Renowned Columbus architect Curtis Moody delivered the keynote speech at the Ohio Supreme Court‘s sixth annual Black History Month celebration Wednesday.

Moody, who is the president and CEO of the firm Moody-Nolan, has designed or remodeled buildings across the country, including Value City Arena and the Ohio Union in Columbus. He assisted in the renovation of the Thomas Moyer Justice Center in 2004.

In the speech, Moody discussed the continued need for legislative initiatives, such as affirmative action, to ensure racial inclusion and diversity in business.

“Can you truly legislate fairness? It’s one of the things probably there could be a lot of debate on that. My position is, you can. Surely you can.” Moody said.

“There are times at which the laws that are created, quite frankly, are what begins the basis of helping a good individual be a good individual,” he said. “That is very, very important as a business owner, that we have some of these [laws] in place.”

He went on to talk about his firm, which he co-founded in 1982, and its goal to be the best in the business. “My goal for the firm is that we are going to design buildings in a way for the clients we do have, that the others who don’t want us wish they did. They will absolutely wish they had hired us because, look what they did for that group,” Moody said.

”I’m a believer, especially as a dreamer, that challenges aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Challenges can also be used to be a positive thing.”

Moody’s speech was part of a Black History Month program that included a recitation by Fifth Avenue International School kindergartner James Oram, and a performance by Urban Strings, a central Ohio- based youth orchestra that was founded in 2007.

To view the complete program, visit The Ohio Channel.