Lee Bey
African American writer and architectural critic Lee Bey was born on October 20, 1965 in Chicago, Illinois. Bey attended Lindbloom Technical High School. When Bey was fifteen years old, his father passed away. This became a turning point in his life, and he eventually transferred to Chicago Vocational School where he prepared for a career as a printing press operator. Motivated by a teacher’s compliment about his writing, Bey decided to become a journalist.
Bey attended Chicago State University, where he worked under academic advisor Donda West and poet, author and Third World Press publisher, Haki Madhubuti. He then transferred to Columbia College’s journalism department. After graduation, Bey began his professional career as a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago. He moved on to the Daily Southtown in 1990, and two years later became a general assignment reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. By 1997, Bey had become one of Chicago’s foremost architectural critics alongside the Chicago Tribune’s Blair Kamin, writing about issues of architecture and urban planning in his weekly column for the Sun-Times. He held this position until 2001, when he was selected as Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning and Design for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Under Daley, Bey became involved in a variety of issues that ranged from housing developments to architectural preservation.
Bey is an outspoken advocate of “new urbanism,” the style of metropolitan development that favors integrated commercial and residential buildings, a grid-style layout, and a friendly, inviting design. Bey has also written regularly about various historical Chicago architectural sites on his website, www.leebey.com. He has presented before the American Institute of Architects, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Historical Society, and appeared on television programs including Chicago Tonight and Fox News Chicago. He has written for various architectural publications, including Dwell and Architectural Record, has contributed to Chicago Architecture: History, Revisions, Alternatives, Visionary Chicago Architecture and 20th Century Chicago: 100 Years, 100 Voices.
Bey stepped down as Director of Media and Government Affairs for the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill on December 29, 2006 to pursue personal interests like completing his book, doing some consulting and working on photography and writing assignments. On August 1, 2007, Bey became the first African American Executive Director of the Chicago Central Area Committee, an influential, fifty-year-old civic organization composed of about seventy-five of Chicago’s most prominent downtown businessmen who are concerned with the architecture, urban planning, transportation and economic viability of the Loop. He also teaches an architecture and politics class at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Bey was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on January 24, 2006.
A2006.003
Male
1/24/2006 |and| 1/27/2006
Bey
Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy High School
James Madison Elementary School
Charles P. Caldwell Elementary School
Chicago State University
Chicago Vocational Career Academy
Lindbloom Technical High School
Columbia College Chicago
Lee
Chicago
BEY02
Summer
Illinois
Michigan
Read It Like You Hate Me.

Illinois
10/20/1965
Chicago
United States
Pizza (Deep Dish)
Architecture critic Lee Bey (1965 - ) has written articles for the Daily Southtown and Chicago Sun-Times. He is the former Chicago Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning and Design and was Director of Media and Governmental Affairs for the architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
City News Bureau of Chicago
Chicago Sun-Times
Southtown Economist
Chicago Mayor's Office
Skidmore Owings & Merrill
Blue
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Lee Bey's interview, session 1
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Lee Bey lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Lee Bey describes his childhood in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Lee Bey describes his parents' childhoods
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Lee Bey describes his maternal grandparents
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Lee Bey describes his paternal grandparents
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Lee Bey describes his education in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Lee Bey remembers the death of his father
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Lee Bey recalls transferring to Chicago Vocational High School
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Lee Bey remembers his introduction to journalism
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Lee Bey remembers attending Chicago State University
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Lee Bey describes the sights and smells of his childhood
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Lee Bey remembers admiring the architecture of Chicago with his father
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Lee Bey describes the impact of his father's death
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Lee Bey describes his mother's occupation
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Lee Bey recalls his sense of responsibility upon his father's death
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Lee Bey remembers his admiration of Mayor Harold Washington
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Lee Bey recalls racist propaganda against Harold Washington
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Lee Bey remembers Harold Washington speaking at his high school graduation
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Lee Bey remembers his college newspaper advisor, Donda West
Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Lee Bey remembers his decision to transfer to Columbia College
Tape: 2 Story: 11 - Lee Bey describes his mentors in college
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Lee Bey remembers working at City News Bureau of Chicago
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Lee Bey describes the history of the City News Bureau of Chicago
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Lee Bey describes what he learned at the City News Bureau of Chicago
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Lee Bey recalls his progression at the City News Bureau of Chicago
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Lee Bey remembers his internship at the Chicago Sun-Times
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Lee Bey recalls how he joined the staff of the Southtown Economist newspaper
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Lee Bey remembers meeting his wife, pt. 1
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Lee Bey remembers meeting his wife, pt.2
Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Lee Bey reflects upon the aftermath of Harold Washington's death
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Lee Bey remembers his return to the Chicago Sun-Times
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Lee Bey recalls learning of the statutory rape accusations against Mel Reynolds
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Lee Bey talks about being limited as an African American in the newsroom
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Lee Bey remembers investigating Mel Reynolds' statutory rape allegations
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Lee Bey remembers covering the murder of James Jordan, Sr.
