Grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historial Preservation advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as homes, museums, and landscapes that represent African American cultural heritage. To date, the program has supported 242 historic African American places and invested more than $20 million to help preserve significant sites imbued with Black life, humanity, and cultural heritage.
This year the preservation of historically Black colleges and universities across the country is a key focus of this year’s grant announcement. Through the Action Fund’s HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative, six HBCUs are receiving nearly $700,000 in funding to ensure the protection of their cultural assets.
The campus of Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, spans 12 acres and includes historic buildings dating from 1924. A comprehensive planning project will include the development of a campus-wide stewardship plan to evaluate and preserve the college’s buildings.
Talladega College in Alabama has historic buildings dating from 1869. A comprehensive project plan will lay the foundation for the preservation of Talladega College’s rich history.
Dillard University in New Orleans will develop a comprehensive planning project that will include the development of a campus-wide preservation plan to enable the university to preserve its history and character as it grows to include new classrooms and housing.
Tuskegee University in Alabama now has a campus of over 5,000-acre campus that includes over 100 buildings and is designated as a National Historic Site. Led by its department of architecture, the university will develop a sustainability and climate change resiliency plan to create preservation strategies that address the effects of climate change on its historic resources.
Hampton University in Virginia will develop a historic landscape plan to inform landscape preservation and better facilitate storytelling and interpretation for students and campus visitors.
Jarvis Christian University in Hawkins, Texas, will receive a grant to preserve the Florence Robinson Cottage that was built in 1941 and previously served as a residence for the college president. The university will develop a plan to make the Florence Robinson Cottage a viable historic site.
