Architects: Norma Merrick Sklarek

Womanica

Acast Creative Studios

History, Society & Culture, Education

4.3 • 920 Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926-2012) was an African American architect. Known as the "Rosa Parks of Architecture," she fought for her buildings and was a pioneering African American female architect in the field.

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This month, we're talking about Architects. These women held fast to their visions for better futures, found potential in negative space, and built their creations from the ground up.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's A. Martinez. The news can feel like a lot on any given day, but you can't just ignore
0:05.9	la notice, when important world-changing events are happening. That is where the Up First podcast comes in.
0:11.7	Every single morning, in under 15 minutes, we take the news and boil it down to three essential
0:16.4	stories. You can keep up without feeling stressed out. Listen to Up First from NPR on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:24.7	I'm Nicola Cochlin, and for BBC Radio 4, this is history's youngest heroes.
0:31.0	Rebellion, risk, and the radical power of youth.
0:34.7	She thought, right, I'll just do it.
0:36.3	She thought about others rather than herself.
0:39.2	Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.
0:43.1	There's a real sense of urgency in them.
0:45.4	That resistance has to be mounted.
0:46.9	It has to be mounted now.
0:48.8	Follow History's Youngest Heroes, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:55.1	Hello, I'm Sarah Schlead, a producer here at Wonder Media Network.
0:59.8	I'm so excited to be guest hosting today's episode of Womanica.
1:03.9	This month, we're talking about architects.
1:06.6	These women held vast to their visions for better futures, found potential in negative space,
1:12.0	and built their creations from the ground up.
1:14.8	Today, we're talking about the woman known as the Rosa Parks of Architecture.
1:19.9	Please welcome Norma Sclerak.
1:24.4	Norma was born on April 15, 1926 in Harlem, New York.
1:29.5	Her parents immigrated to the city from Trinidad.
	...

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