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Lee Bey describes the trial of Mel Reynolds
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Lee Bey describes the emotional impact of the Mel Reynolds story
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Lee Bey remembers becoming the Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Lee Bey recalls being chosen as an editorial columnist because of his race
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Lee Bey remembers writing about Girl X in Cabrini-Green Homes
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Lee Bey explains the issues of race he hoped to reveal by reporting on Girl X
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Lee Bey describes his emotional response to writing about child abuse
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Lee Bey explains why he started writing about architecture
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Slating of Lee Bey's interview, session 2
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Lee Bey describes how he transitioned to writing solely about architecture
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Lee Bey recalls being honored for his series on Chicago's Pullman Historic District
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Lee Bey explains how his column differed from those of other architectural critics
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Lee Bey recalls being the first African American architectural critic
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Lee Bey remembers how his column was embraced by the black community
Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Lee Bey talks about the role of architecture in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Lee Bey explains the historic significance of the Pilgrim Baptist Church
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Lee Bey compares Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church and Pilgrim Baptist Church
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Lee Bey recalls the fate of Chicago's African American architectural landmarks
Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Lee Bey explains why preserving African American architecture is important
Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Lee Bey remembers being asked to work for Mayor Richard M. Daley
Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Lee Bey reflects upon his decision to work for Mayor Richard M. Daley
Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Lee Bey remembers directing the renovation of Chicago's Soldier Field
Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Lee Bey remembers public reactions to the Soldier Field renovations
Tape: 7 Story: 8 - Lee Bey reflects upon the results of the Soldier Field renovations
Tape: 8 Story: 1 - Lee Bey remembers saving the Metropolitan Community Church building, pt. 1
Tape: 8 Story: 2 - Lee Bey remembers saving the Metropolitan Community Church building, pt. 2
Tape: 8 Story: 3 - Lee Bey remembers joining the staff of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP
Tape: 8 Story: 4 - Lee Bey describes the benefits of working at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP
Tape: 8 Story: 5 - Lee Bey talks about his interest in photography
Tape: 8 Story: 6 - Lee Bey talks about teaching architecture at University of Illinois at Chicago Circle
Tape: 8 Story: 7 - Lee Bey describes the need for greater diversity in the architecture industry
Tape: 8 Story: 8 - Lee Bey considers the characteristics of African American architecture
Tape: 9 Story: 1 - Lee Bey describes potential projects for African American landscape architects
Tape: 9 Story: 2 - Lee Bey describes his book, 'The Paper Skyline'
Tape: 9 Story: 3 - Lee Bey talks about the design of Chicago public housing projects
Tape: 9 Story: 4 - Lee Bey talks about New Urbanism
Tape: 9 Story: 5 - Lee Bey describes urban planning in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois
Tape: 9 Story: 6 - Lee Bey reflects upon his life
Tape: 9 Story: 7 - Lee Bey describes how he would like to be remembered
Tape: 9 Story: 8 - Lee Bey reflects upon his legacy
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