plato began working as a building contractor in the early 1900s, when discrimination against african americans often relegated them to jobs as unskilled laborers. despite these challenges, he found work as a carpenter, but refused to settle on this labor-intensive work. instead, he chose to pursue a career as an architect and building contractor, which provided better employment opportunities and potential pay. plato was a pioneer african-american architect in the midwest. around 1902, soon after his graduation from college, he moved to marion, indiana, where he spent nineteen years as an architect and building contractor before returning to louisville, kentucky, around 1921. in addition to projects in indiana and kentucky, plato designed and built other structures across the united states.