Preserving Black History
Over the past four years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has funded 105 historic places connected to Black history.
The Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has invested more than $7.3 million to help preserve landscapes and buildings imbued with Black life, humanity, and cultural heritage.
Too often the places where significant African American history happened have been unrecognized for the important role they play in the fabric of American society. This year’s funds were awarded to key places and organizations across four categories: capacity building, project planning, capital, and programming and interpretation.
Notable recipients include the Hayti Heritage Center, a cultural arts and arts education venue located in Durham, NC, the Walnut Cove Colored School, a Rosenwald School located in Walnut Cove, NC, and the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission.
The North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, working in conjunction with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, will document and map Green Book sites in both states, developing a model for a national Green Book sites marker and digital mapping program.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation believes that Black history is American history, and it is our responsibility to cultivate spaces to engage with it. We must ensure that everyone has the opportunity to draw inspiration and wisdom from African American historic places.
We must tell stories that reflect our complex and difficult past—and help us shape a better collective future. Though America may be rich in diverse history, our society has often been poor in representing that history and in funding its protection, conservation, and recognition.
With $50 million of funding, the Action Fund is the largest preservation effort ever undertaken to support the longevity of African American historic sites.
For more information about the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, please visit savingplaces.org/african-american-cultural-heritage.
