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Amber N. Wiley

@profwiley

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Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nation’s Capital has won the Urban History Association’s Joe William Trotter, Jr. Prize for Best First Book in Urban History and received an honorable mention for the inaugural Alison Isenberg Prize for Best Book on Urban Placemaking.

It is beyond fulfilling to be acknowledged for my work through commendations named for scholars I truly admire. It feels so very full circle. Trotter is a legend. And I would like to think Alison is smiling down on us.

The Urban History Association (UHA) was founded in Cincinnati in 1988 for the purpose of stimulating interest and research in the history of the city in all periods and geographical areas. Since its inception, the UHA has grown into a major scholarly organization with members from around the world. The organization is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the urban experience. UHA members include historians, geographers, sociologists, planners, and public history professionals who share a commitment to understanding the complex evolution of cities.

For more information and to read the citations, please visit: https://www.urbanhistory.org/Awards. by @profwiley

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25 days ago

Congrats to Amber Wiley, whose book, Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nation’s Capital is shortlisted for the 2026 @maahstonebookaward!

Model Schools in the Model City chronicles how Black Washingtonians used public education as a means of racial uplift in the face of entrenched white resistance and repeated assertions of white supremacy. For Black Washingtonians, it was the school building—a permanent structure, made of sturdy material—that was the physical realization of Black liberation, agency, and the right to exist as citizens of the United States.

The MAAH Stone Book Award recognizes and celebrates new literary work in the field of African American history and culture.

The winner will be announced in October! by @profwiley

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2 months ago

Oh hey friends! Model Schools in the Model City has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture. Since its inception in 2021, ASALH: Association for the Study of African American Life and History has awarded an annual prize to recognize an outstanding book in the field of African American history and culture. Books must engage archives in order to be eligible for consideration, however, the book prize committee accepts submissions from across disciplinary and interdisciplinary boundaries.

Get YOUR copy today!

https://upittpress.org/books/9780822948469/

The ASALH Book Prize committee selects projects that model rigorous and imaginative approaches to this field of study; books that are beautifully written; books that have clear implications for how we teach and represent specific aspects of African American history and culture; books that have the capacity to introduce important aspects of African American experiences to broad publics; books that use sharp analyses of African American history and culture to speak boldly to the contemporary moment; books that engage with new and/or previously underutilized archives; and books that use particular experiences in African American history and culture to illuminate universal aspects of the human experience.

https://asalh.org/awards/the-asalh-book-prize/ by @profwiley

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9 months ago

Preservation Oklahoma asked me to say a few words on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the passing of the National Historic Preservation Act. Here is what I shared. by @profwiley

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3 days ago

Just out here making my DC rounds. With the esteemed Richard W. Longstreth, PhD. by @profwiley

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6 days ago

Had a time last night at the book talk for Brian D. Goldstein’s opus on J. Max Bond, Jr. Brian was in conversation with Steven Nelson, whose fantastic facilitation kept us on the edge of our seats. The topic and caliber of presenters brought out — to my estimation — the most star studded Black design audience a scholar could hope for.

We were blessed by the presence of (in order of appearance), Bradford Grant, Melvin Mitchell, Edd Dunson, Michelle Joan Wilkinson, Lonnie Bunch, Warren Ansley, Peter D. Cook, Stanford Britt, and many others. A true testament to the life work of Max Bond, and to the excellent publication that gives us a peek into the inner workings of his life and legacy. taken in Politics and Prose Bookstore by @profwiley

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7 days ago

We are almost halfway through the fall semester at the University of Oklahoma. Prof. Wiley’s Historic Preservation Planning course has been busy learning the basics of the field and doing a deep dive into the history of Summit, one of Oklahoma’s historic All-Black Towns. They are working with community partner Schuyler Carter and other descendants of Rev. L.W. Thomas to envision a future for the Thomas Homestead as a legacy campus.

