We are excited to be sharing another book from our home library, Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon. This children’s non-fiction picture book is a biography of Philip Freelon. The beautiful writing of Kelly Starling Lyons with the bright and vibrant images by Laura Freeman take the reader on an inspiring ride of Freelon’s life from his youth to professional practice.
Born on March 26, 1953 in Philadelphia, Philip Freelon was raised in a creative and supportive family. His grandfather was the impressionist painter and educator Allan Randall Freelon and his father, a successful business man, attended the 1963 March on Washington. Philip was creative and a talented artist from an early age and later excelled in architecture school. Once establishing his own firm, he made the decision to design schools, museums, and libraries - “places that help people, that show everyday beauty, that celebrate heritage and fill hearts with joy.” In his professional career he did just that and went onto designing many museums and other civic spaces. He is best known for being the lead architect on the acclaimed Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. The museum was a dream, imagined back in 1915 following the Civil War, of a national memorial to honor Black soldiers and sailors. The dream grew into a museum to honor Black achievement, resilience, strength, and pride. A hundred years later, in 2016, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture became a reality.
We highly recommend getting a copy of Dream Builder for your home library to inspire the next generation of dreamers and designers!
Learn about the National Museum of African American History and Culture and plan a visit.
