and has cultivated a diverse workforce that looks vastly different from sites of the past. Tradespeople and contractors working onsite have taken notice of the number of women and people of color in leadership positions and those who were hired from surrounding communities.
For Black History Month, we wanted to look back at the pathway to progress. So, we sat down with one of the people who helped pave the way: Pamyla Brown, Diversity and Inclusion Co-Lead for Lakeside Alliance.
What were some challenges Black-owned construction contractors faced 20 years ago that they don’t face as often today?
It’s different, looking at it now. Some of the main challenges we faced 20 years ago were a lack of access to capital and a lack of networks. This industry is largely relationship driven, but it has gotten better. From what I can see, diverse networks are growing, which is a good thing. As a result, access to capital, for some, is less of an issue than it was 20 years ago because contractors have been able to grow their businesses.
It can certainly remain an issue, though. A lot of the businesses still suffer from not having access to resources that they need to do their work internally. Most people can do the technical side, but need additional resources to understand the contracts they are signing and the documentation they’re completing to get paid in a timely fashion.
Who are some of the voices that helped eliminate barriers for minorities and women in the industry?
A: There is definitely a place in this conversation for the historically Black agencies in the city of Chicago. Each one has had their place in history, in really shifting the paradigm: The Chicago Urban League, Black Contractors United, African American Contractors Association, Black chambers of commerce and even newer, younger organizations like Black Construction Owners and Executives. They have all played a role and done their best to maximize the space. Black Contractors United stands out for their work in talking with the city, getting ordinances passed and more.
When it comes to the workforce, you have to take into consideration Chicago Women in Trades and the St. Paul Church of God in Christ Community Development Ministries. Any pre-apprenticeship training program will have to admit that’s where they took the blueprint from.
Other vital voices are those of the Black-owned businesses that have survived over decades. People look to Powers & Sons, to Taylor Electric and to others who have stood the test of time for leadership and guidance. They show that, despite what it looks and feels like, we are still stronger together than we are apart.
Can you recall a significant turning point in the industry that helped spur the changes we’re seeing today?
I can’t necessarily point to any pivotal time. To me, I think the change has been more incremental, but incremental change is also sustainable change. It can better set the stage for ongoing, positive growth.
How do you hope people look back on Lakeside Alliance's contributions to Black history in the industry and Chicago more broadly?
I hope that in 20 years people can look back and, first, recognize that Lakeside Alliance set out to accomplish something that had never been done before — and we did it because that’s what we wanted to do, period. I hope in the future, even in a few years, a lot of the Black-owned businesses we’ve worked with will give us grace for the hard conversations we’ve had to have and understand we were able to partner with them in a very personable way. I hope that people will see that no matter what it looks like, that we set out to change the world. And I hope businesses will have grown in different ways having been a part of this. It’s a hard job, but I preach the importance of taking a break and standing still for one minute to acknowledge how we’re connected to history. We’ll forever be cemented in that.