Thus far students have heard from guest lecturers including Carter — a direct Thomas descendant — Dr. Kalenda Eaton, an expert on Black homesteading in the Great Plains, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Lynda Ozan, Architecture Librarian Carl Siegel, and Western History Librarian Jackie Reese. Students visited the Special Research Collections at Bizzell Library, and a small group of IQC team members consisting of Wiley, Dr. Wei Liu, and graduate assistant Anahita Niknejad visited Summit for a pre-engagement site visit led by Thomas descendants Bonnie Carter and Cheryl Thomas.

Every week brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to push the boundaries of preservation practice to be more innovative and relevant to the needs of a diverse body of community stewards. We cannot wait to see what the second half of the semester brings! taken in Summit, Oklahoma by @profwiley

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7 days ago

There has been a lot of celebration on my end, as “Model Schools in the Model City” continues to receive recognition from various scholarly organizations.

What I find extremely heartening is just how diverse the fields of recognition are — social science, urban history, African American history. This is definitely where my work lives, and it makes sense when you think about the larger book series that I am a part of at the University of Pittsburgh Press: Culture, Politics, and the Built Environment. by @profwiley

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11 days ago

DC: I’m coming back.

Belonging in Place

Tuesday, October 13 5 to 8 pm

Free and open to the public, get your ticket on the NBM website.

How do we build belonging in place? Places shape our memories, identities, relationships, and sense of community. How can we create places where people feel seen, connected, and invested in one another and their shared futures?

This interdisciplinary exchange brings artists, community leaders, and cultural practitioners together to explore how communities create, preserve, and reinterpret meaning through place, and how the built environment can support connection, civic participation, and community well-being. The event celebrates the 45th anniversary of MacArthur’s Fellows Program and its spirit of “Defying Boundaries.”

Conversation featuring:

* Wright Thompson. Writer and journalist exploring the ties between place, history, and legacy.

* Carol Coletta. Urbanist and civic leader transforming public spaces through community-driven approaches.

* Chris Cornelius. Architect whose work draws on Indigenous knowledge and traditions to reimagine contemporary architecture.

* Ted Jojola. Educator and practitioner working on culturally informed approaches to indigenous regional planning.

* Glenn LaRue Smith. Landscape architect whose work centers on cultural landscapes and the spatial histories of Black communities.

* Tonika Lewis Johnson.* Photographer and social justice artist documenting Chicago’s neighborhoods.

* Carol Mockbee. Designer, daughter, and steward of architect Samuel Mockbee’s legacy.

* Kate Orff.* Landscape architect connecting public space, ecology, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship.

* Damon Rich.* Designer and artist working with organized communities on parks, buildings, and other shared spaces.

* Lily Song. Activist-scholar and planner advancing reparative planning, spatial justice, and community-led practices.

* Amber Wiley. Scholar advancing the work of historic preservation and design narratives in Black communities.

* Camilo Jose Vergara.* Photographer-ethnographer who chronicles the transformation of urban landscapes across America.

*MacArthur Fellow. by @profwiley

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18 days ago

Spent my evening volunteering at the kids tent during the Plaza Fest. A time was had. We were busy throughout so I only got a few shots as I headed home. And I could walk home.🏡 🚶🏾‍♀️Which is basically goals. And in Oklahoma City — practically unheard of. by @profwiley

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22 days ago

Hey friends, it is time to get happy!

The University of Pittsburgh Press has a sale going on for ASALH’s 111th Annual Conference. You can use the code “29ASALH26” to get 30% off “Model Schools in the Model City,” which was a finalist for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for best new book in African American history and culture.

I’m in great company, so check out the array of other Pitt Press selections as well, either at Booth 4 in the exhibit hall of the conference or online at: https://upittpress.org/asalh-conference-sale/. by @profwiley

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a month ago

How I judge you when you know it’s my birthday but you don’t acknowledge it.

#virgorealness by @profwiley

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a month ago