African American Heritage Preservation Foundation

African American Heritage Preservation Foundation
Name	African American Heritage Preservation Foundation
Formation	1990s
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States
Leader title	Executive Director

African American Heritage Preservation Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the identification, preservation, interpretation, and advocacy of African American cultural resources across the United States. The Foundation engages in site acquisition, archival stewardship, landmark designation, and educational outreach to safeguard physical and documentary heritage connected to African American history, including sites linked to slavery, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and African American cultural expression. The organization collaborates with federal and state agencies, historical societies, universities, and community groups to integrate preservation into broader cultural policy and urban planning efforts.

History

The Foundation traces its origins to preservation efforts in the late 20th century that followed landmark decisions and initiatives such as National Historic Preservation Act, A. Philip Randolph's March on Washington Movement-era activism, and local campaigns around sites like Harriet Tubman Home and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Early projects reflected dialogues emerging from scholarship by historians associated with Howard University, Tuskegee Institute, and W.E.B. Du Bois-influenced intellectual networks. During the 1990s and 2000s the Foundation expanded its scope in response to high-profile preservation cases involving locations connected to Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, and contested heritage sites in cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, New Orleans, and Savannah, Georgia. Legislative milestones including revisions to National Trust for Historic Preservation priorities and the creation of programs like the National Register of Historic Places's multiple property submissions for African American resources informed the Foundation’s strategic development.

Mission and Goals

The Foundation’s mission centers on protecting tangible and intangible heritage associated with African American experiences from the colonial era through contemporary cultural movements. Core goals include securing landmark designations similar to those for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, documenting oral histories in the tradition of Library of Congress initiatives, advancing nominations analogous to Fort Mose Historic State Park listings, and promoting inclusive narratives that acknowledge events like the Great Migration, the Emmett Till case, and the work of cultural figures such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Duke Ellington. The Foundation prioritizes equitable stewardship practices that intersect with preservation standards developed by entities like the National Park Service and advocacy exemplified by organizations such as the NAACP and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Programs and Projects

Programs administered by the Foundation include historic site stabilization modeled after interventions at Whitney Plantation, archival rescue projects inspired by initiatives at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and community-led walking tour development comparable to programs in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Anacostia, and U Street Corridor. Educational projects include curriculum partnerships reflecting approaches used by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and teacher training modeled on Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History workshops. The Foundation also runs grant cycles resembling those of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund for rehabilitation of landmarks associated with figures like Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, Booker T. Washington, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Preservation planning efforts have tackled sites from colonial-era plantations to mid-20th-century venues linked to Motown Records and the Harlem Renaissance.

Collections and Sites

The Foundation curates archival collections that complement holdings at institutions such as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Howard University Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, and the Library of Congress. Its tangible portfolio includes stewardship of historic houses, meeting halls, and burial grounds comparable to Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture holdings, and participation in conserving landscapes like Mound Bayou and markers at Underground Railroad sites. Specialized collections focus on materials related to Juneteenth, African American military service exemplified by the Buffalo Soldiers, and cultural production connected to Gospel music venues and the Chitlin' Circuit.

Partnerships and Funding

The Foundation partners with federal programs such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, state historic preservation offices, universities including Spelman College and Morehouse College, and museums like the New-York Historical Society and Museum of African American History (Boston). Funding sources mirror those utilized by peer organizations: philanthropic grants from foundations with interests similar to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Ford Foundation, corporate sponsorships, and competitive awards patterned after Save America's Treasures. Collaborative projects involve municipal agencies in cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlanta to integrate preservation into planning and tourism strategies.

Governance and Leadership

Governance is typically vested in a board of directors with expertise drawn from preservation professionals affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, legal scholars connected to Howard University School of Law, curators from the Smithsonian Institution, and community leaders from partner organizations like the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Executive leadership often includes directors with prior roles at institutions such as The Historic New Orleans Collection, Museum of African American History (Boston), and academic appointments at Princeton University and University of California, Berkeley.

Impact and Recognition

The Foundation’s work has contributed to successful National Register nominations, local landmark ordinances, and interpretive exhibitions showcasing figures like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Bayard Rustin. Its projects have been cited in coverage by outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, and Smithsonian Magazine and acknowledged by awards similar to those from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and state historic preservation offices. Long-term impacts include increased public access to heritage sites, strengthened community stewardship models comparable to those in Lowndes County, Alabama and Rosenwald School restoration networks, and contributions to scholarship on African American history published by presses like Oxford University Press and University of North Carolina Press.

Category:African American history organizations