June CoxsonOne day I was watching the morning news. One of the segments of the program featured something about John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. It wasn’t the airport itself that caught my eyes and ears, it was the feature of a Black American woman who had the leading role on the $7 billion construction of the airport’s terminal!
Cheryl and Deryl McKissack
Cheryl McKissack is the CEO of New York-based McKissack & McKissack, one of the nation’s leading planning, design, and construction firms. McKissack was selected by The Port Authority NY & NJ to lead the redevelopment and expansion of Terminal One at JFK International Airport into a 2.9 million-square-foot terminal, replacing the existing Terminals 1 and 2. As a New York City resident, this blew me away. Twin sister Deryl McKissack is president and CEO of the architectural and construction management firm, also named McKissack & McKissack, based in Washington, D.C. This McKissack firm’s notable projects include the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
I was so moved seeing and hearing the news feature on these sisters, I needed to learn more about the amazing accomplishments of these successful Black female business owners! What I learned about the McKissack family brought tears of proudness to my eyes. First, let’s look at some statistics.
Fact Stats
In 2020, Forbes reported that in 1972, approximately 4.6% of businesses in the United States were owned by women. As of 2019, women owned 42% of companies. Another fascinating and interesting fact is that while female-owned companies grew 21% from 2014 to 2019 overall, companies owned by African American women grew double that rate. Forbes went on to report that in fact, women of color accounted for almost half of all females who owned businesses. Wow!
But the wind of positive change is picking up speed for women entrepreneurs. Today, women are increasingly entering the business world as business owners. Although the number of female entrepreneurs hasn’t yet matched the number of males–or their white counterparts, as entrepreneurship is still a male-dominated area–there’s no denying the fact that Black women have certainly been trailblazers in the ever-evolving entrepreneurial world. The numbers are growing and growing fast!
What should also be noted is that Black female entrepreneurs are launching businesses at higher rates than white men. Harvard Business Review released a new report sharing that in the U.S., “17% of Black women are in the process of starting or running new businesses, compared to just 10% of white women, and 15% of white men.” Of course, Black Female business owners face more obstacles and sustainability. Reasons include, but are not limited to, being under-resourced, under-funded and many times, unsupported. But these challenges are fading fast as well. Let’s get back to the main feature: McKissack and McKissack.
Deep Roots of the McKissacks
Established by Cheryl and Deryl’s forefathers, McKissack is the outgrowth of the oldest minority/women-owned architectural/engineering firm in the United States. The roots of the McKissack & McKissack business date back to the 18th century when a young Ghanaian man was taken from his home in 1790, brought to the U.S., and enslaved to William McKissack, a prominent contractor in North Carolina. William gave him the name Moses McKissack and used him as a builder. Moses learned the building trade. His knowledge and passion for building would pass on to the future McKissack generations leading to the first Black owned and licensed architects in the southeastern U.S. This was the first McKissack firm in Nashville in 1905. Now, almost 116 years later, the firm is still thriving coast to coast!
Fresh Wind Blowing: Moving Forward
Cheryl McKissack says she has a $500 million backlog of projects for the next five years! Carrying on the family building business tradition, Deryl McKissack, a civil engineer by training, is the founder and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based architecture, engineering, and construction management firm McKissack & McKissack. The firm collaborates with clients to envision and deliver building and infrastructure projects that enriches people’s lives and empower communities to flourish.
McKissack & McKissack is a 2020 Inc. Best in Business honoree. The award recognizes companies that have had a superlative impact on their industries, their communities, the environment, and society as a whole. McKissack has offices in DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Austin, and Baltimore, managing over $15 billion in projects nationwide.
The firm’s other notable works include coordinating the design and construction of the MGM National Harbor, rehabilitating the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and the 1996 fire recovery effort at the U.S. Treasury Building. Adding to these phenomenal accomplishments, Deryl McKissack has built a firm that is playing a crucial role in opening doors for other minority and woman-owned construction companies.
Final Thoughts
Hearing stories and successes of those who look like me can empower other women and girls of color. Even if the route of entrepreneurship is not chosen, the takeaway is the importance of being determined, confident, and compassionate. Whatever the passion or idea is, it’s about getting started and not being concerned with things being perfect or launching with fireworks. Business improvements can be made along the way and over time.
From what I’ve learned through researching this family, the McKissack ancestors possessed a passion and determination to build their company and passed that down to their successors. They believed in what they could accomplish. So, always believe in yourself. Never doubt or allow the negativity and insecurity of others detour you from your dreams. Black women are foundational to their families, community, and the US economy. Black women like the McKissack sisters are leaving their mark on the fabric of America, and so can you!
As a side note, I was more than surprised to learn that McKissack and McKissack were instrumental in other projects, including the Barclay Center in Brooklyn and Manhattan’s World Trade Center Oculus. I walk through the Oculus everyday and never knew the hidden figures behind it. I now see these iconic buildings through a different lens, and I smile proudly at the accomplishments of the McKissack women–successful Black entrepreneurs!
For a more in-depth historical look at the very inspirational journey of the McKissacks, click here.
To watch an interview with the McKissack sisters as they speak about projects mentioned here, and other ventures they’re involved with, click the link below.
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